I was going to pretty much finish off my backyard this year, filling in around my shrubs with LOTS of flowers and ferns, and adding another 2 dozen shrubs. Unfortunately, dental work is using up all the money I had set aside for plants/soil amendments. Now, I can only put in a half dozen shrubs, and maybe a couple dozen flowers &/or ferns. I live in zone 6, eastern MA, and my backyard is 1/3 full shade, 1/3 partial shade,and 1/3 light shade. This is what I have already: 8 female, and 3 male winterberries, 2 'Amethyst'coralberry, 2 Virginia sweetspire, 2 fothergilla, 2 chokeberry, 2 Viburnum trilobum, 2 V. nudum, 3 V. dentatum, 4 summersweet, 4 blueberry bushes, 1 gray dogwood, 2 redtwigs, 1 Lindera Benzoin, 2 Pokeberries, 1 butterfly bush, 1 David Austin rose, 1 'Black Lace' elderberry, 1 'White Lights' azalea, 1 'Hino Crimson', 2 Pieris, 1 ostrich fern, 3 'Ruby Star' echinacea, 3 'Starfire' phlox, 1 Mitchella repans (partidgeberry), 1 Gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen), 1 Cimicifuga 'Hillside Black Beauty', and 2 wild columbine.

This was my list for this year:

Shrubs: 1 Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold', (for color contast; next to the 'Black Lace') 1 Sambucus racemosa (spp), 1 Sambucus nigra 'Allesso', (for pollination purposes) 2 Dirca palustris (Leatherwood), 2 Viburnum acerifolium, 2 Euonymus americanus (Hearts-a Bustin'), 2 E. obovatus (running strawberry bush), 2 'Girard's Fuchsia' azalea, 2 Amelanchier canadensis, (1 'Prince William', and 1 'Success') 1 A. stolonifera 'Fergie', another spicebush, (to pollinate the one I already have) a species chokeberry, and 1 or 2 more roses.

Flowers/Ferns: (3 - 7 of everything) Tiarella, Phlox divaricata, P. stolonifera, Caulophyllum thalictroides (blue cohosh), Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit), Asarum canadense (wild ginger), Gentian andewsii, Great Soloman's Seal, Small Soloman's Seal, Baptisia australis, (for the almost-full-sun spot) Delphinium exaltatum (Tall blue Larkspur), Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple), Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot), Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal), Panax quiquefolium (ginseng), more columbine, Oxalis violacea (Violet Wood Sorrel), Virginia Bluebells, Lady Ferns, Royal ferns, Wood ferns, Chelone 'Hot Lips', Geranium maculatum, False Soloman's Seal, Polemonium reptans (Jacob's Ladder), Zizia aurea and aptera (Golden and Heart-leaved Alexanders), Tridentalis borealis (Starflower), Clintonia umbellulata (Speckled wood lily), Clintonia borealis (Blue Bead Lily), Spigelia marilandica (Indian Pink), Campanula americana (Tall bellflower), another 'Hillside Black Beauty' bugbane, 'River Mist' Northern Sea Oats, Silky Wild Rye, Blue-leaf Red Hot Poker, Cape Fuchsia, Hardy fuchsia, and Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt', a few types of trillium, plus a dozen or two fragrant annuals.

Vines: 2 Aristolochia macrophylla (Dutchman's Pipe) 1 Decumaria barbara (native climbing hydrangea), and 1 Clematis glaucophylla (Leatherflower).

OK, seeing how most of my budget is gone, most of this list has to go. I'm up for suggestions. What would you consider a priority with respect to attacting wildlife?