The design is the combination of bed shape, layout scheme itself (random) and plant selection. The plants are going to be RELATIVELY, not absolutely similar in height. Identify the plant palette you wish to work. You could decide on quantities by determining what percentage of each you wish to have. Assign a square-feet-per-plant type based on a reasonable size footprint that the plant will occupy and do the calculations. I don't have plan plant recommendations. There are so many lists and the Internet makes researching them and their pictures so easy.

I would consider enlarging the bed another foot all around the edge. It seems a bit pinched given the size of the trees.

Thanks so much for the information. I will consider enlarging the mulch bed, however, I don't have a ton of space before the pavement. Here is a picture of the front of my house. We just moved in recently. The previous owners installed all of the shrubs near the house. Instead of messing with those I'd like to tackle the mulch bed. As a general rule should I keep my plantings a foot away from the trunks? The bed is about 25 feet by 10 feet.

Should you be adding some sort of edging to keep the mulch intact as well as being a nice finishing touch? Keep in mind you don't necessarily need plants that are upright. Low growing ground covers close to the outer edge might look nice. If you live in the midwest or other cold weather state, low growing junipers do well and will spread to take up space. They're also good for holding soil/mulch in place. Just a thought.

The picture below may not post great, ill try. I am thinking of european ginger, hellebores, June Hosta, Virginia Bluebells, Primula kisoana, Yellow Hakone, Hylomecon japonicum. I have to work on spacing, regarding spacing, and since I'm doing a mosaic should I be placing multiple plantings of the same plant next to each other. For example lower front, I have european ginger, how many should I plant next to eachother. I guess I dont' know enough about each plant and how they spread.

@patty- yes I will improve edging and I have taken in consideration lower plants near front like the European ginger and Primulas

Feel free to critique and give feedback as I am a novice

P.S. Click on image to see better resolution.

Looks to me like you are in the ball park. Maybe need another plant or two to fill any bald spot. Also, you can always adjust once you begin to see the growth developing. As you have lower plants at the edge, it will be fine. I think if you have a specific, uniform edge border plant, it will detract from the overall effect.

Since all the plants will.grow AND spread, I wouldn't pack them in so tightly. Come next spring, you'll be digging 1/4 of them up. Just food for thought, and you can save money in case there are places you want to fill in next spring. Happy planting! ;)

thanks Patty- you reminded me that I need to consider the space between the edge of my mulch bed and the plants. That will cut down on my original estimate.

Update:

2 months have gone by since I underplanted shade perennials in my mulch bed. I've linked another thread to get advice on my overall landscaping plan. In that thread Yardvark's feedback was to incorporate a single variety groundcover. Maybe I should have thought out my overall landscaping goal before planting in the mulch bed. However they were bare when I bought the house.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/3177653/landscape-design-front-of-house-new-house?n=8

After 2 months of growth, the shade perennials feel a bit stressed. I think they get more sun than I had originally estimated. The primrose and coral bells are browning a bit. Overall the beds look like a hodge podge.

Question: I have invested $400 in the purchase of the perennials. Do I give them until next spring to see how much they have grown in? Do I buy more perennials now and fill in the blanks so it looks better? Or do i scrap the plan, move them and do a single planting/varietal?

thank you

Did you say what trees they are?

Gardeners, is the mulch /soil too high around the trees? I don't see a flare.

One tree is a maple and the other is an ash.

Two months is insufficient time to be making a determination whether or not your plan is succeeding :-) Like any long term planting, perennials take several seasons to establish and mature to a "proper"/expected size. And don't expect much to happen between now and spring, at last as far as top growth is concerned.

Underplanting trees can often require a bit more care and attention than does just planting an open area. Large trees - like those in the photo - have large, aggressive root systems that are inclined to hog moisture and nutrients from the soil, to the detriment of smaller plants. Extra water and sometimes additional fertilizer is often require to compensate for tree root competition.

@gardengal- Completely agree that 2 months is insufficient time and patience is needed when planting. I guess I should have worded my question better. I will try again:

Given my plantings have I set my self up for success? Shall I tweak this early in the process or reverse course?

Furthermore, perhaps I haven't been caring for them appropriately. I thought my irrigation was adequate but I guess they need a better soaking.

I'd wait until this time next year - rather, maybe into early fall - before I made any decision in changing out the plantings. I think you'll find that things will look quite a bit different over the course of the intervening months. There maybe a plant type or two that you may want to switch out, that may not perform in that situation as well as you'd like, but I don't yet see any reason to bag the whole plan.

Perennials don't always look their best for a couple of years, have you heard 'first year they sleep, second year they creep and third year they leap'? Sometimes they flourish sooner, but I would give them a few years to grow in and give you what you originally envisioned.

I suggest just caring for their food and water needs as has already been recommended. Trim back the dead looking foliage so that they look healthier. Keep the mulch fresh and fluffy and keep it weeded. You'll get your look, it's just going to take some time.

Maples are notoriously difficult to plant under. The shallow root system robs perennials of both food and water. You'd do best to plant that area with a really tough groundcover--just one type-- and wait patiently for it to establish. Two that might work are Geranium macrorrhizum (Big Root geranium) or Liriope spicata, NOT L. muscari.

Thanks everyone. I decided to freshen up the mulch, trim back some dead leaves, and bought several more plants to fill in the blanks. Looking better already. Will be better with watering. We'll see how they do in the hot summer months, and I can always plant ground cover next year.

I don't think enough people follow-up on their threads so I wanted to post an update, lessons learned, and couple new pictures. I moved some plants around and purchased several more. I am somewhat of a beginner so its nice to learn by doing.

Mistakes-

• Not factoring costs, many perennials I chose are approx. 15 a pot, which means my mulch bed cost me 900 total. I was able to pick some perennials up 50-75% off this late in season.
• Groupings, learned that you need to group at least 3 or 4 of the same plant so you don't get a hodge podge look.
• When planting under large maples and ash, water plenty, they don't like to share their water since the tree roots are shallow and extend out from the tree.

Primrose and Japanese All Gold. Several hostas in the back.

Groundcover ( forget what kind), woodland poppies, and hellebores on right

Another grouping of hellebores in front and Pistachio Coral Bells, Hosta June in the back.

Are you liking it more now?

Looks good! I plant under large trees too and it's a struggle. Most of my shade plants get full morning sun and do well. Sun hasn't phased my hellebores. I have found that heuchera blooms better with sun, but yours probably need more water if they're browning. Hakone grass can also take a lot of sun. It's my go-to plant for filling in because it's happy in so many conditions. I would protect variegated and blue hostas from sun. You might want to add some ferns like the Japanese painted ferns. One of my favorite shade plants is variegated Solomon's seal. It likes dry soil and can take all morning sun. It gets about 18" tall and has beautiful arching stems that will add some height to the bed.

Please pull the mulch away from the tree trunk--it holds moisture against the bark and will decay it.

@PKponderTx- Yes looks better now that i rearranged and have been watering. Now we wait!

@mayflowers- Mulch was pulled away from trunk but I did go back today and made sure all of the bark was exposed thanks. Local nursery just got Japanese painted furn in stock. I'm holding off for now as they are $15 a pot, but they were on my initial list. I agree the fern texture would add to the bed. How are they in dry soil? Do you have experience.

I have ghost fern, which is a cross between the painted fern and lady fern IIRC. It's does very well in dry soil, supposedly better than painted fern. I have a gardening friend in VT who I sent a painted fern to and hers has survived under four large trees. But all my ferns do well in dry shade as long as they don't get afternoon sun.

Hellebores bloom in December where I live. They are also costly. Now you know why gardeners stick together. It is always nice to get a free division or cutting or seeds. Most gardeners are frugal in that sense because we hate to see cuttings and such just put in the trash after maintenance. Your bed looks full. Don't keep adding to it. Good job.

Thanks emmarene- thanks all for the advice and help. I plan one small tweak before the end of fall, purchase pistachio coral bells when they are in stock to repeat the pattern in the bed.

Next year I may hire a landscaper to edge my mulch bed. Can't get the same results, with my tools.

would love to see pics this year...It looked great in the fall of 2015!

Unfortunately the town had to take down the two trees in the mulch bed. They ground the stumps before I could move any of the plantings. My estimate is that I lost about 1/2 of the plantings. They are just starting to perk up so we'll see what was saved. I may dig them up, plant them somewhere else and grow grass where the mulch bed is.

Oh what a horrible ending. . . :( all that hard work. . . sorry jaybar. . . :(

Your whole problem started out because those were Norway maples. Norway maples are notoriously almost impossible to grow things under, including grass. I've researched it, they have an aggressive root system that basically robs anything growing under them of any chance of survival. Not sure why they had to come down, but they are also notorious for rotting out inside and falling on things. If they ground down the trunk, maybe you can replant. If you want a tree, try something like a Japanese maple or Autumn Blaze red maple. Or a pretty flowering tree like a dogwood or crab apple, That might bring some shade back to that spot. Or if you have an alternate spot in the backyard, transplant. Hopefully some will survive. Don't give up hope.

I am so sorry to hear that!

Pink mountain. You are correct one was a maple and one was an ash. And they were rotting. Town was being super careful because I live near a school and children walk by to get to school. I've met with a landscape designer and he came up with a plan which would remove the bed and transplant. Well know soon what survived. I had close to 10 hellebores and only saw one flower this spring. Haven't seen any primrose. I'll snap a picture and post

Good, thank you for remembering us. I have wondered what became of your bed.