Wet Shady Bed Zone 5

Hi! I've got a really large yard with different microclimates. Right now I'm working on filling an area on the east side of our workshop. There is rain runoff from the roof, and the area is always moist-to-wet. It is completely shaded by a tulip poplar. It gets some sun on either end, but I'm looking for some interesting fill for the sun-free areas.

I put some gifted hostas in there and they are doing great, but they have very plain green leaves, and look dull. Daffodils bloomed half-heartedly, and irises did not bloom at all. I'm hoping to interplant something with visual interest to contrast with them. Groundcovers would be great, as well as early bloomers.

Ligularia
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/LITR.html

Iris and Daffs would like more sun
Except you can grow Iris Cristata in the shade
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/IRPB.html

Pulmonaria likes moist soil

There are as many plants for shade and damp as there are for bright sunlight in the garden, what you will need to do at the start is add as much animal manure (I prefer horses manure) it has less weed seeds than cows etc, this will give many years of feed, air and help hold onto moisture when there has been less rain.
The manure also helps to keep the soil sweat, wet / damp constantly can turn sour if not given the right additions and last thing you want is a smelly corner in your yard. Always go for manure thats well rotted (not fresh) the type of manure I would love to add to my garden has NO smell at all, when you pick up a handful, it crumbles when rubbed between finger and thumb, maost stables will be happy for you to remove as much manure from their heap as you can take and it's usually free, if it's not free, ask why, as there is a market for buying bags of horse manure and to be honest, reject this as you dont know what's really in the bag.
Plants for shade and damp soil are:

Host'a, there are hundreds, all different size leaf, colour and size, do a search to look at them.
Astilbe, Red, Cream, Orange, white. Pink.
Iris, Yellow for water gardens.
Mimulus, Ground cover, Red, Orange, Yellow 2-4 inches tall.
Primula's for damp soil, many colours.
Trolice, yellow, pink.
Shade but less damp:
Anenome.
Bergenia.
Digitalis.
Rogersia.
Giant Rhubarb.

these are just some plants you could use and also there are shrubs that cant take wet all year soil but like a damp, cool area.
If I were you I would go to your library and look for wet/ water/ or damp shade garden and there will be pictures of the beds laid out, or look in your local book store, I love the stores you have where you can sit with a book and have a coffee, take pen and paper with you also.
Good luck. WeeNel.

If there is a way to mound the area without directing the water toward the building that can improve the drainage.

A variation is to make the drip line from the eaves into a dry creek bed. Dig it down, and make a curving outline, but always include the part where the rain drips. If you can add a drain inlet and carry this water away the bed can be a bit drier. Depending on the size of the area use rounded rocks from 3/4" (or even smaller) on up to 8-10" to represent the water, and larger rocks to accent the sides of the 'creek'.
A coarse mulch would be another way to help the soil both at the drip line and all over.
When the rain from the eaves hits the soil, always in the same place, and a lot more concentrated than the rain from the sky, the soil gets compacted in that spot. Diffusing the strength of the falling water will minimize the soil compaction.

Some great advice, thank you all. Diana, I have been putting "stick mulch" in the bed. The tulip poplar sheds a lot, and I just toss the sticks in, using the thicker limbs at the drip line. I'm hoping to befriend some fungi that way.

Wish I could find a "fun guy"!

Sounds like you are headed in the right direction.

I made a walkway out of the drip line along one side of the house. Most of the drips hit the stepping stones.

I am a big advocate of galium odoratum. It pretty much takes care of itself, spreads nicely, and flowers in the spring. They are very fragrant.

Don't give up on hostas! There are so many wonderful varieties that run the gamut in size, leaf shape, and color. Same goes with ferns. I have a shady bed under a magnolia tree and I can't seem to get enough hostas and ferns. My favorite is Hosta June and I'm on a large hosta kick right now, like Sagae and Sum and Substance. I have a large fern that was gifted to me so I'm not sure which variety it is, but I think it's an ostrich fern. The large hostas and ferns are so grand!

OOOOOOH me too, a fun guy is just the thing any girl with a garden would love to have, I have a guy BUT !!!!!, every time I say, "can you dig a hole PALEEEEEESE" he aint that much fun, especially when lines get crossed and the hole is in the wrong place. OH well dream on WeeNel, you were at the bus stop when your ship came in. Ha, Ha, Ha.
Love it. WeeNel.

Heuchera, Heucherellas, Tiarellas come in many foliage colors, can really liven up a landscape. For larger, later flowering plants, try Aconitums, Lobelia Siphilitica, Cimicifuga.