Shade Gardening: Need ideas for a shady bed, 1 by Noreaster

Noreaster wrote:
I need to preface this by saying that I am very new to gardening...an absolute beginner. We cleared away a lot of brush last summer and formed a raised bed in front of a large rock. Just recently filled it with good dirt and compost and threw in a couple hostas that my father in law donated to us. Nearly the entire bed sits in the shadow of a tall tree that is on the corner of our property...it's not what I would call deep, dark shade, but really the only direct sun that hits it comes in the late afternoon.

I have absolutely no idea what to put in the bed or how to arrange things...I went to a nursery, and although I think I have a handle on the types of plants I could put there, I really don't know how many to get, what to put where, what looks good next to what, etc. I know the tags tell you about height and spacing, but being so inexperienced, I just can't visualize the end result when holding a little tiny potted plant. If plants were dirt cheap, I'd just get a bunch and wing it, but of course they're not! I was hoping to get suggestions from those with experienced eyes.

I do like a natualistic, woodlandy kind of feel...don't care so much for little mounds of impatiens, and that type of thing. I prefer salmons, dark pinks, plums, greens and white over blues and yellows. I don't want to put things in that totally obscure the rock, as I think it's fairly interesting. I was wondering if there was a low shade plant that would look particularly good in front of the rock? And I have to avoid any plants which would be poisonous to dogs, since I have a little eater here.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated! Here are several pics and views of the area...

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/colleenseamus/garden/I...
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/colleenseamus/garden/I...
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y251/colleenseamus/garden/I...