The variegated liriope. Right size, is a clumper and the variegation will be a good contrast to the solid, dark foliage of the hydrangeas and brighten the shade.

Repeating the same plant in various areas of the garden is actually a very smart landscape design principle as it helps to tie the garden together in its entirety. Adding something different.......just for the sake of it being different.........needs some other, better reason to work as well ;-))

btw, neither the lirope nor the mondo grass are actual grasses. They used to be members of the lily family - both are sometimes referred to by the common name of 'lilyturf' - but have been reclassified as members of the asparagus family, the Asparagaceaea. True grasses do not flower and are members of a completely different plant family.

ahh i see. I was debating on which section to put this under haha.

I think the variegate would look best too. ill just do that then.

Without having to start a new topic, i am looking at another area that can only take the dwarf mondo, but will it spread or clump.

I just remembered, I have patriot hostas on either side of this area in question.. is that too much variegated leaf ?

Dwarf mondo only gets 3-4" tall. Regular mondo only. Is about 10" or so, but mounds up to 15" after 15 years,so I don't know what you are referring to that got 3' tall.

-Babka

That doesn't look like mondo grass. Mondo only gets 12-15" high, and forms a tighter mound with thinner leaves. Yours looks like some other kind of lirope to me. There are many kinds.

-Babka

I think im leaning toward Liriope.. So what would go better with solid green Liriope, Everillo Carex or Japanese forest grass? ?

On a side note, something about liriope is appealing to our dog every time we walk past someone's yard where it's planted along the sidewalk. He's more likely to wander in there to pee than just about anywhere else.

Giant lirope (Lirope gigantea) does get 3' tall when it is happy.