Do deer have access to the garden, or is it fenced in sufficiently? How low is "low-growing?" If groundcovers would suffice, we have a newly-revised web page that includes some options listed for various growing conditions, though they are not exhaustive lists. When you say "average" soil, do you mean that it's neither excessively dry (or can be watered during drought) nor prone to poor drainage or prolonged wetness? Do you know if the soil is more acidic or alkaline? Is there are particular period in summer when you prefer to have flowers -- early, midseason, or late? (Since not many perennials or shrubs would be blooming the entire summer, especially in shade.)

Shade-tolerant/loving perennial and shrub species that bloom at some point during the summer and which stay relatively compact include:

• Woodland Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica, which despite the botanical name, is not from Maryland)
• Astilbe (several species and hybrids)
• Coral Bells / Alumroot (Heuchera, several species and hybrids) - flowers are small, but can still attract pollinating bees and hummingbirds
• Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) and Mountain Hydrangea (H. serrata) - dozens of cultivars exist, with several being compact (around 1.5 to 3 feet high) and some capable of reblooming longer into the summer (or early autumn)
• Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) - dwarf cultivars like 'Hummingbird' and 'Sixteen Candles' stay around 2.5 to 3 feet high; very fragrant; native
• White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata), native
• Hardy Begonia (Begonia grandis) - may self-seed aggressively
• Geranium (Geranium, several species and cultivars)
• White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) - native; tends to be late in summer into early autumn; Red Turtlehead (Chelone obliqua) has a similar bloom season but is rare in the wild in Maryland

Miri

Hi again,

There are too many to list (and we do not have such a list compiled), as there are multiple species and many cultivars, so you'd need to see what local garden centers are stocking. (Let them know you're looking for perennial geraniums, genus Geranium, and not annual geraniums, genus Pelargonium.) Bloom times can vary from one species to another, and some cultivars may rebloom longer than others based on their parentage.

Miri