I would suggest 3 things:
1. Go to the Winter Sowing forum on GW & read there about how people started gardens from seed.

2. Look for an exchange forums on GW that might hook you up with free plants or seeds for SASE. Most garden centers have seeds in stock now & they can help you select varieties for shade in your climate.

3. Improve your soil now
An easy way to improve clay soil is to layer compost materials right on top & then let nature (weather + worms) do the work for you. I've created several gardens this way.

Here's one from our shady backyard in mid summer created in winter & planted in March from divsions & winter sown plants.
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It's called interbay mulch, sheet mulch, sheet composting or lasagna gardening. I've included the link below to read more about the method.

To help keep it moist in your climate you might cover the beds with burlap bags from a coffee roaster or upside down carpet scraps. You can top that with a uniform mulch of your choice if you don't want to look at the burlap or carpet. I've used both. Easy to lift out the carpet before planting & you can plant right through the burlap come spring.

For cheap sources of compost materials:
-shred or tear up your own paper scraps, cardboard, cereal boxes, napkins, facial tissues, etc.
-vegetable & fruit peels, cores, & rinds (though don't use too much citrus as it's slow to decompose, but repels cats)
-used coffee grounds - free at Starbucks
-used tea bags, coffee filters, etc. from co-workers
-hay and straw sweepings from a country feed store (in my area it's free - just bring your own bags & pull it out of a small dumspter. Wear a mask & gloves if you're allergic to dust, mold, or hay).
-leaves from neighbor hood trees, parks, etc.
-manure from rabbits, chickens, or even horses works great to improve the soil - find a source for free on Craigslist. Most places will let you come load up if you don't make a mess. I prefer a garden trailer because I do a lot at one time, but you can reuse 5 gal buckets w/ lids from a food establishment to keep your car clean. Pickles & other foods come in them.
-another idea is to collect the veg & fruit scraps from a public school cafeteria (make arrangements with the staff & you might have enough in just a week's time)

No weeds if you top the hay/straw or manures with another ingredient. Then you plant right in it come spring when your plants have sprouted. Can't be any easier because you never have to work to dig through that clay.

Hope that helps,
Corrine

Here is a link that might be useful: Interbay Mulch on GW's soil forum

Thank you so much for your response! What a beautiful garden you have -- now I have something to aspire to. It's funny, I didn't think I was a hosta fan, but seeing all the pictures on this forum, all of a sudden I am admiring them and very jealous! I wish I'd done a little more reading on Lasagna gardening before, and I still may give it a try in some areas, but I planted "green manure" oats and peas instead, which have grown really well. I'm going to till them into the soil soon, but I feel like already the texture of the soil has improved. A local park gives away free compost, too, so that's on my to-do list.

Since you wrote this post, I've been reading the winter sowing forum compulsively, and am definitely going to give that a try, as we have a lot of space to fill and there is just no way we can afford to fill it in with plants already grown from the nursery. I think I'll have to find some plants that are quick to grow from seed so I don't have to wait *too* long for my efforts to pay off!

I actually ride horses, so can easily get manure but was under the impression that it had to be aged for a while first so it doesn't burn the plants?

Starting my own compost pile is definitely on the long list of urgent priorities!

Thanks so much for the advice, it's really helpful. Hopefully my brown thumb doesn't ruin all my new plans.

Alex,
Most stables/barns have a pile of manure sitting around from mucking out stalls. If you go to the back of that, it is usually partially broken down. If you throw that onto the garden in a thin layer in fall when most plants have gone dormant (dependent on zone) then it will age/break down over winter. When I've done that, I also usually add piles of worms to my garden that the manure has attracted. An additional bonus.

You might also look into any gardening clubs in you area. Anyone who's been gardening more than a year or so will have perennials that they might be willing ( or desperate) to split. I know if anyone is willing to show any interest in my garden, I'm more than happy to gift them plants from my garden.

Good luck. And let the wintersowers (us) know if you want seeds. They're thrilled to trap another unsuspecting soul into their addictive habit. They'll enable you every time you turn around.

Martha

Your pics: 1, 2

Personally, I like to fill shady spots with foliage that is profusely colored, variegated and/or interestingly shaped. For flowers, (which are of secondary importance in the shade) white, pink, and yellow show up best. I think the easiest way for a newbie to get started is to go shopping and write down the plants you like that the tag says are for shade. Then go home and research how they behave, how big they get, if they require prunings or other special care. This will help you narrow-down a list of plants that you like, that YOU KNOW YOU CAN BUY, that will suit your location, lifestyle, and budget. Repeating plants and colors throughout the yard can help make the whole thing look cohesive and intentional.

The soil, compost & mulch forum is a great resource.
Basically, unless you are rich, it just takes time and occasional organic input from you to improve the soil.

You have lots of space for pots, which are also fun since you can move them around and easily change what is in them. The actual pots can be a way to carry a color theme throughout your yard, to match outdoor furniture, or your house.