The terminology gets a bit confusing. Open gardens that face south or west and receive no more than three hours of shade are described as sunny. Part shade describes an east-facing garden that receives at least six hours of full sun. North-facing beds or woodlands receiving no full sun are described as shady. There are many other in-between terms. Light or dappled shade is found under a high-branched deciduous tree such as a honey locust. Full, dense, or deep shade is found under evergreens or densely branched deciduous trees such as maples.
A site like yours that receives a few hours of morning and late-afternoon sun but no direct midday sun would best be described as having part shade. The north side of a home is usually cooler than the other sides of the home, so shade-loving plants should also grow well here, especially if they are kept watered and mulched. Hosta, fern, astilbe, heuchera, and pulmonaria are just a few of the excellent plants for planting on the north side of a house. You should have success with plants requiring either shaded or partly shaded environments. This will widen your choice of plants and shrubs for that new garden.
In addition, there is an excellent online landscape information program that will help you with design and plant selection as well. Click on:
http://www.sustland.umn.edu/.
