OK. Here goes! I have thick skin and don't mind critiques, so have at it. I chose this side area of our driveway because it is the one about which I think I have been able to consider the most aspects. I've tried to think about color, height, texture, and repetition. I have no idea about balance. Outside of absolute symmetry, balance is a hard one for me.

The area had had no maintenance for a long time. The first three pictures show this area after significant clean-up but with still much more clean up to go. You'll see the pachysandra was existing, and I chose to only work in the areas that didn't have pachysandra, existing shrubs, or deeper woodland. I spent a great deal of time pulling weeds and cutting sapling after sapling as the woods were choked.

Then came The Great Hosta Dump of 2015. In the fall I took some VERY mature hostas which I had access to and divided them, some into more than 15 clumps. At that time my gardening experience was practially all sun, so my shade knowledge was limited, and the hostas were there and needed a home. Now I'm going back to those areas and redoing them with more design in mind. I'm very excited about some of my shade options, now!

Regarding shade, you New Englanders are quite the chameleons. You can take those shade plants and really cheat Mother Nature. There were many plants, like Astilbes, that I thought required more sun because I see them in full sun often. Until the weather gets really hot and dry, so many shade-lovers, like Ladies Mantle, do just fine. I had no idea so many things were well suited to part or full shade.

Anyway, here is the almost-before. Their view is more head-on, whereas my design photo is from the side, as you'll see it coming down the driveway.

Former junky area to back:

Where Astilbes will be:

Looking back to rhododendron, Leucothoe, and Aralia

Area with Victory hostas, you can see the Leucothoe to the

Next is a photo with some mark-ups to show the design. Since you'll see this area driving down the driveway, that's how I'm trying to plan it. I hope it's bigger than it looks in this preview window!

Note that everything is still smaller than it should be except for the rhododendron and Leucothoe.

I'm trying to brighten the shade and get some color repetition through the Aralia 'Sun King' and hostas Sum & Substance and Victory. The Aralia will rise up behind the Leucothoe and rhododendron. The S&S will be peeking out from behind the Leucothoe, as well. I want that to tie into the lighter shade of two Victory hostas in front of the Leucothoe. The rhododendron is large and dark, and one Empress Wu hosta behind the Leucothoe and one in front will contrast with the lime greens and blend with the rhododendron. There ae some unknown lighter green hostas from the hosta dump in front of the Victories. They'll have to be reconsidered, probably reduced in number, maybe moved altogether. They are vase-shaped light green, not chartreuse, hostas. Also, I have some unknown blue-mammoth-ish hosts just behind the pachysandra, as well.

For color, in the back behind the tree trunk Astilbes will be massed in basic light pink. Why? Becuase I have a mature bunch in another bed that needs to be moved. I also have a large mass of the same Astilbe at the driveway entrance, so I was hoping they would be considered good repetition.

For texture I was hoping the glossy green rhododendron would contrast with the Leucothoe would contrast with the large hosta would contrast with the small pachysandra would contrast with the fern-like Astilbes. Plus, I encourage any other ferns I see, and also I like the standard wild spirea, Spirea Alba, wherever it grows, even though the blooms are so short. Trying to get rid of all raspberries and blackberries since they don't make decent fruit in that shade anyway! The Spirea and ferns are sprouting here and there in the pachysandra as well as in the woods.

For height I've got the huge rhododendron and Aralia, the medium spread-out Leucothoe, and the low hostas and pachysandra. I'm hoping the Astilbes rising from behind the pachysandra will work well. Also, about 4 feet behind the Victories, just behind and to the side of the Empress Wu, and in front of the rhododendron I've planted Sweet Joe Pye Weed.

The area in front of the Victories by the driveway is basically my access and gets walked on too much. Once I have these back areas settled I can rework that soil and get it planted, as well.

That's it! Envisioning this is not easy for me. I can really learn from your comments! Right now I like how the area still retains some natural wildness which is blended with the new plants.

Sometime soon I'll also post an area that stinks and requires more reworking.