I hope you enjoy your new garden, with your experience in container plants you'll have the hang of it in no time.

No point in beating you up over ordering from Spring Hill, but the plants you've listed should have been available in larger potted sizes at your local nursery. It doesn't hurt to get your ideas for combinations from catalogs or order harder-to-find plants, but a container grown plant that hasn't gone through shipping stress (and shipping fees) is usually an easier start.

If your bed is blank space and you are going to amend the soil before planting, I'd go for more compost and rethink buying fertilizer. Unlike your container plants, perennials in the ground aren't dependent on you to feed them; you might have a soil test done to see if anything is lacking, or fertilize in response to specific symptoms your plants could show later (and there may be none to address).

Less can be more when it comes to fertilizing :)...You don't want to try to rush perennials and risk burning them, and rapid new growth is going to be more susceptible to insects and diseases.

Very limited gardening experience. I live in Chicago area and would like EASY to grow shade perennials--including some long bloomers, or variety of plants to have color from early Spring through Fall.

I have a plot under a huge tree (deep shade) so I planted Bergenia (blooms early to late summer with red flower spikes in Spring) and Astilbe (blooms early to late summer with gorgeous plumes of red flowers, Creeping Jenny for groundcover, which forms a carpet of bright green leaves with tiny yellow flowers in late spring. Be careful though, it spreads! You could also try hostas, foxgloves, or Solomon's seal (fragrant white teardrop like-flowers on arching green stems). If you have only part shade then there are more options too.

I hate to be a spoil sport here but thought I'd mention that in your zone the coral bells (huechera) and Lily of the Valley will need quite a bit of shade/moisture. Your bed doesn't sound like the right spot for them. Also, the lupine...you might not be successful with this one but it sure won't hurt to try...they are beautiful. But, lupine are cool weather plants. They do not like heat & humidity. I live on the CT coast (also a Zone 7) and struggle to keep them alive here. If you ever get the opportunity to travel up through Canada, in June, to the Gaspe penninsula...the wild lupines are awesome! It's not that they want shade...they are a sun plant. They just seem to die off it the temps get much over 80 degrees. As far as cold goes...they are as hardy as a musk ox.

Good Luck and do give the huechera (coral bells) and LOV quite a bit of shade/moisture. They don't want to be soaking wet...just try not to let the soil dry out too much. The LOV can handle just about anything you throw at it including dry shade but it performs its best in moist shade. Also, a word of caution is in order. If your LOV likes the spot you pick...it's considered aggressive by a great many people and difficult to irradicate once established. The stuff has been known to life concrete sidewalks in very well established plantings. It spreads by underground stolons and if even a tiny piece is missed...a new plant will grow. So, a barrier about 6" into the ground is advised around the planting site. Like so many favorite plants...those tiny fragrant bell-shaped flowers are heavenly but they come at a price. Just be aware of its habits and you'll be in harmony with your LOV.

I am new to gardening and have an empty bed to plant in front of my house. It receives early sun and evening shade. Our bed's foundation is rock hard clay so we are bringing in some dirt to build up the beds. I have some day lillies and bearded irises but need to know what are some evergreen type plants that I can put there so my bed isn't so drab in the winer. ANy plant suggestions for both annual and perianl of all types are welcomed.

I would like to issue a warning about that Zebra grass....it is a thug of the worst sort. I wouldn't even plant it....but ,aybe way out back if you have a large lot....or in a roadside ditch!
One of the problems with Spring Hill is they don't tell you what you have...what might be a "fantasia mum?"....or a blue fringed daisy? These plants all have botanical names that allow you to look them up in a plant encyclopedia, but Spring Hill doesn't tell you what it is.
Which sedum? Which Coreopsis.....the thread leaf kind or the tick seed variety.....and which color? Pale yellow?, tall or very short?...See what I mean?
You have an assortment of plants, some of which are suited tor part shade and some for full sun. you have what are considered full sun conditions....provided you continue to get full sun a=fter 1 as the season progresses.
Skip the fertilizer.......just add more bagged compost if you think your plants are really doing poorly. More plants are killed or harmed by over fertilizing....but none ever died from not fertilizing at all.
Some of those plants won't do well and some will....because they don't all like the same conditions. So learn from your mistakes.....and remember....there is always next year........and you can order more plants in the fall.
Sounds to me like you have the ideal spot for day lily.....and they come in all colors and varieties.
Linda C

I'm a little late getting into this conversation but let me tell you my experiences with Lily of the Valley...

The gentleman across the street was busy pulling out stuff and tossing it in a garbage can... Being the nosey person I am I went over to see what was going on... When I saw him throwing away what I thought was my favorite flower I begged for some of them.. Unfortunately he had already pulled them all up but he told me they were a hardy plant and I could take all I wanted from the garbage can...

Well they were all fairly wilted and generally messed up but I picked out about a dozen of them with the best looking root system, promptly planted them and hoped for the best... After about a week they didn't look much better but they were still hanging on... I never thought they'd come back the next year but they did and they flourished... I was so pleased with myself for rescuing them and getting them to grow... Foolish girl...

That was about 10 years ago... Today I have an area of Lily of the Valley that's about 15 feet by 8 feet and it's growing faster than I can keep up with it... One year I put down plastic edging to keep it under control or so I thought... The root system of these plants actually pushed the edging up out of the ground... LOL

My advice about Lily of the Valley... Only grow them in thick cement containers.. lol

Rita

I have a very deep lot. Way at the back there were some LOV when I moved here 35 years ago. I was delighted!
Well that bed is at least 50 yards from my deck and they haven't gotten that far.....yet! LOL! But they have marched easily 10 feet up the hill! Merciless mowing and yearly doses of weed killer keep them in their place.....and they make a wonderful ground cover!
Linda C

I have to second the LOV problem. Be very careful where you plant them. They were so thick, up against the house we moved into, I couldn't dig them. I finally offered them on Gardenweb and a local mom dug some, then I offered them in Freecycle and a gentleman came over and dug the rest. Both people really dug so as to get the roots. I haven't seen any pop up this year, but if they do, its Roundup for sure.

I also noticed in the Spring Hill catalogue that they have gorgeous plans shown, but no regard for exposure. Find yourself some books at the library, then maybe decide which one(s) you want to buy and use for reference. You will save yourself a lot of aggrevation ;-)

Carol

Thanks for everyone's advice. After much thought - and reading many bad reviews about Spring Hill Nursery - I decided to cancel my order.

Reason being: 1- my garden was on backorder until the end of May; 2- I figured most of the plants would be very small and the garden I'm planning is in an exposed area... so would look bare for some time; and 3- think it's worth the money to buy healthy, large plants from a local nursery.

I'm excited about creating my own plan - not sure if I'll accomplish this spring - but think it will ultimately turn out better than Spring Hill Nursery's pre-packaged garden.

Thanks again everyone - I have learned so much on these boards! :)