Asarum europaeum (European Wild Ginger) is a slowly spreading ground cover that is primarily grown for its glossy, leathery, heart-shaped, dark green leaves (to 3 in across - 7 cm) which remain evergreen in mild winters. Small, bell-shaped flowers bloom in late spring to early summer but are usually unnoticed since covered by the dense foliage. Among the best foliage plants for shade. Grows 6 in. tall (14 cm) and spreads 8-12 in. (20-30 cm).

Noted for its vigor and superb elegance, Athyrium filix-femina (Lady Fern) is a lovely deciduous fern forming a large rosette of upright to arching, lacy, lance-shaped, fresh-green fronds. The stems are generally green but sometimes display a very interesting red hue. Fast-growing, this fern is easy to grow and perfect for filling gaps between shrubs or under trees.

Noted for its unique and distinctive type of fronds, Blechnum spicant (Hard Fern) is a charming, tufted, evergreen fern with interesting foliage texture. While the evergreen sterile fronds spread horizontally from a basal tuft, to form a neat arching mound of finely cut foliage, the fertile fronds rise straight up above this mound before drying out and withering away in fall. Low maintenance, pest, and disease-free, Hard Fern is easy to grow in most cool, moist, shaded sites.

Ideal for shady areas and heavy clay, Convallaria majalis (Lily of The Valley) is a low-growing rhizomatous perennial forming a lush, spreading groundcover. Blooming for 3 weeks in mid to late spring, up to 15 sweetly scented, nodding, bell-shaped, white flowers hang along slightly arching flowering stems. Renowned for their powerful floral perfume, they rise above the handsome foliage of paired elliptic green leaves. A real charmer and an outstanding performer, Lily of The Valley is trouble-free, requires little maintenance and is deer and rabbit resistant. Long-lived, it naturalizes easily to form extensive colonies.

One of the best Bloodtwig Dogwood for vigor and winter display, 'Anny's Winter Orange' (Cornus sanguinea) is a medium-sized deciduous shrub with incredible multiseason interest. In spring and summer, it bears large, ovate, mid-green leaves which happily contrast with the pale yellow-orange stems. Dense clusters of tiny white flowers that will attract butterflies appear in summer. They will give way to clusters of dark purple berries that are very attractive to birds. In the fall, the foliage turns warm shades of coral, orange, and gold before falling to the ground, revealing the spectacular stems of 'Anny's Winter Orange'. Starting out yellow at the base of the plant, they gradually deepen with the frosts to glistening orange and red towards the tips. An invaluable addition to the garden.

Few sights surpass a mixed planting of Cyclamen coum (Persian Violet) on an early spring morning! Award-winning Cyclamen coum is an early spring bloomer with lovely heart-shaped, glossy leaves and small but showy flowers in shades of white to rosy-purple with every hue in between. Adding several weeks of cheerful color and beauty to the garden in late winter - early spring, the blossoms are so abundant that they almost obscure the leaves! Very decorative, the leaves may be plain dark green but are also adorned with pretty silver patterns.

Popping up in the fall garden when most plants have finished blooming, award-winning Cyclamen hederifolium is a perennial plant that creates a captivating sight when massed. Opening before or with the leaves, elegant nodding flowers, in shades of rich magenta to white, 1 in. across (2.5 cm), rise above the foliage in late summer to mid-fall. Sometimes fragrant, they are borne on 4-6 in. stems (10-15 cm) and feature gracefully, upswept petals, darker around the mouth. The variegated foliage is also decorative with its large, ivy-shaped leaves in shades of green, gray, pewter, or silver. Long-lasting, it creates an almost evergreen ground cover and adds color and beauty to the garden during the winter months and well into spring.

One of the most elegant of perennials, Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) is a graceful herbaceous perennial boasting gracefully arching stems studded with lockets of pink flowers, whose hearts are no doubt bleeding, adorned with protruding white petals. They hang above the attractive foliage of soft green, divided leaves. Blooming for 4-6 weeks in late spring to early summer, it tends to decline or even disappear in mid-summer. However, if it is kept well-watered during the spring, dormancy may be delayed until late summer or early fall. Great for shaded borders or woodland gardens.

Eranthis hyemalis (Winter Aconite) is a charming tuberous perennial that bursts from the ground in late winter (before crocuses) with cup-shaped, upward-facing, bright yellow flowers (1 in. wide or 3 cm), surrounded by divided leafy bracts. The foliage of rich green leaves, divided into several lobes, emerges after the flowers. Winter Aconites go dormant by late spring.

Noted for its luminous and attractive foliage, Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold' (Wintercreeper) is a low-growing, broadleaf, evergreen shrub with a spreading habit. It forms a dense, bushy mat of glossy, ovate to elliptic, dark green leaves edged with gold and tinged pink in fall and winter. It produces a few tiny, inconspicuous, greenish flowers in early summer. Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. Reported to be invasive in natural areas in most of the states in the eastern half of the U.S.

Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop) is one of the earliest and loveliest spring flowering bulbs, adding several weeks of color and beauty to the garden from late winter - early spring. Slightly fragrant, this small bulbous perennial features dainty, nodding white flowers with a green spot at the apex of each petal atop 2 narrow, grayish-green leaves. The foliage emerges before the flowers, develops during and after bloom, and neatly fades away in spring.

The best red-flowered Witch Hazel, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' is a large deciduous shrub of open and spreading habit. Hardy, this winter-flowering shrub produces dense clusters of slightly scented, red to copper-red flowers in mid and late winter. Each flower consists of 4 ribbon-like, crinkled, strap-shaped petals with claret bases and a purple-red calyx. The broadly oval, green leaves turn attractive shades of yellow, orange, and red in fall.

Highly popular, Hyacinthoides hispanica 'Excelsior' (Spanish Bluebells) is a robust, bulbous perennial with attractive clumps of glossy strap-shaped leaves from which rise tall stems to support its abundant, pendulous bell-shaped, deep purple-blue flowers. Blooming heartily from mid to late spring, 'Excelsior' is slightly taller than other cultivars. Easy to grow, low care and incredibly good-looking, it is a reliable addition to the landscape, where it will happily multiply in optimum growing conditions.

Extremely attractive when massed, Luzula sylvatica (Greater Wood Rush) is an evergreen perennial that creates a beautiful, dense, weed-proof carpet in dry shade gardens. Its delicate ribbon-like, glossy foliage is loosely clumped into handsome tussocks that are quite ornamental. Clusters of small brown flowers held on arching stems appear in late spring or early summer but are not showy. Typically grows in loose clumps, up to 12-24 in. tall and wide (30-60 cm). Self-seeds moderately but is not invasive.

Noted for its red berries and excellent foliage color, Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo) is a small, evergreen, or semi-evergreen shrub adding multi-season interest to the garden. In spring, a profusion of tiny, white flowers adorned with golden anthers appear in long arching panicles at the tips of the branches. Rich in nectar, they attract bees and other pollinators. The flowers are followed by abundant clusters of green berries which ripen to bright red and persist throughout fall and winter. Ornamental, they are held against the lacy foliage which emerges purple, matures to soft green, and turns purple to reddish-purple in fall. Popular in the landscape, Heavenly Bamboo is one of the toughest and most adaptable plants, its berry-laden branches providing a pleasing vertical accent.

Noted for its dramatic foliage, Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' is a mondo grass cultivar forming dense tufts of arching, strap-shaped, grass-like, dark purple to almost jet black leaves, about 8-12 in. long (20-30 cm). Racemes of small, bell-shaped, pale pinkish white flowers emerge on dark stems in summer before giving way to glossy dark purple berries. Reminiscent of Liriope, this evergreen perennial is tough, durable and perfect for adding drama and contrast to the garden. Fabulous when combined with caramel Heuchera, silver or gold foliage plants.

Handsome and fragrant, Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' (Fragrant Solomon's Seal) is a rhizomatous, shade-loving perennial with slightly arching stems covered with sweetly scented, vase-shaped, creamy-white flowers tipped with green in late spring to early summer. Gracefully hanging from the leaf axils, they are followed in fall by attractive blue-black berries. Highly ornamental, the elegant foliage of bright green, elliptic leaves is splashed and streaked with creamy white and turns attractive shades of yellow in fall. Native to shaded slopes and woodland areas in temperate regions of Europe and Asia, Variegated Solomon’s Seal is a classic beauty for the shady woodland garden or the part-shade to full-shade border

Particularly attractive and architecturally interesting, Polystichum setiferum (Soft Field Fern) is a tufted evergreen fern forming a pretty rosette of soft, lance-shaped, willowy, mid-green fronds. Arching gracefully, the finely dissected fronds swirl around the center of the plant, creating a beautiful mounded plant. They remain lush and fresh-looking throughout the season. The stalks and most midribs are coated with attractive cinnamon-brown scales. Bringing attention to its unusual soft green foliage, Soft Field Fern almost asks to be touched! Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society

One of the earliest spring bloomers, Scilla siberica is a bulbous perennial boasting intense blue, bell-shaped, nodding flowers (2-5 per stem) in early to mid-spring. Each bulb produces 3 to 4 flower stems above a grassy foliage of narrow strap-shaped leaves. Easy to grow, this is one of the most winter hardy of the scillas and can be found in hardiness zone 2. A great naturalizer, it multiplies and comes back year after year, turning the landscape into a sea of blue. Looks best when planted in large drifts. Grows up to 3-6 in. tall and wide (7-15 cm). Hardiness Zones: 2-8

Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass) is an exceptionally lovely and graceful ornamental grass that exhibits silvery-green thread-like leaves in late spring, that sway gracefully in the slightest breeze, delicately softening any landscape. All summer, it bears abundant feathery panicles, which are held a little above the foliage and can be used in dried arrangements. Native to the Americas, this perennial grass provides a fairly long-lasting display with its airy silky green leaves turning golden brown towards fall.

Aquilegia, commonly known as Columbine or Granny's Bonnet is an excellent garden perennial with attractive clouds of delicate, bell-shaped flowers and a wonderful lacy foliage that emerges early in the year. Blooming profusely for at least 4-6 weeks, from mid-spring through summer (depending on varieties and regions), they provide a lovely and welcomed transition between the early spring bulbs and the peak garden season.

Astilbes are fabulous plants for shady, moist conditions. Admired for their graceful, colorful flower plumes rising elegantly above mounds of fern-like foliage which remains attractive all season long, they light up your shade garden for weeks and add a dazzling splash of color in the landscape. Each plume consists of hundreds of densely packed tiny flowers, each opening in succession from late spring to late summer, providing a long season of bloom before turning progressively a rich caramel color.

Among the earliest to flower, this species has elegant blossoms of pale lavender to red-purple with a silvery reverse. The profuse flowering and spontaneous self-propagation make this crocus a very good choice for naturalizing. Blooming from late winter to early spring, the calyx-shaped flowers open when the sun shines or when there is a lot of light; they close up in rainy weather and at night.

Hardy, low maintenance, and ignored by most pests, Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) are deciduous shrubs or small trees of great beauty, particularly when their showy, fragrant flowers are on full display. Lasting for weeks, the unusual blossoms feature thin, ribbonlike petals in warm shades of gold, yellow, orange and carmine red. While their winter blooms are of primary interest, Witch Hazels can also be showy in fall when their handsome oval green leaves, sometimes downy on the underside, take on golden-yellow shades before shedding to the ground.

Evergreen, Heaths (Erica) and Heathers (Calluna vulgaris) are terrific plants that deserve a spot in the garden. Their fabulous ability to change color year-round, injecting vivid life into our landscape at a time when they need it most, is invaluable. Low maintenance, deer or salt resistant, winter hardy, drought tolerant (once established) and fairly easy to grow, they do not require much: decent drainage and some sunshine.

There are 20 Hellebore species. Most are native to the mountainous regions of Europe, especially the Balkan region of the former Yugoslavia, south along the eastern Adriatic to Greece and Turkey. Many of the species have been interbred, producing countless hybrid Hellebores in a rich array of colors and forms.

Ridiculously easy-to-grow and long-lived, Hostas (Plantain Lilies) are shade-loving perennials that are highly prized by gardeners for their elegance and attractive foliage. Native to eastern Asia, these low-maintenance foliage plants are fabulous for shady areas and combine beautifully with other shade perennials. The world of Hostas is incredibly rich in terms of size, color, texture, leave shape. There are thousands of Hosta cultivars available reflecting their immense popularity with gardeners, and new varieties are legion. Growing from 6 inches to 3 feet tall (15-90 cm), the attractive foliage is topped in early-mid summer with taller funnel-shaped or flared flowers, in shades of white, lavender, or purple. Some flowers are even sweetly fragrant.

Peonies are a classic ingredient of the perennial border and have been cultivated for over 2000 years. Beloved for their abundant blooms, the beauty of their exquisite flowers, their delightful fragrance, and their bold foliage changing shades over the seasons, peony flowers add a dazzling splash of color in the landscape. Virtually carefree once established, they live for generations, are deer-proof, and produce some of the best cut flowers - making them one of Nature's loveliest perennials! Peony bouquets are a favorite of florists and many brides-to-be.