What is the geographical location? That’s vital information for plant choices.

And what are the trees? Maples are notoriously difficult to plant under.

Yep your safest/cheapest suggestions will come from your local nursery. Not the big box stores but people who actually grow/sell/know plants. Your options are many but it really depends on your planting zone.

Looks like a tough spot in which to grow - the trees will drink almost all the water, unless you plant in pots. Then you have to water them often so there’s really not a good gain there.

I agree that evergreen needs to go that will aslo let a bit more light in I like periwinkle it is evergreen grows well with very little work and looks very nice under trees. Its other name is Vinca

In my shady spot under the trees, Lamium maculatum and Japanese painted fern. I have vinca in other spots too which I like because it's evergreen.

Oh, yea -- if it's a maple good luck. They are beastly to plant under. I have and do garden under maples successfully, but plant choice is important. Even more important is the dedication to getting the plants well established so they can duke it out with the maple roots. Best to start with small plants, amend any planting holes you are able to dig (even spaces between main roots will work), and water the ever-loving cr*p out them for at least two full seasons -- hand watering is best to make certain it gets down to the roots.

Some things that do quite well in dry shade **once established**:

* Autumn fern (dryopteris)

* Japanese painted fern

* Solomon's seal

* Geranium ("Biokovo" is an especially nice, tough-as-nails groundcover; bonus points for foliage that smells like Vernors)

* Fragaria (woodland strawberry)

* Phlox divaricata

* Chasmanthium

I also grow Japanese anemones in dry shade -- they do much better in moister conditions, but if you plant something like "Robustissima", which is notoriously rampant, it's kept in check by the dry conditions and actually can do quite well.

There's others, I just can't think of them right now.

I've read that native bergamot and hoary mountain mint tolerate dry conditions well -- I've planted some of the mountain mint under one of my maples about a month ago, so far it's performing beautifully, really doesn't seem to mind it there.

I’m looking for something with more color that Isn’t messy with pedals like the geranium you mentioned, perhaps a fernthat has a brighter color to it?

My location is Vancouver b.c canada

I won’t be cutting any of these trees Down we need the privacyand they were planted already when we moved in

The Geranium suggested isn’t at all messy. The spent petals simply fall in amongst the foliage and disappear. In fact I’ve never met any Geranium which is ‘messy’ In the sense that it drops debris. Imo the best ‘colour’ for shade is white, as illustrated by your current container. White variegated hostas and Japanese painted fern would fulfil the same purpose. Another possibility is Cyclamen hederifolium, preferably the white form, which is perfectly happy in dry shade under trees. (Btw your conifer is a fir, not a pine )

My bleeding hearts and hellebores do really well under trees. Granted this will give you late winter/spring flowering. You could mix in more hostas and ferns (maybe ghost ferns) to bring you thru summer.

I was referring to perennial geraniums, not annual geraniums (which are Pelargonium). I don't find perennial geraniums messy in the least. Some ferns can do fine in dry shade, others will become a crispy mess, so you really do need to make an informed decisions on the fern front, it's not one-fern-fits-all. Avoid anything that is known water-lover (e.g. hostas, hydrangeas, brunnera, astilbe, etc)

Astilbe, hydrangea (require lots of water!), lungwort, hosta, Japanese Ferns.

My husband has just informed me that he has gravel under the soil because we has a drainage grill in the back by the fir tree, will that be a problem when planting a Japanese fern?

No reason why it should bother the fern but will plants block the drain?

But you’ll need more than one. Use multiples of plants to avoid an incoherent, spotty effect. For example, you already have a hosta but it would look better with several.

I live in the PNW and have a large maple in the back corner of my yard. I've tried many plants under the tree (ferns, hostas, astilbes, etc.) but have had success only with epimedium. Fortunately, I love that plant. Epimedium establishes quickly and looks good all year. It tolerates shade and dry conditions better than any other plant I've tried. If it starts to get ratty-looking I cut it down in early spring and it comes right back better than ever. Give it a try.