Okay, first things first. There are levels of "shade" ranging from lightly dappled at noon, to deep gloom all day. Since your landscaper recommended 2 species that can tolerate considerable shade, we will assume that is what you have. Therefore we need to determine *why* your prior plantings are not thriving since hydrangeas and azaleas are fairly low-care.

The obvious thought is that the new babies didn't receive enough water -- plan on irrigating every week, enough to equal an inch of rainfall. New plantings must be helped with steady watering during their first year because they have to make new roots -which they can't if they are thirsty. You have a choice between spending time by watering them yourself every week (fun but sort of boring), or paying for an irrigating system you can put down yourself. Do spend the money for a timer, and the watering will be pretty much carefree. See link for one DIY irrigating system -there are many on the market, so choose what is easiest for you.

The next thought is that the soil wasn't rich enough. While both hydrangeas and azaleas are tolerant of less than perfect soil, they can't do much if they are stuck among the roots of full grown trees - said roots will grab most of the available moisture and nutrients! Give the present plants a boost by mulching with compost and pinebark chunks. New babies should have a hole dug at least 6" deeper and wider than the rootball. Fill the hole (on the bottom and then around the rootball) with compost mixed 50/50 with a fairly fine mulch [I prefer shredded leaves). For already established plants and maintenance, I'd recommend laying down a 1/4" of sopping wet newspaper around each plant, put about an inch of compost on top, and then 3" of organic mulch such as bark nuggets, pine straw, or shredded leaves. The shredded leaves are free from your community recycling center, and there are trucking companies that will deliver for a reasonable fee. This sort of layered mulch will block weeds from sprouting while enriching the soil. You will need to plan on renewing the mulch once a year, easiest done either in the spring or fall.

You will notice that you have to put forth time and effort at the beginning in order to use less time and effort later. To do otherwise is to waste time, money, and labor on plants which can't do their best.

My shade garden (which ranges from dappled light shade to full shade) has a lot of fernleaf dicentra -- they are a guide because they droop when watering is needed :) as well as azaleas, several varieties of hosta, polygonum, astilbes, rhododendrons, tiarella, crocus, daffodils, hydrangea, dragon begonias, and lots more. Annuals are planted along the bed edges for additional color during the warm months. I'm gone from home 11 hours a day and don't have time to fuss, so all my plants are fairly self-sufficient. I rely on the newspaper-mulch topping to keep weeds down (the few that sprout from windblown seed can be pulled during my 10 minute walk), semi-annual mulching for good looks, and irrigation to make up for what nature doesn't provide.

Sorry, I forgot to put in the link for the irrigating system. LeeValley actually has several systems, and I have found them all usuable by a non-mechanical person -me :) You'll probably find that the drip systems are the most flexible; I like the shrubblers for ease of adjustment.

Here is a link that might be useful: drip irrigation

thank you so much for the information. as soon as i read the sentence about the tree roots, i knew what the problem was with the yard. the yard is almost completely covered in mature trees. my husband adores them and refuses to consider thinning them. it's his favorite thing about "being back where real trees grow :) ". so, i guess i will have to limit my color to the outside edges of the natural areas. i don't think that trying to grow bushes on the inside will work even though the landscaper planted them there. i truly appreciate the help!

peace, phyl

You might go over to the 'woodlands gardens' topic and get suggestions there. You obviously have more than a shaded garden, you have a woodland. If you plant native woodland plants (ferns?) it will be easier.

Brenda

Phyl,
Don't feel you will need to limit yourself to ferns - there's lots more options. For one thing, many ferns require considerable moisture to do their best, so tend to struggle in a shady home situation caused by trees.

From my own experience growing plants in dry shade (northeast side of house under large pin oak, and under a hemlock on a slope), I'd say follow Meldy's advice for the shrubs (though try deciduous azaleas instead/as well), but I can give you a bunch of names for perennials.

Spring - columbines, particularly A. canadensis
Iris cristata
Iris tectorum - will not bloom heavily in deep shade, but still attractive. blooms nicely in anything short of evergreen shade.
Epimedium spp. (bishop's-cap)
many violets (odorata as well as many of the natives)
Tiarella or Heuchera spp (not the fancy cultivars)
small spring bulbs such as snowdrops and crocus

Summer - rely on foliage color from hostas and sedges

Fall - Aster cordifolia - pale blue, late
Solidago caesia (bluestem goldenrod) - heavy bloomer even in pretty deep shade
Chrysanthemum rubellum - peachy apricot single mum, needs somewhat more sun than the aster or goldenrod

No guarantees that I've got correct botanical names for all of these (Asteraceae especially has been heavily revised recently), but I should have given enough info so you can find them.

Look at what grows around here naturally, and talk both to experienced local gardeners and local growers of native plants. You CAN have color - you just need to look to the local version of it. (I'd be really bad gardening in SoCal, as I've lived with trees and seasons defined by temperature all my life, and would have to switch to no trees and seasons defined by rain/no rain as much as temperature.) Finally, if you find something you love, often you can find one portion of a yard that suits it or can be made to suit it, whether it's temperature or moisture that is critical. Microclimate is everything, in this area!

PS - my husband feels the same way about trees - it's why we turned down a job transfer to California!

Robin

I have been reading the follow-up posts to your question but I note that no one has asked you what KIND of trees do you have? If you have maples then you are in for a rough time. (I know because I have some). It's nearly impossible to get anything to bloom, live or thrive under a maple. There is almost solid deep shade. The roots are at the surface and very greedy about water and nutrients. If grass isn't growing there than not much else will either. So having said that, if you do find you have maples, then here's what I have found will grow: Iris (bearded) (they like it dry and you don't have to plant too deeply), Vinca, Lamium, Lunaria, Euphorbia cyparissias. I sincerely hope you have some mighty oaks instead.

I'm not sure the problem with the azaleas is competition with tree roots. Most azaleas are planted among trees and most azaleas thrive in those conditions. I am offering a possible suggestion. It would cause the problems you mention, but it's not the only thing that would cause the problems - so it's something to consider.

Azaleas are surface feeders and do not like to be planted deep. There is an old saying down here - never stick an azalea in a hole in the ground. It means rather than digging a typical planting hole you should scoop out a hole shaped like a bowl (think of a half circle). The deepest part of the bowl should be no more than half as deep as the root ball on the azalea. The diameter should probably be twice as wide as the root ball. Place the azalea in the center of this hole, fill in the bowl, and then mound dirt to the top of the root ball.

If you think the way you planted the azaleas might be the problem, try replanting a couple of them using this method and see how they do.

Good luck, and don't give up on southern gardening.