Ferns and hostas will not do well in full sun. They are shade plants. Some shrubs that were popular as plants for old farm houses that would do well in full sun would be roses, (you have a front porch? A climber would be nice. The rose forum could give you ideas for roses that do well in your area). Spiria Van Houten, gets big, like 8', but a gracefull fountain shaped bush with white flowers in spring, lilacs. There are some good books out there on historic plants, they were mentioned on this site earleir, check thru some of the previous posts for some ideas, There was also a thread on an old farmhouse that you might find useful. Have fun!

Take a ride thru the countryside and look at the old farm houses in your area. Some other classics besides the spireas, roses & lilacs Jill mentioned...
peonies (an old time midwestern fa-vo-rite!!), bearded iris (garden iris), cosmos, mock orange (Philadelphus... many varieties tend to get large), garden gladiolus and dahlias as well as borders of larkspur, candytuft, poppies, marigolds and nasturtiums. I guess I mentioned more flowers than shrubs but I remember cutting gardens being popular in the rural areas (Illinios). Flowers after those long cold midwestern winters. lol
Hope this helps...
P

Lori,

Don't forget fruit trees and berry brambles, usually planted in rows. Farming families were ever mindful of practicalities, but most fruiting plants have their own beauty as well. Along the same line of thought, vegetable gardens with their lush, neat, and oftentimes fragrant rows of food plants, herbs, and cutting flowers are a testament to the owners' care and esthetics.

Signed,
Egyptianonion
(I like the looks of my namesake, too. I put them back into my family's rural garden along with the beautiful and tasty rhubarb. My grandmother--or was it my great grandmother--used to grow them here, but after I grew up and left home, my father eventually "cleaned up" and got rid of them. Now that I've returned and the farm is my responsibility, I'm putting them back.)

P.S. Check out other postings under my name about the family farm if you like.

As well as plants already mentioned, hardy varieties of Hydrangeas, elderberry, apple and crabapple (edible type), sugar maples, daylilies, rugosa roses, pagoda dogwood, climbing honeysuckle, are all plants that were growing here at our old farmhouse or other nearby old farmhouses and foundations. As others have suggested, driving around and looking at some of the older farmhouses in your area that haven't had their yards redone will give you ideas that will help you make your house seem like it's been there a long time. Once you've found plants you like, research them to find what conditions they need to grow and thrive, so you know where best to put them in your yard.

I second hydrangeas - old-fashioned and fast growing. I've got a Nikko Blue mophead that's just two years old and already 4x4, and a PeeGee tree that has gotten to 5.5' tall in the same time. Also, for while you are waiting for things to fill in, trellises with annual vines (morning glory, cardinal climber, moonflower) can fill a hole nicely.

:) what a bunch of great responses...

I was gonna start by asking what style/period farmhouse (since 'farm' here in colonial-era pennsy isn't the same as pre-dustbowl anywhere)

and the suggest you pop over to the Heirloom forum, and poke around with an emphasis on antiques (hydrangeas, roses, clematis) and edibles- which can be anything from the beginning of your own mini-orchard to those bramble berry rows to sunflowers with the pole beans climbing them.

and start saving worn out clothes now, so when winter comes, you can strip and knit/knot/weave/crochet/braid yourself some authentic rag rugs, which is the quickest way I know to make a farm house real.

Pretty standard foundation planting around the original farmhouses here is the good old fashioned lilac(supposedly kept evil spirits away from the house).Also peonies,underplanted with Bleeding Heart -the Peonies love the sun and provide a little shade for the Bleeding Heart.Climbing roses on a porch are also classic farmhouse plant material.What a fun project you have on your hands,best luck.

Take a look at the cottage gardens forum. You will find some beautiful pictures over there as well as plant suggestions. There's an old James Stewart movie, "It's a Wonderful Life" you should take a look at too. Pay secial attention to the front yards of the houses on that street. Cheryl

A porch swing, a tire swing, a patch of asparagus and a patch of rhubarb.

Rhubarb is a great suggestion, as is a pumpkin patch, and lots of sunflowers for the birds. If you have kids, these are a great way to get them interested in gardening; they love to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Add a clothesline to the yard, and enjoy the freshness and whiteness of clothes dried naturally. Shop around at yard sales and auction for things like old farm implements. Sometimes you can pick them up cheap. The make nice garden accessories

Planting an orchard is also a great idea. Enjoy making it a farmhouse.

:)