Santa Rosa sale sounds very attractive, but they have rather common varieties. Bluestone has much better selection IMO. I am very happy with this year order from Bluestone. All plants arrived very healthy. I planted them in the garden during very hot week and they did not even wilt. I placed my order immediately after the sale started. Maybe, that is why the order was perfect. Another good company for ordering small plants is Garden Harvest Supply. They do not have huge selection, but they sell lots of newer cultivars of Heuchera, Hydrangea, Hakonechloa, Lilac, Echinacea, hardy Mums. Also, great selection of annuals and organic fertilizers. Lots of other stuff, but the list above reflects what I ordered from them :o)

Pachysandra procumbens or Japanese Spurge does not need much water once established and gives you an evergreen carpet. Bergenias are also evergreen and can survive off low rations of water. As mentioned Epimediums are fantastic, you just have to be careful where you shop so you don't destroy your budget. Did you try Ostrich fern or Matteuccia struthiopteris? I transplanted some established specimens into the shade underneath my houses overhang and they have required little water from the beginning. Both this species and bergenia should be easy to obtain from other gardeners. Ligularias love to have pond liner under them. I've done this in my yard and it's enabled me to plant them in almost full sun. If you don't have leftover pond liner from constructing your own water feature you could probably get away with using some kind of plastic. It's ok to have some leaks. A word of warning; I had ligularias in almost full shade and they barely bloomed. After I moved them into sun the change was dramatic. Actaea (Bugbanes or Cimicifuga) would enjoy having wet feet. Primulas actually do better then I thought they would in complete shade. They bloom decently and have the fastest rate of foliage increase in my full shade beds. I don't know if Tiarellas know how to stop blooming. They probably wouldn't want either wet or really dry roots. Asarum europeaum (European Ginger), Convallaria (Lily of the Valley), Lamiastrum, Vinca minor, and Phlox stolonifera have all been ok for me with almost complete shade and sparse watering. Only the Ginger has flowered much (you have to lift up the leaves to see them). Established plain green hostas have done well for me with no water and complete shade. A Blue leaved cultivar with cream edges has disappointed so far. Although it's tempting to use white variegated hostas remember that they reflect that much more sunlight than their non-variegated counterparts. Although I haven't tried them I've read that Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry), Viola canadensis (Canadian Violet), Arisaema (Jack-in-the-pulpit), Hepatica, Polygonatum (False Soloman's Seal), Sanguinaria (Blood root), and Lamium would all work in full shade with little water once established. Don't feel too despaired about plants not growing very quickly-that's just what happens with such little light this far north. The difference between the same species of plant grown in complete shade vs. shade with a few hours of direct sun has been quite dramatic in my yard.

What a lovely thread this is! Thanks to all who have posted. I will second Peren.all's suggestion of Actea/Cimicifuga, particularly the dark-leafed types such as Brunette, Hillside Black Beauty, etc. I have many of the others mentioned here such as Hydrangea macrophylla varieties in the half shade spots, a few types of Solomon's seal/Polygonatum, Dicentra eximia/ fern-leaf bleeding heart, Astilbe, European ginger, columbine, and primroses. There are a few plants that I have with hosta that I didn't see in others' posts (though I may have missed since this is a long post). Veronica 'Georgia Blue' grows for me in both sun and mostly shade. In sun it has a tighter growth habit and darker leaves, while in shade it spreads among other plants in a friendly and nonaggressive manner so that it just winds arounds other plants filling in bare spots. It blooms well in both sun and shade in late spring. Iris cristata (crested iris) is a slowly spreading spring bloomer that is fine in full bright shade. Depending on the selection, it blooms can be from white to medium blue. It is mostly done blooming by the time the hostas are fully leafed out but the foliage is a nice contrast to the hosta foliage for the rest of the season. This photo has a couple of foamflowers/Tiarella as well in the upper right corner and center bottom. Some have fancier foliage than these two, and there are also Heucherellas which are Heuchera-Tiarella crosses. 'All Gold 'Japanese forest grass/Hakone grass/Hakonechloa macra is one of my favorite gold plants, and I often have it with hosta. It expands very slowly; I think I've only divided mine once in 15 years and is happiest with a lot of shade. This one is being crowded by a self-seeded Hosta. Leucosceptrum japonica 'Golden Angel' has the unfortunate common name of Japanese shrub mint, but it isn't a shrub, just a medium perennial, and though it is in the mint family, it doesn't spread like mint. It does expand slowly, but is easily controlled; I haven't had to do anything to mine in 5 years or so. Gold Angel is just to the left of center in the photo below, farther back in the bed. Hakone grass is on the right. Between it and gold hosta are a biennial foxglove which blooms pink and is trying to out-compete a Japanese painted fern, which looks a lot nicer in better circumstances. The Sputnik-like seed heads are from a white allium which is happy in a bit less than half day sun. An evergreen shrub to go with Hostas (if you have acid soil) has a few branches over on the left, Leucathoe. Partridgeberry/Mitchella repens is native groundcover that likes shade. Another native is False Solomon's seal/Maianthemum racemosum, which has red berries later in the season. There are a couple of groundcover shade-loving geraniums - Geranium x cantabrigiense 'Biokovo' and Geranium macrorrhizum - that might be too aggressive for Hosta - I am just trying the combination in the last couple of years.

Hi Mutajen, Here is a “collection” of comments about different possible shade plants! It’s just Scattered Thoughts, so there’s no real rhyme or reason in how I’ve listed the info! It IS, more or less, listed with the taller ones on top—more or less! (I "rearranged" the order that these are listed AFTER typing all the individual comments, so some "comments" refer to things you haven't read yet! You'll see what I mean when you read it!!!) A favorite tall one of mine is Thalictrum! T. aquilegifolium has clusters of “purple fluff.” 3-4’ tall – doesn’t bloom for a very long time, but is pretty when it is blooming. Foliage looks ok after blooming for a while, but it gradually “deteriorates” over summer, and since I cut it off as it starts to look bad, I eventually wind up with them cut all the way down to the ground! This one reseeds and I give them away at swaps when I find them! Might have a couple at the Fall Swap if (probably) more come up this summer! This one is a Big Time favorite of mine! T. rochebrunianum! Starts blooming in mid-late summer and keeps blooming pretty much till frost! Instead of the purple fluff, this one has actual tiny flowers in loose, airy clusters that “dance” on the ends of the stems! (I think there’s another species that has “actual flowers,” but I’m not sure what it is!) Aruncus dioicus – about 4’ – mine tends toward chlorotic—somewhat yellow leaves! But then mine is planted in HEAVY clay, and I’ve never gotten around to digging it up and replanting it with better soil! – there are other species, I believe, that are somewhat taller. I almost forgot this one! It’s a favorite of mine! It doesn’t bloom long, but google Trollius, globe flower! There are some different species—I like them all! About 2’ or so – yellow or orange, both very showy and pretty! Another “bog” plant (see Astilbe below! Told you there was no rhyme or reason!), but will do ok with “normal shade watering!” (also see below!) They start out as small “globes,” and open somewhat, but still stay mostly in a “ball” shape. They’re so unique that I think they’re really cool! Digitalis – different species. I’ve never had any luck getting these to grow past the first year! Most species are short-lived or biennial, there are a few that are considered to be reliably hardy, but I haven’t had any luck with them either! (Clay!) I LOVE the flowers! The different species vary in height and color. Old fashioned bleeding heart, Dicentra spectabilis, 24-36”, has already been mentioned, but be aware that they bloom very early and then, when it gets hot out, the whole plant goes dormant till the following spring. So, nothing at all in that spot for mid summer to fall. ALSO, if it likes its growing conditions, it can be invasive! (Mine is in, yep, HEAVY clay, and has “stayed put” for years!) If planted near hosta, they will pretty much “take up” the “empty space” as the Dicentra goes dormant! Everblooming bleeding heart, Dicentra Formosa, but this one is shorter than “old fashioned,” AND the hearts aren’t “as perfect” as the “old fashioned!” It does continue to bloom somewhat all summer! Bergenia – large, leathery leaves that are evergreen to semi-evergreen. Depending on the weather, some of them can turn a bright red-orange in fall, and stay that way till they get too beat up over winter! Spikes of pink flowers in spring. 18-24” A couple tall ones I don’t have but would like to have some day! Cimicifuga (might be Actaea now!) – C. simplex is my favorite, 40”, but there’s also the taller C. ramosa, or C. racemosa. Filipendula, queen of the prairie – most are around 3’ tall, but there are a couple species that are up to 4-5’ tall Anemone sylvestris, windflower – spring blooming anemone. 12-18” – this one does spread and could be considered to be invasive I think, but they seem to spread very close to the surface, so I’ve never had any major problem containing them—and they’re way too pretty when they’re blooming to NOT have them! All of the Geraniums—but some of them are crazy invasive, so research them well before you plant them! One geranium that will not spread like crazy is Geranium dalmaticum ‘Compact Rose’. I don’t know that you’d find ‘Compact Rose’ specifically, but look for G. dalmaticum to be SAFE! It “enlarges” some every year, but can easily be “contained” by (easily) digging out around the edges if it’s going where you don’t want it! I MAY have a couple of them at the Spring Swap—but not positive about that yet! I love ferns! I love the contrast of the foliage with the “other” perennials! A couple easy and good ones to start with would be Japanese Painted Fern, Athyrium niponicum, silvery-gray with reddish stems (some varieties more than others), and Autumn Fern, Dryopteris erythrosora. The new, developing fronds on the Autumn Fern are bronzy-red—hence the name! Autumn Fern is also semi-evergreen, so there is ”something there” over winter—heavy snows will knock them down, and when it “looks bad” I just cut it down and wait till spring again! Some ferns are incredibly invasive, so, again, be sure you check them out before planting them! Primula, I believe all of them but not sure about that, are shade plants! Very short, but there are some really cool species/varieties! As an example google Primula vialii! I don’t have it, but hope to some day! Also check out Primula denticulata, Drumstick Primula! Then there’s just plain old ordinary primroses—mine are in full bloom—and sometimes bloom most of the winter! I recommend getting a pack of forget-me-not seeds (Myosotis) and scattering them in a couple different places. Mark where they are so you know it’s not weeds coming up. They’re short-lived, so what you do is wait for them to bloom and drop seeds, and then cut/pull out the plants that are done for the year and let new ones come up for the following year! They’re short, and have light, airy, “happy” clusters of tiny sky-blue flowers that live in and among anything else you have. The “first” seeds you plant will wind up, in a year or two, coming up all over the place! They have very shallow roots so they don’t interfere with anything else. If they “go” somewhere where you don’t want them, they’re VERY easy to pull out! (What I do when the current year's plants are done blooming is to cut the top of the plant off right at the surface of the soil—leaving the roots to decompose in the soil, adding organic matter!) Of the things you mentioned (on your list or already planted?) I recommend nixing the Plumbago! It’s incredibly invasive! The stuff can be really pretty, especially in fall when it can have both the blue flowers AND red foliage at the same time—but are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life trying to get rid of it again? Sinking it in a pot won’t work! I’ve seen the roots of very small plants coming out of the bottom of gallon pots—and rooting into the ground where the pots were sitting! None of these have Big Showy Flowers! No “daisies!” If there were shade plants like that—I’d have them! I don’t believe any of these are fragrant—not sure about the two tall ones I listed that I don’t have yet! Aquilegia chrysantha IS fragrant—but it also reseeds PROLIFICALLY! On RMG it’s knows as “Skybird’s Columbine” because I’ve given so many of them away at swaps! I don’t think I’ll have any this time, but it’s possible somebody else might bring seedlings for some to the swap! It’s yellow, BTW, and 3-4’ tall! It RESEEDS PROLIFICALLY!!! I don’t eat my “ornamental” plants—I prefer to look at them!—so I don’t have any comments on that topic! :-) Most of your shade plants will probably do ok without much watering, but they will definitely do better if they’re watered more often! Shade plants "naturally" grow in cooler, moister areas. They’ll look better, they’ll grow better—and both you and the plants will be happier. Comments about other things you or somebody else mentioned above! Astilbe are amazing—when they’re in bloom! When I sold these things they’d come in from California in full bloom, and we’d sell them immediately—but—I never knew of anybody here in Colorado that ever got them to bloom again! I’m sure there are some people, but all the people I ran into wanted to know how to get them to bloom after they had bought and planted them! Astilbe can actually be grown in—loves!—BOGGY conditions, and as near as I could ever figure out, it needs to stay WET in both summer AND winter to be happy enough to bloom. For that reason I’ve never tried it! But the flowers are spectacular! I’ve never grown these so it may not be “fair” for me to comment, but when I’ve seen Ligularia blooming in pots I was never that impressed with the flowers. That was in POTS, and I’ve never seen them growing in the ground! I googled them and there are certainly some very pretty pictures there! When we were selling them it tended to be with more of an emphasis that they were “foliage” plants—they have large leaves, and that the flowers were more “secondary.” Let me repeat, I’ve never grown them! If you do decide to grow some I’d appreciate it if you’d come back at some point and give us your impression of them, along with the species—they vary a lot! On the north side of my house I have several different hosta, the two Thalictrums, the Aruncus, Trollius, Brunnera, ferns, almost forgot this, Polygonatum ‘Variegatum’, Solomon’s Seal, short foliage plant!, bleeding heart, hardy cyclamen (a whole different story I don’t have time for!), Bergenia, Primula (ordinary!), Brunnera ‘Looking Glass’, Geranium dalmaticum, Anemone sylvestris, some alpine (runnerless) strawberries—and LOTS of forget-me-nots! There’s some other misc. things out there, but nothing TALL or fragrant—or EDIBLE! As usually happens when I come here to post, it takes a LOT longer than I was “planning!” I need to get outside and get some more plants in pots for the swap and to take with me on my Spring Trip! Was planning to post what I’ll be bringing to the swap, but I guess that will have to wait till tomorrow—when it’s COLD outside! Since houzz took over and continues to have the Big Nasty Popup, I don’t post here much anymore, but I’ll try to keep an eye out in case you have any specific questions about any of the above. Happy garden planning, Skybird EDITED TO CORRECT all the formatting that was LOST when I copied/pasted this from Word! ANOTHER reason to not post on houzz!!! Don't know if I got all the lines reformatted to look right again, but I tried! Looks like I missed a couple lines! Deal with it! I don't have time to try to fix the rest of it!