Hi there,

Would like to view your pics, but am unable to locate the "Decorating Forum" you refer to. Maybe I'm missing something. Can you give me a better clue? Thanks, I'm in your general area and have a lot of shade in my garden also, so I'd really like to see your garden. 8-)

Harriet

Harriet
In case you haven't found the thread, it's Here

I posted a responce on the other forum, can you please go there and see what I wrote. I have questions Liz. And need help.

wow thats impressive.i think the hosta on the left is "francis williams". i just planted a small one...hope it grows to be as beautiful as yours...also have the same bleeding heart "luxuriant" type, and astilbe deutschland (white). does that bleeding heart bloom all summer?

roshani, 'luxuriant' type is probably Dicentra formosa and for some reasons it is not doing too good on a East coast while it have no problem on a West one.
Plain old good Dicentra eximia is an excellent plant for the East coasters and will bloom non-stop from May till October.
Both plants intolerant of soggy soils (formosa especially), though they'd prefer ample moisture. Therefore, provide a well drained location and you'll enjoy it for many years.

Hi roshani,

Thanks for the kind words. Yes I'm pretty sure that Hosta is Frances Williams. The bleeding heart does bloom for a long time (12 weeks?). Its one of my favorite companion plants. I just got some blue Corydalis too. It looks similar to bleeding heart and also has a long blooming time. It also comes in a yellow flower.

Our soil is sandy and we supplemented it with home made compost and peat. We do have sprinklers so it never really dries out.