For earliest spring bloom, you might want to fill the whole bed with anemone blanda and early daffodils or other bulbs that bloom in February/March.

When those fade, you could have spring ephemerals (including your bleeding heart), woodland phlox (phlox divaricata), Virginia bluebells (which love moist soil) trilliums, toothwort, etc. which will all disappear after they bloom, and then the impatiens will come up and bloom for the whole summer and fall.

Your soil is moist, but does it drain well? Trillium like moisture when they're blooming but like good drainage, so they wouldn't like a puddle. Daffodils also need well drained soil or their bulbs will get a fungus.

Alternatively, you could have ferns or hostas and impatients in the summer, and Virginia bluebells in the early spring before the others emerge. Or, if you go with shrubs, one of the creeping foamflowers will make a pretty evergreen groundcover.

I think hardy begonias would take over your bed, and you wouldn't have room for any other flowers.

Happy planning!

Thanks Barbara for the great suggetion. Now need to google :) I also apologize I should have read the FAQ before posting the topic. Happy gardening everyone. Changsong

Itea (virginia sweetspire), 'Henry's Garnet' is the best imho, Clethra (summersweet) 'Sixteen Candles' is my fav. Lobelia cardinalis will bloom in late summer and attract hummingbirds

Chelone lyonii, Marshallia, any Lobelia, and Aquilegia are also good choices.
WDE

Yews, astillbe, heuchera, bleeding hearts, corydalis lutera, witch hazel, spiderwort, and foam flower have worked great for me.

i really like barbaraga suggestions - excellent choices - i would add one more to the mix - cardinal flower - lobelia cardinalis... likes wet shade - and would bloom after the spring ephemerals are done...

Lest we forget Monarda? They can take a lot of shade, just not really happy with dense allday shade. It blooms for a long period and smells good all year long if it doesn't hard frost too long. It can be a smidge invasive but is easily controlled.

Astilble, foam flower, and ferns. Don't forget ferns. They will do wonders here. Also hostas should do nicely.

greetings, my cardinal flower didn't like my damp shade at all, and just died........maby he didn't like his new home, but i was sad........i bought several, and nurtured them, but they died........debating if i should buy them again this year..........the spot was a bit sunny in the afternoon, but very shady overall.......

tesa001,

Maybe the heat got them? Afternoon sun can be a plant killer even here in zone 7.