Herb gardening (depending on the herb) is quite easy, in my experience. I always have dill, rosemary, oregano and sage. I find basil too delicate so I grow it indoors. They're wonderful to have...just take a pinch off when you need them and they continue to grow all summer.
As for shade color, have you considered coleus? They are hardy, colorful and the bugs don't seem to eat them.

Hi Tina, I don't know what Zone you are in but I believe growing herbs should be quite easy during your summer. I have quite an extensive herb garden and some are easy and some are more difficult. I usually buy a few thyme plants because they take a long time to germinate. They are perennial if mulched in my zone and I direct sow parsley, cilantro. Oregano is easy from seed and is perennial. I grow basil and dill from seed every year and I winter sow bunching onions. I also grow chives and walking onions which are also perennial and I plant sage about every 3 years because they get very woody after that. Then there's lavender - I have a few perennial ones. I have seedlings of Marjoram to plant out - I winter sowed them this winter. I have a friend here who lives in a townhouse and she has a herb garden in a large pot. You may want to try that with a few nursery bought plants and see how it goes.

I also have a large shade garden and I get most colour in the spring. Before the trees 'leaf out' I have tulips, and a collection of smaller bulbs like Scilla and Crocus. Right now, in addition to my Hostas, I have forget-me-nots, bleeding hearts (pink, white & luxuriant). As the summer goes on I have Ladies Mantle (not bright but colourful), and a variety of hardy geraniums. I have bright yellow evening primrose, some astilbes, Jacob's ladder, Aquilegia - all started from seed except the primrose. I also have a tall bellflower (peach-leaved I believe) which volunteered and is doing quite well there, but my last colour in the shade garden is from Toad Lilies. And of course you can always add icicle pansies which are hardy over winter here and impatiens which are beautiful in the fall. I can send you a few suggestions by e-mail.
Northerner.

If you're looking for color, I'd suggest chives. They have a beautiful lavendar flower that lasts for weeks. It also has the added benefit of being a perennial.

It's easy. But do prepare your soil. I don't know your plant hardiness but being in Huron Country, I would guestimate that it's zone 4 or even zone 3.

I grow many herbs and don't even bother mulching. They thrive easily.

For your area, assuming that it's zone 4 the following herbs should be able to do well

Curley leafed parsley
Chives
sages
oregano
Lavender munstead
thyme
tarragon

Those that wont survive winter are
Rosemary (zone8)
Italian Parsley (zone 9)
majoram (zone 9) ----- However I have grown majoram and it seems to thrive in an area in my yard - so I'm not too sure about this.

Those that reseed
dill
corriander

Those that are borderline:

mint
some lavenders
------------------------------
For the shade areas: I like to choose plants that are light coloured and in my yard I have the following:

veronica
astilbe
sweet woodruff(invasive must be contained)
corral bells
limey shade hostas
columbines
brunera (baby blue flowers)
foxgloves
delphiniums
day lilies
lunaria (wet areas)

The only thing though is that I didn't look into their plant hardiness and so I don't know if any of hte above are suitable in zone 4.