The woodland garden is made up of four components: ground covers, shrubs, understory plantings , and the canopy. Let us talk about the first one in this article.

First on the list would be ferns, generally they thrive in wooded areas with little or no site preparation or or special attention. They fill in quickly and will look nice especially in dense shade areas.

Pachysandra (Japanese Spurge) hardy from USDA zone 5 southward dark green glossy leaves it spreads well and does well in the shade.Will fill in and area and spreads rapidly. prefers a bit of moisture.

Dead Nettles, are great for shady places. They will take light to heavy shade and tolerate dry shady areas once established.

Iris cristata can be planted as a groundcover in a woodland . It is a small spreading form of iris with upright foliage it creates a contrast to ferns and hostas and will do well.

Vinca minor (Periwinkle) dark glossy laves spread rapidly and has tiny blue flowers in the spring. aA warning though it may become invasive in some areas.

Cranesbill (true geranium) is another plant that will do well in a shady area and will help fill in areas where shrubs are not growing.

There are many more as well. The best place to start is to take a walk in the local woods and see what is growing there.