I have astilbe and foxglove in with mine along with a ton of coral bells and numerous ferns.

My foxgloves are bending over they got so tall. Did you get shorter ones? Astilbes are a good idea-I have like 100 of them and can move them at will. A few more Coral Bells is a good idea too. Thanks CindyCRNA

Plantgnome, you should visit the new heuchera forum here. Watch out though...a new addiction could form very easily!! I'm speaking from experience!

Karen

I love Heuchera-I have a lot of them-but want more, LOL. I only have two lime green ones-I'm thinking of getting a couple for contrast with the dark blue hostas to light up the area. Thanks for the suggestions.

I have a few different foliage plants that are doing good, My shade is very dark no sun. I am using the usual suspects except Astilbe. I do not know why but I have never like the flowers.

Painters Pallet
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Brunnera Jack Frost and to the right is variegated Solomon's seal
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I also have....
Tricyrtis (toad lily)
Pulmonaria
Ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford'

Heuchera (Amazing colour choices and some have really nice flowers too)
Astilbe (Texture & colour)
Masterwort (long bloom time and add an airy feel)
Brunnera (slugs leave them alone and they have similar shape to hostas and great flowers in spring),
Sedge (I have palm sedge - it looks similar to papyrus)
Ligularia
May Apple
Wood Spurge
Jacob's Ladder
Lungwort
Ferns (Japanese Painted and any other that isn't invasive)
Geraniums (not all like shade but some do)
Turtlehead (dark leaves and fall flowers)
Epimedium
Hakone Grass
Anemone

OOOHHH-I have Brunnera Jack Frost in a pot and its overgrowing in it. I think I'll transplant out of the pot into my Hosta site. I also have Toad Lilies that have spread quite a bit-I can move some of those. I have Pulmonaria Mrs. Moon which is going totally bananas, I can divide that too (although mine have been having a spider mite problem this year). Thanks, you just saved me a few bucks!

I have several ferns in and near the Hosta site-Autumn Fern "Brilliance", Pewter lace, Holly Fern and a Umbrella Papyrus. Problem being I just in the past two days expanded the shade garden to accomodate more hosta. So the area looks naked, LOL. Thank u for all your suggestions and help.

marquest-is that first photo Ajuga Burgundy Glow? Its very pretty, its on sale right now at Bluestone. think I'll get a couple. Do they spread fast like Ajuga Catlins Giant?

I have many of those already listed with my hosts so ill pick some I haven't seen listed. Siberian and Louisiana iris, carex morrowsii (may have that spelled wrong), darmera, astilboid, several kinds of lamium, asters veronica's, lupines, skimia, strawberries, candytuft and tickseed.

Sorry about the spelling, been a very long hard day and I'm just too tired to look it up.

Thanks alexis 717-I was thinking Lamium Aureum by the dark Hostas, I have carex morrowii Ice Dance all over the place, here it spreads like wild fire. astilboids sound interesting, think I'll try those. Unfortunately, I don't get enough sun in the area I've expanded for tickseed or candytuft. But you've given me a lot of good ideas, thanks again. Hope you have a good relaxing weekend.

plantgnome, The first pic is Persicaria virginiana 'Painter's palette'

If you want to know more about this plant......

Here is a link that might be useful: Painters palette

My fault-didn't read the caption above it. Thats really pretty and different-it does resemble Ajuga Burgundy Glow tho. will look into them.

My companions:
Astilbe in the background (mine gets 3 feet tall). Japanese painted fern (looks amazing with blues). Heuchera (stay away from the orangey ones, they tend to clash badly with hosta). Ajuga. Golden creeping jenny. Persicaria Red Dragon (related to the painter's pallet pictured in a previous response). Columbine (there are 100+ varieties). Ostrich fern (gets super tall). And then foundation plantings like bushes and trees.

Thanks frostynyc I guess I better move my Southern Comfort Heuchera out of there, lol. Other than Heucheras like Lime Ricky, Key Lime Pie and other bright green ones, which would you suggest.
I have numerous Ostrich ferns, one called the The King back there. I also have a cimicifuga there. Ajuga is a good idea, I was thinking burgundy glow. I think I'll stay away from Columbine in that area due to their dislike of wet areas. The Persicaria Red Dragon is beautiful-considering that one also.

I enjoy the look of hostas mixed in with shrubbery, and my two favorite shrubs for the hosta beds are itea and hydrangea. Rex or cane begonias in pots work well. Lily of the valley is pretty in drifts. Bulbs work too, such as wood hyacinth, scilla, (not really companions, more of a succession thing). Caladiums in the ground or in pots. Primrose, begonia grandis, coleus, japanese forest grass. Here are a few pics from my yard.
The primrose is francesca, the chartreuse blooms last for weeks and weeks. Pieris at 2 oclock mostly out of the picture.

Coleus, itea, astilbe
{{gwi:6564}}
Japanese forest grass, hydrangea, jacobs ladder and the ubiquitous violet foliage

This is a brand new bed, it was just a patch of pachysandra 6 weeks ago. So it really doesn't look like much yet. Very sad ferns. But there are 4 different kinds of cane begonias in the pots. I like them on the plant hangers because it puts the interesting leaves up where you can see them better. In another month, the begonias (purchased in 4" tiny pots) will be good sized.

Christine

very pretty-love the coleus-will that come up again next year? I don't know about my area, winter may kill it off. I just transplanted 2 Looking Glass Brunnera into the area.
still looks naked-but will be filled in shortly.

Here's a few companion plants...

Masterwort and H. Gin and Tonic

Royal Fern with H. Lady Isabel Barnett

Dutzia and Japanese Forest Grass with H. Island Charm

Chamaecypris obtusa Crippsi and believe it or not, my original hosta bed:

Columbine in the Hosta Beds (this particular columbine has yellow leaves and pink flowers):

Heuchera Americana Velvet Night, Heucherella Sunspot, Daylilies, and Wine and Roses Weigela with H. Dawn's Early Light and H. Eskimo Pie:

absolutely gorgeous. I have deutzia gracilla Nikko in two spots in my yard. I can take some and put it among the hostas, I also have japanese forest grass Aureola that can use some dividing as well as some dark Heuchera. Also a potted blue festuca I can plant in the ground. All these great suggestions-my garden will look good in no time. Thank you.

Beautiful photos, and excellent suggestions. One that I can add that is not listed yet (I don't think), is 'Bowles Golden' carex. Also, a bit of warning...the brunerra 'Jack Frost' often has foliar nematodes, so be careful placing it around hostas. I learned about if after I planted around five of them. Live and learn.

hostabuff,
Your masterwort is actually an anemone (sylvestris). I have both. :)

Will keep an eye out-mine are Brunnera Looking Glass-do all Brunnera get the nasty nematodes? I also have 3 Bowles Golden Carex and can move one or two over there. Thanks guys!

Donna,
Thanks for the correction on the Anemone. I just purchased Star of Beauty Masterwort and throught my anemone was in the same family. I plan on using the Star of Beauty, which has a pretty purple/pink flower, as a companion plant with the hosta too.

Hostabuff, beautiful plantings. I really love the Dutzia (have to look this one up) with the Japanese forest grass and H Island Charm. I love when the same colors are repeated with different forms, and those three are terrific.

Plantgnome, coleus is an annual in zone 6-7. But without too much bother, you can take cuttings and have some for the following spring. It's a good plant to use while your hosta are growing up.

Christine

Good idea-I have a bright green coleus that I overwinter in the house. Also I have a Itea "little henry" planted where it is dead shade and not doing well-gonna move it to the Hosta garden area, That will add something different. I like how yours looks in there.

Plantgnome, I staked my all of my foxglove. Yes the tall spires will bend over bit I bought the green wire stakes and that fixed it.

Thanks Cindycrna-I just staked what I could (ran out of tall stakes)-problem is that it has rained so hard this past week the cups of the flowers get full of water and fall.
But I think it looks better now.

This is a side shot of one of my gardens. I have hostas, begonias, heucheras, more hostas, coleus, orchids and more hosta heucheras and coleus etc boy did I get into pink begonias. I like to add color to my gardens. You and I see hostas as they are each one individual. To the non addicted eye it is a mass of green my friends could not figure out. Now with color breaks it helps the untrained pagan eye. I grow in pots and it makes it easy to move plants around for the best color effect. I have enjoyed your photos and have gotten a few ideas from you all. Thank you and have a great grow day! Paula

Very pretty and great color-see I like putting color around the Hosta's also. Today I moved around some perennials from another partial shade garden and started planting them. I put in some shorter Astilbes, two Carex Bowles, two Tiarella candy stripe, two Looking Glass Brunnera, I just moved my Itea Little Henry there, (just got it a couple of weeks ago) I have a green Cimicifuga up front and a Dixie Wood Fern towards the back all like water and my sprink. sys. hits that area. I am going to try potting a couple that I just got recently. one is Queen of the Seas and the other is Fragrant Bouquet. I am going to try to find a mini hosta for a very small area to put next to a Tiramisu Heuchera. Thanks for your pic and your help.

I don't think anyone has mentioned sweet woodruff or delphinium. My hostas are not mature so I also use dahlias, dianthus,dusty millar, impatience in some spots to add colour and fill in spots. Not a plant but I like large rocks in hosta beds too.