Some thoughtful friends gave me the book The Savage Garden - Cultivating Carnivorous Plants, and I am fascinated by the information it contains...
Plants that have flower spikes are useful as they provide vertical interest both in the gardens and in a vase.
Tradescantias are persistent plants-easy to grow that sow their seeds widely.
Many white flowers bloom in May, but the tiarella is one of the only ones to bloom so prettily in the shade.