Thanks Jayme! I'll check those out and see how they deal with partial shade.

Some ornamental shrubs can add color too...These are varieties of spirea--Also a pic of another coneflower.

Off topic, but could someone tell me if this is grass or a weed?

Bleeding Heart & Columbine like shade..The spireas will be ok..but may not bloom as nicely as in full sun.

Astilbe like shade..I also have some of these & Hydrangeas

I'm waiting on an order from Michigan Bulbs now. Maybe I'll go ahead and put these upfront instead of putting the flowers where I originally planned to!

267653-IN-1 ROSE OF SHARON
Delivery Estimate: 05/08/13 - 05/29/131
03312COLOSSAL BLUE HOSTA
Delivery Estimate: 04/28/13 - 05/19/131
81457KING OF HEARTS BLEEDING HEARTS
Delivery Estimate: 04/28/13 - 05/19/133
10405ORANGE CANDLEFLOWER
Delivery Estimate: 04/28/13 - 05/19/132
76744VIRGINIA BLUEBELLS
Delivery Estimate: 04/28/13 - 05/19/13

If u lived by me I could split some of my things.. my hostas r enormous! Do u have any pals nearby or neighbors who might share? Nice way to get a jump on growth too.

I think the top one for sure is a weed..maybe crab grass

Do you live in NC? I can get Hosta from my moms house, she has a couple different kinds. Do you know how to transplant vinca? I have a wooded area I want to plant some from another area. Thanks!

I have never transplanted vinca...U prob. could google it to find out...I transplant everything and hope. Most of it survives, although a few things appeared to die but then reappeared the following year!! I am in ND.

I transplanted some vinca a few years ago from a house being torn down. Even though it was totally the wrong season, I transplanted some peonies while in bloom, some hydrangea bushes and vinca. The vinca took about two years before it really took off, but it looks great this year and I transplanted some a second time last year. I didn't take any special care - just shoveled it into a bucket and dumped it out into my flower bed at home.

I think your photos are probably a weedy grass, but as long as its green and doesn't spread into good stuff, just mow it and keep it going until you put in something else.

Hosta is another great plant to transplant. Some of it grows really quickly and needs thinned every few years so there's always lots of freebie plants available from gardeners just for the asking. If you need plants, just go out walking in your neighborhood and chat with the neighbors out working their yards...you're bound to get offered plants!

OH, North Dakota? whats that like a zone 3?

It's currently snowing with a forecast for up to 10 inches...right now it's melting..but we r still in for it.

I would make sure all the trees in front are contained within beds to make maintenance easier and more flowing throughout. Add some various heights to the beds with berms to raise small colorful flowers up to highlight them. Flat is just boring.

Another suggestion...various ornamental grasses add color and texture..but if u do some...make sure to understand how they spread..some are nuts!!

Oh and I forgot to mention..we are really part of Siberia in reality. LOL

I have lived in Minneapolis so I get it, but it sure is beautiful in the summer! It feels pretty Siberia-like in North Chicago burbs these days too!

One day I shall be free...and move..LOL

Well that home is beautiful I can't imagine running away too fast! Good luck you have a gorgeous area to work with.

@mares13...it's not my place..but I would love to have it..it is very nice!!!

Jayme, I agree it is so quaint like a little story book cottage.

Hi Buckandkelly. Your place looks a lot like ours... trees and "wilderness". I love what you did with your fire pit area! Have you tried impatiens? Begonias? I buy shade-loving annuals by the flat (at least 7 or 8 flats!) and mass plant them in large containers and beds. The white ones look lovely at night, and the reds are highly visible from the street in daylight. I spend about 75.00 on the flats, but I figure, "Hey, that's as much as one REALLY nice bouquet of cut flowers from a florist." They're easy to plant, and require little other than a drink. No deadheading, no weeding, no fuss, and they reward you with mounds of color all season!

The County Extension Office of your state university will have a list of plants that are native to your area. These plants should need little to no additional water once they are established. Learn what native plants will grow in sun and in shade, and have fun planning!
Be prepared to amend your soil so that it is rich in organic nutrients. The horticulturalist on staff at your local nursery (not national chain) will be able to answer all of your questions.

you have a great opportunity to make your own compost. I have a similar type lot in Virginia (had actually ) ; I made a compost bin from plans on internet, bought a chipper shredder and used it to chip and shred all the hardwood leaves, blow into the bins, and just add a few bags of manure and standard kitchen waste for compost; turn or aerate bi-weekly; add water; and six mnths later I was using it in my gardens. this helps you with the leaves disposal instead of blowing into woods or bagging. it also looks like a shade garden with hosta, calladiums, ferns, and dwarf mahonia would do well; and azeleas love the dappled shade of oaks. they also love pine straw mulch and used coffee grounds.

Leo- we actually do have a compost out back. I don't add many kitchen scraps because of the deer, but we pack it full of leaves. I had great soil last year for our flower bed!

Eztia- thanks for the great idea! I'll look up the numbers tomorrow.

You have a beautiful home. Lots of trees. I think you need a professional to look at your trees. Some you might need to remove. You do not want them to cause any damage to home. Then you probably would like to start adding smaller understory trees. These would add another layer. Then go with some shrubs and then add the plants.

Looks like the yard might use some scale. Don't know if it's been mentioned already, but azaleas, rhododendron, snowball viburnum, even hydrangeas could give some color and contour under the tall trees and dappled sunlight.

Use caution with Rose of Sharon- we had a yard where it was out of control and became a problem hard to cut out.
Our area is very similar wooded area -planted some Hostas outside of fenched area and they were deer food in 48 hours. Protect the blue Hosta. Mich bulb catalog iindicates which plants are deer resistant.

and last, we have had good luck in grouping ferns, we moved some found in woods and organized them at the base of a tree to give edge definition to path.

I love Lenten Rose ... the deer don't eat it, it tolerates the shade well, and it's pretty much evergreen.

Your photo looks like crab grass to me.

I would put a low (1-1 1/2 ft high dry stacked fieldstone wall on the right side on the slope below the tree line, curved a bit out and have it run up the left side to meet the ground. Plant some nice flowers and flowering shrubs on the right side above the stone wall and around the trees. I would also add some nice low voltage lighting on the house which would look great with those trees in the foreground at night. Also some lighting accenting the new stone wall and plantings. Stick with some azaleas and ferns to keep the native woodsy feel. Try making an edging of 1- 1 1/2 feet wide with mulch and low grasses or plants up the length of the driveway. Add the same type of stone wall and plantings at the bottom of the driveway entry. Also with some lighting if you can.

looks like you have deep, deep shade. your best hope for color is leaf color. remember: flower color is reliable for about 2 weeks, on average. some plants have longer bloom periods, but they are almost exclusively sun plants. your surroundings are very natural looking and would be best left that way, in my opinion. however, your house is much more formal in style. perhaps a gradual transition from house surrounds to farther out is called for. photos attached show a very shady front entryway that relies on annual impatiens for accent color in summer, but leaf color is what provides most of the effect. these plantings require no maintenance once established other than cleaning and deadheading. proper soil prep and mulching insures healthy plants and no weeds. this is a full shade area in zone 6

My favorite shade plant is wild cyclamen. Mine has naturalized and I've found them growing out in the field and woods. They're green all year round, never need any care and suddenly you have little flowers in December or other times of year. My vinca has become a weed in the garden, and it's hard to root out, but yes, if you want a groundcover, it does have nice long-blooming flowers. I also have lily of the valley, which took awhile to take off, but it must be contained if near other plants, as it will invade with a solid mat of underground roots. It does die off, but oh, the perfume in spring! All of these would do in your woods, though they might need some good compost to get going, and all are deer resistant. Lovely home.

That is a lovely little forest you have and I would emphasize it. Get rid of the ivy and keep any replacements low. vinca is nice, but must be contained after several years. Also, the deer never ate mine -- preferred roses, etc. I would add naturalized shrubs beyond the forest, starting low and then rising to a nice background. A small path to seating or an arbor would echo the fire pit and chairs you have now. Hosta, ferns, azaleas, rhodies, some red-leafed plants. Nandina gives some color, depending on how much sun it gets. Some grasses are shade tolerant and add texture and color. Send us up dates to see how it develops! HJ

Naturalize it all with a variety of bulbs for your zone...just plant and forget unless it snows and freezes in your area. I live in N. California and we have an occasional frost, but I just leave them in the ground, have something blooming all year round. I also have ice plant, day lillies, lily of the nile, lily of the valley and african lillies mixed in...they're not bulbs but grow, multiply and bloom like them. Add a few fruit trees, (citrus natuarally repels mosquitos), and perhaps some lilac or crepe myrtle for additional blooms....andd don't forget a hammock :)

Rhododendron, Lilly of the valley, blue giant hosta our a few shade loving plants. +1 on getting rid of ivy makes it look over grown. A raised bed with ledge rock or even field stone stacked is good natural look.

Are not our sorry

Robert- your idea is exactly what I had in mind! The problem I have is figuring out how to get it started and the layout.

Lrb945- I love your walkway idea! Something like this would work perfect in our backyard.

I would LOVE to get rid of the ivy but my husband loves it. We had a specialist look at our trees last year and had 4 huge oaks removed. There are 2 trees up front we plan to have removed this year along the driveway. I want them removed before hurricane season starts!!! I don't think hurricanes and trees go well together!

Here is a good link for deer resistant plants too. http://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/

N

You could plot out a curving pathway to your bird bath flower bed area and use flagstone or stepping stones, then design your flower beds along the pathway.

i think we should all take a field trip to buckandkelly';s house :) and help out :)

Have a nice bon fire, etc....

mousemaker...I agree...we can all bring something for her patio...and wine of course :)

I have a great backyard for bonfires and plenty of cold beer!!!

remember this is for AFTER we are done working!!!! of course I am just there to supervise LOL but seriously, I think bmargaweiss had some good ideas. I love the rhododendrons!

Whatever you do promise you will never cut down any trees, promise!