Pondy,
I believe Hostas will do O.K., as long as the tree roots aren't too shallow under the Birch. (I bet aka-margo could tell you more about which trees have the shallow roots - she's quite the Hosta buff).

About the rocky soil, just add some amendments to each hole as you plant - compost, cow manure, peat moss, etc.

Julie

Yes, you can transplant your bleeding heart now.

Pondy,
I would think that the hostas would grow very well underneath the river birch. Not familiar with their root system, but know they like water so I imagine it's a deep root system. Hostas aren't very particular about the soil they grow in. I would just do what Julie said above as you plant them. Underneath my maples, which have extremely shallow roots, I have also had luck with Bergenia, Goatsbeard, alliums, hardy geraniums, sedums, and trilliums. Goldenrod is also shade and drought tolerant, if looking for a fall blooming plant. It's a myth that is causes allergies.
Jen

Also, it depends on how much sun that you get under the tree. I'm guessing that it might be dappled shade because of the type of tree. Also, does the sun slant under the tree at certain times of day? I plant under a Norway maple augmented by shade from my house. However, the entire bed gets sun in the morning for about 2 or 3 hours and also as the sun sets it comes in at an angle for another hour or so. My main problem is keeping everything well watered because the tree acts like a giant umbrella and what water does make it through the canopy gets sucked up by the tree so I have to go out at least once a week, more if it's hot with no rain at all) and give it a good soaking.

When I began planting, I added 2 or 3 inches of good soil mixed with compost around the base of the tree. I was told that was about the limit or I might kill the tree. I also tried to plant in the root "pockets". Kind of between the main roots. It might depend on how old your tree it too. Mine is about 30 years old from what the neighbors tell me so it could lose a few feeder roots as I dug around it. If it's a young tree, you'll probably want to be very careful.

I have had creeping phlox, hostas, columbine, Stella D'Oro daylily (not as many flowers but a nice mound of grassy foliage (a white Rose of Sharon bush ("Althea", its growth is stunted but it does bloom) grape hyacinth, Ajuga (groundcover), Tiarella (Foamflower) and Coral Bells (Heuchara) for a few years.

New plants (only a year or so) include Meadow Rue, Siberian iris, Dutch Iris (bulbs), Allium (coming up through the hostas it looks really nice and the hostas cover the dying foliage), Gallium (Sweet Woodruff), Lungwort (pulmonaria), and Astilbe. I also plant tulips in the fall and have had good luck with them blooming pretty well. I assume that is because they were planted somewhere sunny before dug up and shipped to whatever store I bought them at. Plus they get some sun before the trees leaf out in the spring. I haven't had good luck with daffodils coming back except for Tete-a-tete, a minature one. I also usually plant pansies and snapdragons for annuals that do well.

I am just now learning upload images. When I accomplish this, I can tell you where to go to see some photos. :)

Good luck!

Kimberly

Well, I figured out how to do the photo thing so watch out! I'll be posting them like mad now. Anyway, here's some of my shade area beneath the Norway maple.

(End of May) This is a small bit on the other side of the walk from the main strip of garden. There are hostas with allium, a baby peony (which may never get enough sunlight to bloom), a tiarella near the sidewalk, the bit of purple peeking out is a coral bell (Palace Purple), and two daylilies are in there as well.

(taken the end of May) This is a view of the entire strip except for the bit on the other side of the walk from the hitching post. The grape hyacinths on the corner have faded now and I meant to fill in with some annuals but never did. *sigh* Way down at the end where you can see another walkway the stalks of faded tulips can be seen. I didn't get out there with the camera quick enough before a wind storm put an end to them. But I plant them there every year successfully.

(taken the end of May) Starting at the top with the tall one (clockwise): Meadow Rue, white Columbine, creeping phlox (with the spikes of dutch iris in front) and a Stella D'oro daylily that I have since divided and now looks kind of ratty.

Here's a better picture of the white columbine.

(Taken the end of May) Various hostas, all were gifts from other gardners so I don't know their names. The big one with the light green edges changes later to gold edges. Why? I suppose I should read up on that. Creeping phlox is the mat on the left. There is lily-of-the-valley in this photo but I moved it because it was too invasive. Astilbe (in the middle with all the bare earth around it) is a new planting so I'll have to let you know how it makes it through the winter. The tall spikes in the top right of the photo are Siberian iris with Dutch iris right behind it. The Siberian iris had already died back when I planted the Dutch iris bulbs so I moved the bulbs after they finished blooming. I didn't want two similiar plants blooming right next to each other. Right in front of those is a lacy kind of foliage which is Gallium (sweet woodruff) which has pretty little white flowers.

(end of May) Another view but this time you can almost make out the flowers on the sweet woodruff. Also, the differance in foliage is visible for the Siberian iris (on the left) and the Dutch iris bulbs (the right). The twiggy looking thing is a white Rose of Sharon bush named "Althea". (I have a picture posted under "R" if you care to see it in bloom)

(end of May) This is a picture of the Meadow Rue in bloom. In the earlier picture it was too tall to see it.

(Photo taken August 13th) The Rose of Sharon is on the right with many more leaves. A few things have been moved around, divided, and added since May. In this photo you can see the shadow from the house is retreating but the shadow from the tree will be reaching the garden soon. The sun rised in back of my house and sets behind the neighbor's across the street. So the plants get some direct sunlight for a couple of hours. Sometimes enough to fry the edges of the hostas (can you see how they changed to gold?) if I have watered recently and they are still wet.

When you do decide what to plant in your garden, please post again. I'm curious to see what will do well for you. And like Julie posted earlier, as you plant, add some amendments to the soil. Also, I read in a gardening book about using compost for a mulch so that every time you water, it's breaking down somewhat and nutrients are being added to the soil. So I decided to try it. Especially since after I fertilized (using the powder kind you dissolve in water) out front in my shade garden, the creeping phlox turned yellow and looks fried. I guess it didn't like it. You may be able to see it in the last photo. It has some new growth on it but still looks pretty pathetic. I guess I'll cut it back in the fall and hope the new growth in the spring will be back to normal.

Kimberly

Wow, thanks to all for the great ideas. I went out this morning and bought some more bags of compost. Why oh why do they wet this stuff before bagging? Jeeze, its almost impossible to lift and carry. I've been at gardening enough years to realize that the 'dirt is first' rule applies. So will try to ammend the soil. I was hoping to get away with plants that could thrive on the junk that is there. Guess that is delusional.

I love, love hosta. Especially the blues. But Kim is right in that this area gets alot of sun, and only dappled shade. The tree is about 12 ft, the yard faces south.
Thanks for reminding me about columbine, coral bells and geranium Margo and Kim. I have both in my back (north) facing yard, and all need dividing. In fact, columbines are coming up all over the place. I cant say that Ive ever transplanted anything except peony in the fall. But, hey they are freebees, what do I have to lose, right? And I will take Janets advice and transplant/divide that huge bleeding heart today. Its cool, overcast and rain is in the forecast. Ideal time.

I am so envious of all you who can post pix. I dont even have a digital camera! Why, I dont know. I can certainly afford one. Except I will say that at age 65, I am getting more and more tired of keeping up with all the new technology. However, it is time to get with the new cameras. Anyone have a favorite? Recomemdations? Less complication is best for me.
I just may do before and after pix. Should I post my requests for camera advice elsewhere?
Thanks all, Pondy

"...Not familiar with their root system, but know they like water so I imagine it's a deep root system..."

Actually, River Birch has a quite shallow root system and like all trees, their roots need to breathe. Depending on how long the tree has been there and how large an area is being amended you may want to be careful amending the soil around it. Working amendments in will probably damage roots. Top dressing is the safer way but if put too thick on top will smother the roots. If it were my tree I would top dress with about 2-3 inches of compost and replenish it as it breaks down.

tj

Pondy,
About cameras, I think everyone will say their camera is the best, but I think all you have to stick with is a good brand name, and get one with at least 3 megapixels.
Once you get your camera and learn to snap pictures and download them to your computer, there are lots of people here who can show you how to post your photos in the messages.

Kimberly,
That's a great idea, planting in between the street and the sidewalk. It gives people something nice to look at while they're strolling down the street. You also have less grass to mow!

Julie

My camera is about a year old. My husband and I looked through Consumer Reports first to get an idea of what to look for. We bought a Canon PowerShot A530. I love digital cameras because you never go and get a roll of film developed only to discover that only 1/3 of them are worth keeping. You just delete any pictures you don't like. But I do have to remind myself to save the pictures to disk otherwise one computer crash could wipe out all my photos of my kids!

Thanks Julie! Actually it was more the fact that my gardening space is limited inside the yard. My kids already complain about my planting areas so I can't add any more in there. I do get a lot of satisfaction when I hear (through the fence) people complimenting it as they pass by on the sidewalk when I'm working in the backyard. The only problem I've ever had is that I'm across the street from Fratt Elementary and I've had kids swipe some tulips in the spring. Not a big deal.

Kimberly

Well, this has been quite an eventful week cuz I was actually forced out of my lethargy and made some decisions about that planting bed, thanks to you all. The pickings were slim at my local nursery, but I did get 4 nice hosta: drinking gourd, guacamole, tokudama and fragrant some-thing. (I saw it mentioned in the hosta forum). Then I found 4 huechera: Mocha and caramel, and two heavily veined ones called green spice. These 4 will go on the SE side of the tree that gets quite alot of sun. Also got two more Anemone to join the small bed already there, and one daylily called Pardon me, that I remembered from Julies list to another poster. I plan to go back today and get two other reds that I saw on her list.

So, has anyone ever planted Hosta over a bed of daffodil bulbs? That is where I want to go with the plants. Thinking that hostas come up late, after daffs are fading and maybe they will hide some of that awful dead foliage.

Have been reading ads for digital cameras. Many are on sale now for 'back to school' I guess. That will wait until I plant and top dress all these new things. I'm so excited to try fall perennial planting. Have done fall tree and shrub stuff, but never flowers. Hey, these prices cant be beat! Pondy

Hi Pondy,
I do have a couple hostas planted over daffodils. There is a time period where both of them are up and it looks kinda messy, but eventually the daffodil dies off and only the hosta is left. The hostas seem more susceptible to slugs when the daffofils are still up. Those are all really nice hostas you bought and the heucheras too! I love the flowers on guacamole, they are huge!

If looking at digital cameras, I would highly recommend any of the Canon Powershots. If you are looking for a fast and easy camera my mom has the Kodak easyshare that comes with a photo printer.

I too went shopping today. I found a new nursery (well new to me) in Oneida that was awesome. He is in the stages of closing up so he had all his stuff marked down, and he had a $5 table of hostas. The hostas I bought were: Blue Wedgewood, Salute, Sea Gulf Stream, Whirling Dervish, Sleeping Beauty, Dust Devil, Little SunSpot, and Hoosier Harmony. Bad, I know, but I coulnd't resist some of the $5 hostas!!
Jen