I have a, I think, Corisican helleborus near my woodruff. The foliage is similar but the scale is larger so they look well together when not in flower. And when in flower -- even better.

Springcherry

Just went and looked at pics of corsican helleborus, I don't think thats it. Mine has more delicate foliage. And its not a Lenten or Christmas rose either, which means it must be ... mystery helleborus?

third time is the charm.

Helleborus foetidus

Springcherry

Epimedium, thalictrum, pulmonaria, and any hellebore. Pulmonaria is pretty cheap and spreads reasonably well. A few commonly available varities of epimedium are cheap and spread slowly - otherwise it's an expensive addiction. Hellebores have always been expensive because they grow slowly - lately all I've seen are very expensive new hybrids. But the regular species are nice.

bleeding heart? astilbe? columbine might be too delicate.

hmmmmmmmm all good, i love hellebores but don't have the patience... i don't even know how fast they bloom once you buy them in a pot! something else to research! thanks everyone!!

How about Heuchera? Many varieties have dark marbled leaves. They form nice clumps and do better in shade than in full sun.

I have tiarella 'Neon Lights' and 'Wherryi,' lamium 'Shell Pink' and 'Anne Greenaway,' geranium 'Biokovo,' and brunnera growing in among the sweet woodruff, which, I have to say, is a whole lot more successful in Kansas than I ever thought it would be. So successful, in fact, that I am having to rein it in (OK, pull it out) so that it doesn't choke out the other shade plants. I had some ajuga there, but it didn't survive the first winter.

We have a similar area. In the spring, I wouldn't want to have to live without a few things.

Wood poppies!! Wonderful! Also called Celandine poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum. Very early blooms, and lovely foliage mounds thru the summer.

Virginia bluebells, Mertensia virginica!!

Several of the Corydalis spp., Epimediums, bleeding hearts. If you are looking for something shrub-like or viny, climbing hydrangea, maple-leaf viburnum [and some other viburnums] and some kinds of clematis like this environment.