I am helping a friend redesign their small garden (pictured below) as it needs to be spruced up since they are putting their townhome on sale as soon as this project is done. I have some very amateur questions I hope I could get some help with: 1) There are a lot of daffodils in this small garden. From what I understand, the daffodils won't be blooming (or doing anything for that matter) in about a month (i read somewhere their bloom period is 6-8 weeks). Since the garden needs to have "wow appeal" for the rest of the summer and early Fall, can I plant annuals around, or on top of the daffodil bulbs? We have to aearate the soil and add new soil and amendments (since its currently compacted and hasn't been refreshed in a long time) so should I dig out the daffodil bulbs, and replant them among new annuals and perennials?? What can I do with these daffodil beds when the daffodils will be gone in about a month's time? 2) Can anyone suggest annuals (or maybe even perennials) that do well in (almost) full shade, and that will have interest for the rest of (or late) summer? 3) Since we'll be planting mostly annuals and perennials, and we have to get new/fresh soil, is there a particular soil type we should use for annual/perennial beds? Thank you!
For seasonal interest and wow appeal in shade I'd go for perennial Hostas and Heuchera and annual fibrous begonias with maybe some bacopa or upright lobelia as filler/edging. The begonias are cheap, will bloom until fall and just keep looking better and better. I find them much more reliable than impatience. Pick a limited colour palette for maximum effect. Maybe white (or red or pink) begonias with bronze leaves, a couple of bronzy or purple leaved Heuceras and a few hostas. Make sure you don't go too wild on variegated plants. Pick those with related colours in different sizes and shapes. Eg. pick white and green hostas where some have white edges and others white centres, some have big thick leaves and other narrow leaves in the same colour. If you ask around you may find gardeners who are happy to give away divisions of their hostas. Use Safers slug bait in non toxic pellets to keep them looking nice. A purple/bronze leafed ligularia might add a nice touch also, they get quite big. If you want to add some softer texture for contrast then perennial ferns or astilbe would look nice.
In terms of soil areation vs the daffs, it's likely best to dig them up before you do this - that way you won't lose any bulbs to the shovel when you add your new soil amendments. Denis and Teresa have made some excellent suggestions; for taller interest in shade, I'd also look into Hedechiums (butterfly gingers) which should be hardy with mulching in your area, as well as possibly Musa basjoo, which is a taller plant with an immense "wow" factor - and there's a variegated cultivar now, which is extra nice looking. Both of these plants are perennials if mulched for the winter. More broadly, Alocasia gigantea 'variegata,' Colocasia 'Black Magic' or 'Illustris' and Caladium 'Hilo Beauty' (often also sold as Alocasia 'Hilo Beauty') will also provide a significant wow, do excellently in lower light conditions, and can be overwintered as tubers very easily. I'd also be very tempted to stick the daffs in a bed with other bulbs that have different blooming times - what comes to mind are Snowdrops (Galanthus), Crocus, Tulips (particularly fancy types - I'm very fond of the fringed cultivars), Dutch Iris, Allium, and if you're feeling really fancy, Eucrosia. That way you'll have a full season of flowers.
