If you are always on the lookout for shade-loving perennials, have I got a good one for you. It is Astilbe and it will grow in full or part shade.
I really like how attractive the leaves are because they are very fern-like. The flower stalks are in bloom right now and generally are available in white, light pink, red and magenta.
The plants prefer moist soil so they'll need to be watered regularly. Because they are an acid-loving perennial, I planted them in a bed of other acid-lovers like rhododendrons, Pieris japonica and yews. Some gardeners put peat moss on the soil surface every spring. That's what I used to do but now I use a pelleted form of sulfur - a more sustainable resource - which you can find at larger garden centers like Northwest Seed & Pet.
