Hydrangeas are good, and a really nice and easy one is oakleaf hydrangea. The reason I say that is it is more easy to care for than other hydrangeas. Doesn't care as much about whether the soil is acid or not. Leafs are, as the name indicates, shaped like oak leaves, but get larger eventually. The flowers in late spring are cone-shaped, white, but turn pink over the summer. In fall, the foliage turns red, and in winter, the bark is a love peeling rust-color. So, it is an all-season plant.

Other hydranges would work well, too, especially the new 'Endless Summer', which blooms on both old and new wood, so you don't have to worry about pruning time.

Another shrub that would do well is Itea virginica. There are a couple of really nice cultivars, 'Little Henry', and 'Henry's Garnet'. They are deciduous, leaf out in early spring, flowers are "bottle-brush" shaped and fragrant (slightly), and the rest of the summer, has nice foliage. In fall, the foliage turns a nice red.

Neither of these two shrubs have any disease problems that I'm aware of, and I've had both for about 6 years.

Oakleaf hydrangea can get very tall if you get the regular species, but they have some newer cultivars that are smaller in stature. The tall one can get about 6-8' tall and 6-8' wide.

Itea gets about 3-4' tall and the same wide.

Endless Summer probably gets about 5-6' tall and the same wide.

IMHO, these would all look good in a planting together, and all have about the same cultivation needs.

Susan

Viburnums do well in part shade. Ask at a local nursery. My husband has some in a dappled shade garden and they are doing very well. I wish I could provide variety information, but he didn't keep track of that. There is a particularly nice one with wrinkly maple-like leaves, and purplish flower heads now. The leaves stay nice all summer.

I like flowering quince also. It is not particular about soil or light, but it blooms best if not in full shade.

If you don't want shrubs, you might try hostas. You ddidn't say whether the part shade was morning or afternoon. Hostas don't like hot afternoon sun.

Try some things out this summer. The ones that don't work can always be pulled out and replaced by annuals when you get ready to put your house on the market.

Its morning to midday sun. Thanks. I'll write all these down for when I go to the nursery.