Quote Originally Posted by RubyTuesday View Post
Hydrangeas are very showy, the flowers last a long time and the plant grows large quick. You can play with the flowers color by adding nutrients and iron.
I have not had much luck with hydrangeas...they need a bit more sun than we can give them...but mostly the long-legged "rats" (deer) eat them. Deer eat a lot of stuff they're not even supposed to like, in our area.

Bleeding hearts grow like mad in our shady, acidic, sandy soil. But they die-back after the bloom and look horrid (like right now). Next May/June they will be stunning, again.

Lamium (Spotted Dead Nettle) does great in shade, as long as they get plenty of water. They have pretty flowers, too. They are also done flowering, though.

Fern and myrtle also do well in shade...but fern don't really flower and myrtle are long since done. I'm not sure what shady stuff is flowering, now. I've really wondered what I could plant that would be pretty in July/Aug. and am also at a loss.