Flowering plants to bridge sun/shade conditions?

Because of the arrangement of trees in neighboring yards and the direction that my home faces, I have substantially different light conditions on each side of my front porch. The flowerbed to the left of the steps receives full sun, while the bed to the right is almost completely shaded. I've experimented with using similar colors on both sides but it still looks like two completely different gardens. Any suggestions for flowering plants that might bridge the gap and do well on either side? I'm in Zone 4.

Pulmonaria longiflora 'Raspberry Splash' (for shade)

Geranium x 'Johnson's Blue' (for sun)

Here is a list of plants that thrive in part sun/part shade.

http://www.diggingdog.com/pages2/plantsptsun.php Clicking on the name will take you to more info on the plant.

http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/10407

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/full-part-shade-perennials.html

If the area will accommodate it, you might try tying the two sides together with a matching pair of containers with similar plantings, incorporating a little sun and a little shade plantings.

There are some hostas that take sun, also Fulgida var of Rudbekia takes shade,Lobelia will grow in shade and sun, some Heucheras also are good for both, hardy geranium(cranesbill) will grow in both also.

Do you have any pics of your front porch? We might have more ideas if we can see it, but maybe you could take advantage of the area and just see it as two completely different gardens instead of trying to fight what you have. It gives you the chance to expand your plants; you're not restricted to the same identical growing conditions. How many hours of sun does each side receive?

MrsGnome,
I once lived in a home that had the very same conditions that you're facing. I never found a solution that I was happy with that would make both sides of my front porch look symmetrical...so I just quit trying. You can find plants that will do well in part sun/part shade...the problem I found in my situation was that one side of the porch go so much sun and the other side got so much shade that the plants on side never looked like the plants on the other side...one Hosta would be much bigger than the other, etc.

I just ended up planting 'sun' plants I liked on one side and 'shade' plans I liked on the other....BUT I kept the sizes in proportion to each other. I started planting 6" from the stairs on boths sides, the first plant was 3' tall and 12" wide. The next plant was 12" away, it was 4' tall and 24" wide. See what I mean? I also used a color scheme that flowed through everything. Light blue, soft yellow and burnt red (it was a brick home with white and brown trim), and of course, I used white (white flowers are like a non-color to me, lol). Using the same colors over and over made everything come together...the proportions repeating themselves (matching) on each side also made it come together. I wish I had a pic to show you, but I don't.

On the porch itself I would have my hanging baskets. That's where I'd use punches of color, whatever color I felt like that year. Maybe orange and purple....maybe soft pink and pastel lavender. I'd also mix in some annuals in my front beds that went along with my hanging baskets. These were usually lower-lying plants like Petunias, Verbena, Impateins, Geraniums, etc. Enough for a splash of color and to keep things from being boring. I would also try and keep them proportioned and symmetrical. Impatiens for shade, Petunias for sun =)

That's how I handled the situation and I was happy with how it turned out. I couldn't figure out any other way to do it.

Or, you can break everyone's "rules" and do whatever you want to!!! Don't make both sides "match." Make one side a sitting area or BBQ area or a specialized garden (think Hosta heaven!!!). Do whatever YOU want and that's what'll make you happy =)

good luck!