Would anyone like to give me advice on what would work well for a front yard in zone 5a/5b? The house is on a pond and there is a lot of tree cover.
I really have no idea where to start.
I'd definitely check to see what's local to you, but I have a couple of ideas mostly relevant to my area in the Midwest, which is zone 6a/5b.
A lot of spring ephemerals like shade - trout lily, mayapple, trillium, and Jack in the pulpit come to mind. Wild geranium and ferns prefer shade.
A lot of shrubs are shade tolerant, including sweetfern, coralberry, spirea, gooseberry, bearberry, viburnum, mulberry, and pawpaw. In my area most of the understory is spicebush, sassafras, and dogwood.
Hope that gives you some inspiration!