When most people think of the shade, mainly two plants come to mind. Hostas and ferns. Probably because they are the most loved of all the shade plants and the easiest to grow with little to no work. When most people start a new garden, they automatically head for the sunny locations. Oh yes, all of our most beautiful flowers need sunshine, and lots of it! .....but don't underestimate the power of the shade! ...for it too can bring forth amazing beauty!
My shade beds have consisted of only narrow strips in the front of the house where the two huge maples grow. I've had mostly hostas and ferns here, a few bleeding hearts, and some primroses. It was very boring. I wanted to pop out a beautiful tranquil bed instead, so as soon as the weather allowed, I grabbed my husband, some shovels, and a wheelbarrow and we got to work. It took 4 hours to remove the sod of the first garden....hard work, but well worth it. Above is the current status of my shade garden..... attached to the main sun bed....so in actuality, it is all one huge garden that goes from full sun to partial shade to full shade, with the plants all acting together to compliment one another. It's interesting because the full lush sunny spot has its own formal/cottage look to it, but just aroudn the corner, you feel like you are stepping into a woodland scene.
And when it comes to shade beds.... the woods are an excellent source of new plants! Ferns galore can be found in the woods! Just take care in moving them, many of the smaller varieties do not transplant well, so get them in early spring. The best ones are the ostrich ferns. They are big and beautiful and easy to move....but can be heavy. They do spread in the garden, so if only a few are wanted, you may want to avoid putting them into a small spot.
This little fern is a Ghost fern ~ very similar to japanese painted fern. I just bought it new this year as a bare root, so it is tiny, but will slowly grow into a lovely fern. This is a smaller fern species, nice for filling in small spaces or nestle it into the front of other plants, it is very decorative, with almost shimmery fronds. 
Another larger sized fern is the cinnamon fern. It gets its name from those tall feathery growths. These will turn a cinnamon brown. These ferns do not spread quickly, and are a nice medium sized fern. It is long lived, and very hardy. Some popular ferns are: Ostrich fern, lady fern, japanese painted fern, ghost fern, cinnamon fern, sensitive fern, maidens hair fern, Christmas fern, Autumn splendor fern (these last two are evergreen).... the list goes on. I am a fern lover, so the more varieties, the better!
Hostas come in many sizes, shapes and colors. There are hundreds of varieties, with new ones coming every year. From the tiny blue mouse ears hosta to the mighty Empress Wu, there is a hosta just for you! (ok, that was lame...) .... but yes, lots of hostas and they all love to be in the shade. I think my favorite hostas are the blues. I've really taken to spreading out my hosta collection, and I enjoy each one, but the blues really have my attention. Here are a few of my hostas:
Hostas are easy, reliable, and hard to kill. There is a hosta virus that spreads from hosta to hosta, so when purchasing them, watch for any signs of disease, faded coloring, dead leaves, etc and stick to ones that look nearly perfect. I also avoid buying hostas from Walmart, simply because I know of too many people who bought a hosta there and ended up infecting all of their hostas at home! Buyer beware! I try my best to buy directly from reputable hosta breeders, expensive, yes.... but worth it! Healthy, named hostas that are of excellent quality is guaranteed. I also buy them at local nurseries, and have bought a few named ones from Lowes.I'll need to have a page dedicated to hostas some day, because I could go on and on about them..... care, flowering, varieties.....but we will move on.
Another beautiful plant always seen in the shade is the bleeding heart, named for the heart shaped flowers it blooms. Bleeding heart comes in a few varieties, the one pictured is the "old fashioned" there is also white and fern leafed bleeding heart. I have three fern leafed I just put in, but they are growing from bare root and are very small yet, so no pictures at this time, unfortunately. Bleeding heart is a long living plant, hardy and reliable, but stays in the garden for a short time each season. Plant something close to it to resume the spot when this plant dies back. 
Columbine is another shade loving plant, with beautiful upside down flowers that come in a variety of colors. Shown is my blue and white and my native red and yellow, I found it in the woods. I also have doubles in cranberry and soft pink. You'll find an assortment of columbines, seeds are always easy to receive from other gardeners, since they are easily collected after the plant blooms.
More random photos are shown below, with a list of annuals and perennials that do well in the shade, ENJOY!! and start planning your new shade garden!!
Annuals:
- Impatiens
- Begonia
- Coleus
- Elephant Ears
- Caladium
Perennials:
- Ferns
- Hostas
- Astilbe
- Hardy Geranium
- Rhododendron
- Azalea
- Hydrangea
- Bleeding Heart
- Brunnera
- Heuchera
- Lily of the Valley
- Jacob's Ladder
- Lungwort
- Dead Nettle
- Toad Lily
- Jack in the Pulpit
- Primrose
- Columbine
- Violets
- Grape Hyacinths
There are many more plants you can find for the shade, and many of your sun plants do well in a partial shade location. Have fun experimenting what works well for you in your yard.
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