The bed with the leopard plants is located off a corner of the back of my home and has a lot of bright light in the morning but no direct sun because of a large, high trimmed sweet gum tree (I believe its a sweet gum) about 15-20feet away. In the afternoon the area does not have as much light because it is shaded by my home. I've read some other recent threads on here and from your advice, I believe they would do fine but probably not thrive like they would with some morning sun. Maybe some of the lighter colored coral bells would be best. Any other recommendations for some shade loving groundcovers? As far as the heuchera under the maple tree, I will watch them and see how they do. I will most likely trim the tree up a little to get some more light in there. When I planted them, it was not very difficult to dig the holes (not a significant mass of roots) so I believe I planted them far enough away. There are also some Autumn ferns under the tree and closer to the base. They've been there for about three years and seem to be doing well with huge leaves. The maple is about 20 years old and has already reached around 25ft tall so hopefully it will be ok.

Moccasinlanding: I have planted the two hostas in pots and will be leaving them in the house to grow. That should speed things up. Daily temperatures here are just above freezing and night times are just below freezing. It will be my first time "forcing" a hosta indoors. I actually have one hosta outside that has awakened. I noticed it just yesterday with one eye. Today a second eye is making its way out. The hosta is Wolverine. I have looked at the hosta library and there are beautiful specimens to view. Unfortunately no very young GM. But like you say, this forum has loads of pictures and I will do some searching so that I can make a comparison. I agree that we need to put our trust in the sellers. I had "heard" of the growers from which my bare root hostas came from, so I feel optimistic that I will have the correct hosta. (Nothing like last year when I bought a bag of hostas and none of them were what they were supposed to be!) Thanks moccasinlanding for your feedback! Thanks Paul (paul in mn) for the photo! Your Golden Meadows looks so lovely and fresh! I hope my one eye will look like that---then I will (almost) know for sure. Ken: "back in the day.. white oak had an old fridge.. or they called their sale .. a fridge sale ..." That's so cute---a fridge sale---never heard of anything like that. That 's very interesting about the plants coming from division or TC plugs. I think you are right about my bare root hostas probably being from TC plugs as I did not notice any cut area. "so its hard to define a bargain" That's so true, especially when it comes to plants. I thought I was getting a good deal---two bare root hostas that cost me less than one potted hosta from a hosta nursery. But if this hosta takes off slowly, then I think I may not have gotten a good deal after all. Time will tell. As for rambling on---you can ramble on with me any time you want! Thank you Phil (hostafreak) for your comments. I am glad you think the roots are good. Sieboldiana heritage---doesn't that mean slow grower? Oh dear.

I'm not an expert on planting bareroot bluebells, but you haven't gotten a better answer. The packet instructions probably would have said something like 'bury an inch below surface', but that would have been when the thing was dormant. The plant then would have figured out 'up' and 'down' when it broke dormancy. I would suspect that, with bluebells, the end beginning to sprout now is the stem end rather than the root end. And you said "How can I tell which end is up with the root that isn't sprouting yet?" I suspect that in that sprouting end you recognized the developing bud. I would plant them about an inch under the soil, but at the end that is sprouting, get that end at the level of the soil, or *just* below. I don't know that vertical or horizontal matters, as long as the budding end isn't buried. But I would get them in the ground *soon*! Bluebells are very forgiving. Get them in the ground, with the growing part toward sun, and odds are they will do fine. You may not get optimum flowering this year, but they'll do fine.

@floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK Perhaps I am. Indeed, I know I am overcomplicating this. Apologies. I guess? While I appreciate your offer of help (or maybe, more precisely, the claim that you are offering help). . . let me just say that I feel as though, from your tone--you decidedly do not understand what it means to be on a fixed income and rent (e.g., not have any long-term commitment to the garden you're trying to improve). I don't have time; that's exactly it. Annuals just make more sense. It's unfortunate that I have some shade, but I have to make the most of it and figure out what works for me. I can't spend $400 on plants; I don't think I can spend $200 on plants, frankly. And then all the other stuff @floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK: e.g., Hall's Honeysuckle might seem to you to be ugly and "potentially invasive,"--admittedly, it is in most places--but it decidedly is not in Portland, Oregon, from every single source I've read. And trust me, I'm thorough. I just want something that will thrive and grow quickly despite my difficult soil conditions. That's why answers like those of @einportlandor are a little more helpful, you know? "Yeah, I was broke, too, I understand how you feel... planted poppies and nasturtium and it all worked out fine!" This isn't rocket science. I just want my backyard to look nice. On the super-cheap. I don't need cutting comments for no good reason guised as "help." And to address your query re the soil; argh. I have done everything within my very limited means and power to fix the soil problems and spent approximately $700 in the past year in the wrong-headed attempt to do so: I mixed in 6" of compost 2x by double digging and excavated about 50 gallons of pebbles/rocks and a miscellany of items left by previous tenants. I created a swale and taught myself how to build a rain garden to handle what the gutters can't manage; I regraded the yard, aerated the lawn; etc. etc. This year, I decided to give up on anything more than a little patch o' grass for my dog and constructed "lasagne"-like raised beds (not supported by anything; my landlord won't let me install anything permanent, like even a floating deck, but I put down wood chips everywhere else. It's the only way that I'll anything approaching meaningful drainage (on my budget) and not spoil even moisture-friendly perennials. Forgive me; just a bit frustrated by what feeling like I've been subjected to [inexplicable] derision/passive-aggression rather than been helped. I'll back out slowly now . . . I honestly don't believe you really even want to look at photos or mappings of my garden (other than to get in something that might be helpful but will definitely be officious). I don't ever do this but this nice/mean thing sucks and I just had to respond; sorry. Thanks all.