The book I found (and still find) most helpful is Natural Landscaping by Diekelmann. He gives you the basics of landscaping (site analysis, creating a design, etc.) but from a native plants perspective. He describes the various plant communities of the U.S. and asks you to choose one (or more -- if your site has significant variation) and work with that community of plants, instead of picking and choosing native plants you like but that wouldn't really be growing together in the wild. The idea is that these communities evolved together and so it makes ecological sense to try to recreate them (on a small scale, in most cases, certainly yours) to some extent. The other suggestions are excellent too. I'd say Noah's Garden for inspiration and encouragement and the native plants philosophy, Diekelmann for the big picture of plant communities (lots of plant lists!) and hands-on landscaping instructions, and Cullina for the details on specific plants. Good luck! -- wd

As stated by FataMorgana, most of the shade plants need lots of time to germinate, not to mention years to blooming time. I glanced through Cullina's book to see what he listed as "four weeks, sown at 70 degrees," and for shade. Arisaema is listed, but in my experience it takes over a year, and it needs two-three years to bloom. Darmera may work, if you have a moist spot. Polemonium germinated for me in one year. Both Tiarellas and Trilliums have self sown for me in the woodland, but they are slow growing and take a long time to bloom. I, too, wanted a lush look when I was first interested in shade natives, but eight years later I am still adding as many as I can. I recommend a variety of native ferns to fill in the spots created when many of the plants you mentioned die back as the weather gets warm.

I don't know what type of lawn seed you're trying to grow but cool season grasses such Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue, tall fescue, and bentgrass do best when planted from mid-August to mid-September in the north. If you want a grassy area in your lawn you should contact your county extention agent for recommendations. It would also be a good idea to have a soil test done. Your ag agent can advise you on that as well. I don't think a woodland garden would be out of place on a suburban lot. If you like it, that's all that matters. (afterall, the woodland was there before suburbia moved in;) I've turned a portion of my backyard into a woodland garden. The area came with a very large white pine, 2 American hollies, 3 dogwoods and a big old crabapple. The white pine gives me a nice groundcover of pine needles year round which I love. Pine needles make an attractive groundcover but they can be hard to come by. If you have to buy them they're expensive but they won't blow away. To me a woodland garden should be a place enjoyed by people and wildlife. I use many plantings that produce berries and nectar for songbirds and butterflies. I've added; blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, native persimmon, paw-paw and serviceberry. Also; rhododendron, Mt.laurel, American smokebush, sweetbay magnolia, eastern redbud and river birch. I have a butterfly garden too. When I started, much of the area was mainly weeds. I placed layers of wet newspaper there to smother the weeds and covered it with several inches of shredded hardwood mulch. I've also added compost for some garden beds and topped with shredded leaves. I've never had a problem with shredded leaves blowing away so I don't know what to tell you about that. I've since added many native woodland flowering plants. I've created pathways that wind through the area. (no straight lines) Some pathways are just grassy strips and others are mulched, still others are stone. I use stone a lot in some areas. I use large old stumps (from a tree we cut down) to hold birdbaths or as a backdrop for plantings woodland plantings. A rustic bench or a swing can be a focal point and makes an area feel more inviting and cozy. Good luck, I hope this helps.

northern huntress, Thanks for the question about 'Noah's Garden', it forced me to pull it out and review it for the answer and immediately I found out why I only have hummingbirds late in the season,I need an earlier bloomer ,siberian pea or nj tea, and mullien for soft hairy leaves for nesting material. This is the most important gardening book I've read. It completely changed how I gardened. On a small suburan lot I have cardinals nesting on the arbors ,hummingbirds visiting native honeysuckle vines , and small brown snakes hiding under the rock border. The book is a gardening book, a personal story, an ecologically sound view of gardening and a good read. The companion book 'Planting Noah's Garden' is, as it's title suggests more hands on. Pixie