If it makes you feel any better I did the same thing. Gonna amend the soil in the next couple weeks and hope for the best. Good luck with yours

Heather - don't feel bad. I think we all go thru this from time to time. I didn't water mine from late July thru September one year - everything died......or so I thought. However, in spring everything, and I mean, everything, came back up as though nothing happened at all. You may be pleasantly surprised. Normally, astilbes, bleeding hearts, and hostas, all die back this time of year anyway. They really like the cooler weather. Hosta, of course, would do better, if watered, but I bet you haven't lost any of them.

Susan

If your astilbes never even sprouted THIS year you pretty much could write them off for the NEXT one.
Bleeding heart went dormant as it suppose to do in a middle of the summer, so this one should be fine.
Hostas in general are tough cookies and if they become yellow only by now, consider that as a sign of a Fall and count on them as a survivors.

If you haven't had rain lately it's probably still not too late to water. Even though they go dormant the roots are still alive and watering during long dry periods (like we are having) could make the difference in whether or not they come back next year. -Ais.

Thanks for everyones encouraging comments. Maybe it's not too late, and I already have plans to fix the situation next spring, For one thing I need to buy a sprinkler!
Thanks for your help!
Heather

A soaker hose that you put under the mulch and leave in place would be more effective and conserve more water than sprinklers unless you have a very large area to water. Then you just hook in your garden hose and come back in a couple of hours with no waste outside the plant area. You spend more initially but less on your water bills later.

We just can't seem to get any rain here in the Washington DC area. Even huricane Rita's huge rain bands came right up tot he door and went away. We've had virtually no rain since mid August and everything is dying back.

KimKa (who is trying hard to keep enough moisture in even her shadiest beds not to lose plants).