Finding the right plants to grow in the shade can be one of the
toughest challenges for gardeners. Dry shade, in particular, can
be a nightmare. Many gardeners give up out of frustration and
settle for gravel or bark mulch. Graham Rice, Kew-trained
British garden guru, agrees that dry shade is indeed the "most
inhospitable part of any garden", but he says it is no reason to
abandon dry shade areas as "dark deserts." In his first-rate
book, Planting the Dry Shade Garden, he starts by asking us to
be realistic. "Obviously, plants that demand bright light and
constant moisture are foolish choices." Ideal plants are usually
the ones with the following qualities : They lose less moisture
through their leaves; have roots, rhizomes, tubers, stems or
other organs that tend to store water; are evergreen, so they
can make the most of available light at any time of year; and
start their annual life cycle early, so they collect as much
light as possible early in the season when the leaf canopy
overhead is still thin. In