First of all you obviously need shade and good soil that contains organic materials. If your soil is too sandy it will drain water too quickly drying the plants out. Add compost or manure if you need to. Then select your plants. Plants to consider include many varieties of Hostas, Lily of the Valley, Coral Bells, Astilboides, Pulmonaria, Rodgersia, Trillium, and Goundcovers like Baltic Ivy, Myrtle, Pachysandra, Lamium, and Ginger. Some shade plants will tolerate some sun. The best way to find out which plants will do well with your soil and light conditions is to experiment with them.

One lesson that I have learned in my 15 years of gardening is that if a plant does not do well with your conditions don't force it to be unhappy. There are many other plants that will do better for you. I learned this lesson in many years of trying to grow Rhododendruns in my shade garden. I am now replacing my Rhododendruns with Annabelle hydrangeas which bloom beautifully in my shade and so far seem to require no maintenance.

Underplanting your shade garden with spring blooming bulbs will yield a nice effect in early spring. Once the bulbs bloom and are finished, the shade plants will start to appear and will cover the foliage from the bulbs.

For more information on shade gardening please visit www.bridgewatergardens.com