I love all of the pictures. Lots of inspiration. My favorite combination with hostas is with my baptisia. I tucked the hosta (this one is a no id, I inherited him when we bought this house) in close, and the baptisia sort of creates a canopy over the hosta. The only catch is that around midsummer, I have to tie up/stake my baptisia so that it doesn't collapse on the hosta.

Debra- I’ve had the opposite experience with Black Scallop ajuga... I‘ve lost it in most places it was planted. There are only a few plants here and there remaining. I would say that it seems to be susceptible to wet soil in winter, except there are places it survived that are probably pretty wet through the winter. I have one small awkward area at the bottom of the deck stairs and had hoped it would fill in there... but it disappeared. I replaced it with ajuga Chocolate Chip... and that seems to be doing better - so far. So, either way, success or failure- I also wouldn’t recommend Black Scallop, cute as it is.

I have just rekindled by love of heuchera! Here are 3 that I have had for a few years. Top left is a NOID; to the right of it is Tiramisu (a beautiful coloring in the spring, kind of orangy?, then turning to yellow); center is Forever Purple which the grubs got. I was able to salvage one stem. A shame. Top right is Bowles Golden Sedge. Tiramisu heuchera in the spring. Frost heuchera (a mini). One that I just love. This color in the spring is almost metalic like. Dwarf Goatsbeard. The only picture I took of it this year was this photo in November. I liked its coloring!

Nicholsworth, I have admired your garden greatly, I like peaceful feeling your garden gives me. Admittedly I am a crammer and need to remain myself to keep space open. How do Astilbes bloom for you? My experience that they do enjoy decent sunlight to be showy... Debra, love painted ferns, both burgundy and silver, I think they just add classy elegance to any setting. My sunnier spots are all delegated to veggie and berry gardens so I will have to stick with shade loving and heavy soil tolerant plants. Not sure epimedium will be happy in heavy water loaded soils... I did buy Sun King too, it does well in more sun though... I have seen spectacular lupines in WI, was never lucky to grow them in IL. Peren, thank you for finding companion thread, lots of ideas. I am looking for couple of tallish but narrow ferns and not superspreaders. Then probably want to add cute but short ones. Sebright has lots of choices if anyone has experience in growing ferns in heavy soil I am all ears. Are Royal fern and Maidenhair finicky? I have been eyeing ligularia Chinese dragon but shipping from Plant Delights is a killer...