I laugh loudly at your suggestion, Mike - and all in good fun of course. You speak like a true zone 8er, where broadleaf evergreens leap and frolic in the benign surrounds of the Puget Sound and general Pacific northwest climatic passivity. The subject of our discussion apparently resides in zone 4 - not the home to a plethora of broadleaf evergreens, though certainly coniferous choices can be happy there. Winters can be brutal to all ranges of flora, but especially so to those plants which retain live foliage. As a landscape architect, I'll also call you out about the presumptive statement that foundation plants must hide the foundation. If you had a handsome house made of patterned brick, marble, cut stone, or - perish the thought - all heart western redcedar - would you be so quick to cover it up? The term "foundation plantings" is almost an archaic term which dates back to an era of construction where cheaply constructed structures brought the cement block "foundation walls" up above grade, and then built the more attractive walls of the structure above that. Shrubs were used in a utilitarian fashion to cover up the cement block, which was sometimes "exposed" up to five feet high. Today, that's a relatively rare condition, but not altogether gone. Much more, houses are built with all the attractive exterior elements dressed to ground level - negating the need for foundation, base, makeup, blush, powder, or any other cosmetic requirement from plants. You can plant what you want, where you want - suit yourself. In fact, a deciduous plant that provides a long berry-laden show through winter months is a stellar choice for light colored exterior treatments of homes. If I had a house clad in white or cream siding (which could include other materials like light toned sandstone or gray limestone), plants like Winterberry Holly - with bright red fruit sparkling in the most wanton fashion - would be the absolute talk of the town! This is not a new idea. I - long ago - worked for an enterprise that had limestone veneer on the walls of their buildings. I personally planted hundreds of 'Winter Red' winterberry holly as masses gracing the front of these buildings. After each winter snowfall, shutterbugs could not engorge themselves with enough images. So, basilno: grace us with some images of the sites where you are making these decisions. We can talk about plants till the bovines return to domiciles, and we can talk about the relative merits of generational design choices accordant with architectural styles - all with no real meaning unless we know a bit more about what you will be living with, AND WHERE YOU LIVE.

They are a native plant in the eastern U.S., and are fine for wildlife. Birds don't seem to prefer them first; the fruit tend to hold on through most of the winter. Sometimes, if there isn't much else to choose from, birds will strip them early in winter. This seems to be cultivar-related as well, with fruits from plants like Red Sprite getting eaten well before fruits on Winter Red. The longer the birds ignore them, the longer humans get to enjoy observing them. Winterberries enjoy soils below 7.0 pH (on the acid side of neutral); adequate moisture to wet sites (don't like to dry out in summer); and are dioecious, meaning male flowers and female flowers are on separate plants. The Winter Red winterberries you see along I-64 with all the fruit are female plants; there must also be a male or two around to pollinate the females to generate fruit set. I typically suggest the wettest area you have to make winterberries happy: near a downspout, along a drainage swale, or next to a creek or pond guarantees regular moisture. Make sure you get at least one male that blooms at the same time as whatever female plants you choose to buy.

lisa, a few suggestions. you might really benefit from a trip to ct. for Variegated Foliage nursery and Broken Arrow nursery. we have bought alot of unusual woody plant material from them (as well as from john, and tranquil lake nursery in rehoboth. )I am big into foliage colors so our arboretum gardens have alot of purple, blue, and yellow leaved plants. I do think that you will want to include ornamental grasses and sedums in your shrub border. Some of my fav shrubs that are not on your list: FAVORITE Z.5-HARDY DECIDUOUS SHRUBS- AND THEIR SPECIAL VALUE VIBURNUM SARGENTII ONONDAGA lg. Shrub, wonderful maroon bracts and maroon tinged spring foliage VIB PLICATUM VAR. TOMENTOSUM SHASTA layered branches,lg wh. flat flower heads and SHOSHONE (like small Shasta) VIB. SUMMER SNOWFLAKE blooms all summer, flat white flower heads V.DILITATUM ERIE and IROQUOIS V. PINK DAWN v. early small pink blooms CORNUS: all are large shrubs except the mini C. ALBA AUREO MARGINATA VARIEGATA- great bold med dk gn leaves w/ bold wide white edges CORNUS MIDWINTER FLAME stems coral to flame in winter; fall fol. Color warm yellow/suffused w/ coral CORNUS AUREA yellow summer foliage C. GOUTCHALTII med dk gn leaves w/ wide bold yellow edge CORNUS MINI VARIEG like alba aureo marg. var. but small- 2globe. CLERODENDRUM TRICHOTOMUM VARIEG. lg. shrub, lg. heart shaped med gn. leaves w/ clean yellow edge, stay on late in fall. Dies to ground and sprouts anew every yr. DAPHNE X BURKWOODII CAROL MACKIE small shrub, small dark gn lves w/ cream edge, sweet smelling spring pink bell flowers DEUTZIA GRACILIS NIKKO small compact shrub covered w/dainty white spring bells DEUTZIA AUREA- dainty yellow leaves keep their color ELEAGNUS UMBELLATA -lgshrub, silver foliage, can control size by pruning. FORSYTHIA x INTERMEDIA AUREA- small fountain of small bright yellow foliage. keeps yellow through season F. KUMSON - med.gn.foliage w/ strong white veining BERBERIS HELMONDS PILLAR - small ( to 4hx12"w) columnar , burgundy foliage B. RUBY GLOW - burgundy foliage med globe B. AUREA - medium, SLOW growing compact globe , brilliant yellow leaves COTINUS COGGYGRIA GRACE lg. Shrub, smoky blue- green- plum foliage C.COG. ROYAL PURPLE med to lg shrub, burg. foliage, likes dry, exc. drainage C. COG. AUREA yellow leaved, slow growing. PHILADELPHUS AUREA - med. size shrub, small yellow foliage until lime from mid july on. PHIL. DOUBLEFLOWER PRUNUS X CISTENA - med to lg shrub,small maroon leaves DISANTHUS CERCIDIFOLIUS -med to lg shrub .heart shaped leaves, wine red fall foliage CARYOPTERIS _DARK KNIGHT - small loose fountain of deep blue racemes_ BUDDLEIA ELLENS BLUE -med to lg shrub, good saturated blue/lav.flower wands BUDDLEIA DARK KNIGHT - dk. ppl. wands HYDRANGEA TOKYO DELIGHT flat pink flowers HYDRANGEA QUERCIFOLIA SNOWFLAKE flat dbl. blossom heads of wh. flow. w/ pale yell. centers HYDRANGEA KYUSHU - july/aug. blooming, loose conical white flower heads SYRINGA DAPPLED DAWN - med. to lg size, green foliage splashed w/yellow SYRINGA SENSATION - (flowers of dk.ppl.rimmed w/white) SINOCALYCANTHUS Hartledge Wine - new hybrid; 2-3" sweet smelling maroon dahlia-like flowers , long bloom time CALLICARPA PROFUSION - med to lg shrub,fall wands of small med ppl. berries CLEMATIS CORYLOPSIS SPICATA v early spring light yellow bell flower racemes VITEX AGNUS-CASTUS lg shrub, similar to buddleia in habit, blue blooms V.LATE(oct/nov); v.wonderful fragrant foliage. Dies to ground in winter and resprouts from base in spring. WEIGELA FLORIDA VARIEGATA lg shrub, med gn leaves w/ wide bright yellow edge WEIGELA FLORIDA MIDNIGHT WINE mini, varieg.burgundy foliage KERRIA VARIEGATA - small fountain of serrated green leaves w/ white edge NEILLIA SINENSIS -a fountain of coral flower racemes in e.june, delicate serrated leaves CHAENOMELIS -bright cup shaped salmon,orange or pink spring bloom HAEMAMELIS late winter small raggedy blooms- yellow to orange/red ILEX WINTER RED profuse red berries in fall/winter PHYSOCARPUS OPULIFOLIUS DIABLO (dk.ppl.leaves) and AUREA (yellow foliage) AESCULUS PAVIA lg shrub w/handsome 5 part leaves and large bright salmon flower panicles FAVORITE Z.5-HARDY EVERGREENS- (TO BE COMPLETED) CHAEMY.OBTUSA NANA LUTEA CH. PISIFERA SNOW CH. OBT.

I'd love to see pics, Larry. I just picked up a generic winterberry.