Favorite low maintenance shade garden plants?

[wildflax]

I posted this also in the Garden Gallery section but thought more might see it here: I'm helping to plan a shade rectangular area approx. 12'X 8' in between a garage door, sidewalk, and front stoop. Any ideas for a family that has very little time to do gardening but has a mom who needs a meditation spot for her sanity after a day's work and taking care of her husband and four kids? Thanks.

[Tigger]

Can you tell us what's providing the shade? Which way does the house face? I'm trying to frame the area (and wrestle with the idea of a calm meditation spot next to the front door!).

[paul_in_mn]

Include Japanese Painted ferns and Red Lady Fern.

[wildflax]

The garden area to be created faces West and is shaded by a large tree standing South of it and actually south of the front door. It might get a little late evening sun but not much during the day. So one long side bordered by the house, one side by the driveway, the other long side by a sidewalk, the fourth short side by the stoop/cement porch. In general faces the front yard and the lamppost small garden shown in the picture I will attach (hopefully). It also faces the street in the suburbian neighborhood.

[Tigger]

Paul has a good idea with the ferns. Very calming. I would frame the area (foundation planting?) with maybe inkberry holly, which is easy to prune to shape. Create an asymmetrical space to soften the hard rectangle. Then japanese painted ferns and lady ferns around a seating area, darker green hostas, and one or two accent hostas with clean white edges (more calming and with better dim-light impact than ones with gold edges, although gold highlights could catch that evening light and really pop). Leave some space to fill in with a few white impatiens each year for flowers. I would stick to a narrow color palette (even just green and white).

You're a few climate zones away from me, so I hesitate to make too many recommendations on "low-maintenance." You could certainly use vinca minor as a groundcover, since it wouldn't be able to escape. Don't forget to include some spring bulbs, like short white narcissus (for example, 'Thalia') or crocus ('Joan of Arc'), and snowdrops for early spring bloom.

You sound like a super sister!

[wildflax]

Wonderful suggestions! Thank you everyone! If you think of anything else, please feel free to tag them on.

[Angel3K]

Vinca Minors will work, once it come out of the frame,as they tend to in my little front frame, then you can sort of tug it back.

Heucheras too - I'm thinking of the golden to light green shades, to add color, plus it comes back every year. You can combine these with Hosta Gold Edger, ah because gold edger really thrives well.

[oldcoot]

[Chris will Love OC for this, but I think Hosta's are the perect plant in a shade Garden. Also Arum Itallicum for stripped color and Orange Berries later on in the Summer.size=150][/size]

[gamekeeper]

I find most shade plants low maintanence.See what looks like Jackfrost Brunnera,it is the most soothing to me at dust I look at the ones I have and they radiate like when I was younger and smoked pot.