Maybe some bleeding hearts, more hostas, ferns, columbine, or some astilbe. I am also revitalizing a shade garden, but mine gets total shade all day long. Right now I have a bleeding heart that is 3 years old and doing very well. I want to plant some columbine this coming week. Good luck with your garden. Show us a picture when it's done.

You could plant Azaleas or Rhododendrons by the windows. For groundcover I'd suggest Lamium dead nettle-mine blooms in shade from April-November. Solomon's Seal is a beautiful tall plant for shade. Good luck on your choices!

Jen

Viburnums could probably do well in this area.

Eleutherococcus sieboldianus variegatus is a stunning white and green variegated shrub that takes sun or almost total shade and can handle dry shade. It would look lovely against the brick of your house. You do want to plant at least some shrubs because perennials are too small against that massive brick wall. Although viburnums would grow, I doubt they'd bloom well. If you try rhodies or azaleas, make sure you have acidified the soil adequately. Lime leaches constantly out of foundations. And choose ones with colors that won't fight with the color of the brick!

Also, it looks as if you have a path along the side of the building. Any shrubs that you put in should be set ideally at least 4 feet from the foundation to let them grow properly in all directions. Larger shrubs may eventually impinge on the path.

http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants/a/acasie/acasie1.html

Here is what uconn says about "Eleutherococcus sieboldianus variegatus"

Its a pretty good size plant but if you have the room it should do fine.

Some fast growing fatsia would do nicely, too.

I'd keep it low dull and green if its a passage way from front to back of house. How wide of a space do you have? Ivy, hosta, ground covers, ferns would do. you could rake it and mulch it once a year and trim as needed.
diggerb

If you want something evergreen try globular arbor vitae. I transplanted some to the north side of my house (very shady) and they are doing great. Maybe a bit bigger than you'd want for that spot.

On the side of our house we planted Canna's, the red, variety, about sixteen years ago, around the chimney between our window wells. They look beautiful every year.

I'd try an upright grower. Viburnum's will probably outgrow the site in no time.

Consider aronia 'brilliantissima' which will grow to 8' but in a vase shape. It will not intrude into the 'air space' of that walkway as it not an unruly grower; has nice white spring flowers and berries in the fall. Nice fall color as well.

Inexpensive and the more I think of it......the perfect plant for that spot.

I'd finish it off by planting some groundcover; perhaps sweet woodruff, maybe some ferns and someone mentioned a spring ephemeral: bleeding heart.

All good things in all good time.

Show us a pic after you're finally done.

I would be extremely cautious about the advice regarding ivy for that spot. If you search on "invasive plants" you will read of many people who feel very strongly about ivy and the difficulties they've had with it. Then you can make an informed decision about whether their concerns make sense for you.

Salvia greggii 'Furman's Red', or other upright variety. It is almost evergreen, 3 ft tall - dies back only when iced, pops back up in spring, blooms all growing season, hummmingbirds love it, it fills in on its own, and it's cheap to put a few in to start. Red blossoms and deep green foliage would complement your brick.

That brick is such a lovely colour that I'd want to put something brilliantly contrasting against it. Between the window wells I would go with icy blue-green Wicheta Blue Junipers which are upright and columnar. Just be sure you can plant them far enough from the wall that they can grow properly and still have enough room that they don't grow toward your flagstone path. Then around the junipers I would plant a mix of small/mini shrubs and perennials that both compliment the icy blue-green of the junipers and contrast with it. To compliment the icy blue-green you might use items such as "El Nino Hosta", "Halcyon Hosta", "Mint Frost Coral Bells", "Blue Oat Grass", "Elijah Blue Fescue", and some of the sedum and spiderwort ("Concord Grape") that have a waxy blue tinge to the foliage. Variegated Iris also have that blue-green foliage with a contrasting white in the foliage. Another icy blue green plant is "Dicentra Formosa Luxuriant"...brilliant blue-green foliage with lovely rich pink blooms. The rich purples would look lovely with the sedum and bleeding heart pinks and you already have the Concord Grape Spiderwort which has an extensive bloom time. You could get the variegated iris in purple and include a variety of other purples. Ferns are always lovely in a shade garden and you could choose from quite tall varieties such as "Ostrich" to the small, low lying blue-green Japanese Painted Fern. For a splash of light here and there you can add some white shade loving perennials such as white Columbine, white Bleeding Hearts, white Astilbe, lily of the valley (can be invasive if not kept in control), Hosta Undulata Albomarginata, white balloon flower etc.. and for early spring blooming you can find white and pink tulips, snowdrops, pink hyacinth, bloodroot and lovely little grape hyacinth and purple crocus for a similar colour scheme in spring as you will get all summer.

Barb

Wow, Barb, if I post a design question, would you please answer?

That was great!

Janet's Garden