Shade Gardening: Shade garden ideas please! , 2 by fernfarmer

fernfarmer wrote:
I'm also in Zone 8b, but I suspect you get more heat in the summer than we do, so you should talk to someone at a good nursery in your area to be sure what would work. Personally, I find outdoor ferns much easier to keep happy than indoor ferns. The ferns in the picture I posted earlier are Athyrium otophorum "Okanum' (aka Eared Lady Fern). I like the way their red stems go with the Impatiens. I think they are attractive even after the fronds darken up, but they start out a bit greyish green in the spring and the foliage is particularly interesting then (first image). In my garden, these ferns hang on until early spring (although they look fairly spent by then), when I cut them down just before new growth emerges. Another fern I like and have found easy to grow is Polystichum tsus-simense (Korean Rock Fern), which has black stems. New fronds are light green and darken with age. The Korean Rock Fern is evergreen here. (second image). I like most of the Polystichum ferns, some have shiny fronds, some are matte, but all seem to be quite durable and evergreen in zone 8b. If you want something larger, the deciduous Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern) is beautiful. The third picture below is a baby, a mature plant can be up to 5' tall in this area. There is a purple version that is really beautiful too.