I have a small back yard with several trees and it is shaded most of the day, so I am always looking for new and interesting shade plants. I love hostas and have enjoyed each year looking at the hosta catalogs and internet sites for the latest and greatest. They come in sizes from just a few inches tall to some huge varieties that cover a lot of ground. Colors range from blue to green to an amazing array of color combinations: blue with white edging, white or cream or yellow with blue or green edging, green with blue edging, etc. Leaf textures vary widely, from those with smooth leaves to those with rippled edges, furrows or corregations, etc. I even found one this spring that is orange with green edging. Some varieties of hosta are able to tolerate some sun, and some are even snail resistant. I use a variety of hostas as the anchor for my shady back yard and then fill in with other shade plants that compliment them. Some of the shade perennials I enjoy are heucheras (an amazing variety of colors), bleeding hearts, several varieties of campanula, astilbe, pulmonaria, cranesbill geranium, and hakonechola grass (a recent find that I love). For additional color I fill in with shade-loving annuals such as tuberous begonias, coleus, and impatiens.