lungwort
wood betony
woodland phlox
toad lily
chelone

perennial geranium
daylilies w/light shade
lanium
many shrubs - azaleas, camillias
creeping jenny
liriope
ajuga

Lynne

How much shade are we talking? With deep shade you would be more limited, with light shade the list can be extensive.

Rhonda

Digitalis
Astilbe
Columbine
Nicotiana
Coleus
Forget-me-not (cynoglossum)

Welcome,Diana.

Karen

Rhonda - I think it will be deeply shaded in the center and on the back side, but will be lightly shaded on one of the edges.

It's the deeply shaded part of the woodland garden that I'd like to find blooming plants for.

Thanks for everyone else's input!
Diana

Don't forget Goats Beard,and there is a campanula that likes full shade,I will have to get back to you on a name!:)
This is a great thread Diana,I will be clipping this one!

Astilbe is doing beautifully in the shade for me, I have 2 shades of pink and one white. The foliage remains attractive all season until the frost gets it.

Mary

I should also mention rhodendrons, mountain laurel, oak-leaf hydrangea, and if I can think of the name of the one that grows in the woods at camp, I will post it for you.

Black cohosh, cimicifuga racemosa, you can use google images to see what it looks like. It grows well in dark shade.

Mary

For deep shade these will do well: White Wood Aster, Blue Wood Aster, Tall Bellflower, Tall Thimbleweed, Tick Trefoil, Dutchman's Breeches, Amethyst Shooting Star, White Snakeroot, Penstemon digitalis, Jacob's Ladder, some Goldenrods, and Bellworts.

Rhonda

Dutchman breeches. It is cute. Violas and jack in the pulpit. Dolls eyes too Barb

I have some Sweet Woodruff in deep shade that is beautiful in spring, and smells good too.
Maggie

Ohh and bee balm. Monkshood is a good one too. This is fun....

Wow everyone - thank you soooo much for all the great ideas!

My woodland garden is well on its way to a beautiful space next spring!

I love this thread so much! Feel free to keep the great ideas coming!

Diana

So glad I found this forum!
I just love my shade gardens. A few of the best plants are wood poppy, fern leaf bleeding heart and toad lily. These are really something else mixed with ferns and hosta and other shade plants. Give yourself plenty of room for the wood poppy and toads. My wood poppy has bloomed off and on all summer with lovely yellow blooms and my toad lilies are about upper thigh high this year (can't wait for them to bloom in the fall). Best of luck with your shade garden.