Annuals

• Annuals germinate, bloom, go to seed and die in a single growing season, but bloom for extended periods. The wishbone flower (Torenia fournieri) prefers moist soil and partial shade. This annual grows from 8 to 12 inches tall and requires 6 to 8 inches of spacing. It blooms from summer through fall with trumpet-shaped blossoms in a variety of colors, including blue, purple, yellow and white.
  
  Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) bloom from early spring through fall and, in warmer climates, may even last into winter. These small annuals grow from 8 to 12 inches tall and need 6 inches of space to thrive. They grow well in moist soil and partial shade and bloom in a range of colors, from blue to yellow.
  
  

Perennials

• Perennials live for at least three years. The spiderwort (radescantia x andersonii ) tolerates partial shade and moist soils. It is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 and grows from 18 to 24 inches tall. Spiderwort blooms from late spring through summer with purple, pink and white flowers. Spiderworts have hairy stems and long foliage.
  
  The cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is hardy in zones 3 to 9 and grows best in partial shade and moist, fertile soil. It grows to 3 to 4 feet tall and produces tall spikes of deep-red flowers in late summer. Cardinal flowers are native to the east coast of North America.
  
  

Ground Covers

• Ground covers fill in bare spots, reduce soil erosion and slow weed growth. Selections for shade and acidic soils include creeping mahonia (Mahonia repens). This evergreen grows to 18 inches tall and spreads into a mat of blue-green foliage that turns purple in winter. Creeping mahonia is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 7 and prefers partial to full shade and moist, acidic, well-drained soils. It blooms with yellow blossoms in spring, followed by black and blue berries in fall.
  
  Gold-moss (Sedum acre), a deciduous ground cover, grows from 1 to 2 inches tall and covers the soil with a carpet of light-green foliage. It produces yellow flowers in spring and prefers partial shade. Plant golden moss in sites under your weeping spruce canopy that don't receive much moisture. It is hardy in zones 3 to 8.
  
  

Shrubs

• Choose low-growing, shade- and drought-tolerant shrubs that won't compete with the roots of the weeping white spruce. The dwarf aucuba (Aucuba japonica "Nana") grows slowly to 4 feet tall with a similar spread. This evergreen has large, glossy green foliage and produces red, long-lasting fruits. It thrives in partial shade and moist, fertile, well-drained soil, but tolerates drought and is hardy in zones 7 to 10.
  
  The Japanese boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. japonica) grows to 6 feet tall with a 4-foot spread and is hardy in zones 6 to 9. This evergreen tolerates drought and grows well in partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. Boxwoods bloom with aromatic spring flowers and have lustrous, dark-green foliage.