This is a perfect spot for evergreen Pieris japonica and Mountain laurel. Both have winter interest and are excellent background shrubs.

Thanks Nandina. I had bad luck with a mountain laurel, but I think it was due to the bad drought a few summers ago. Aren't they a very slow-growing species? (Asks the impatient gardener...)

According to Jaynes, the mountain laurel guru, they should be planted with winter shade. Otherwise, they fry from trying to transpire water from frozen ground. Shade from deciduous trees is enough. They just need something.

While I don't grow many of the ericaceous everygreens because of lime, I followed him advice when planting boxwoods, and found it totally correct. The last one in the line, that is close enough to the oak tree that the winter sun comes in under the canopy, winterburns on that side. The rest are totally fine. This fall I planted a small mountain laurel in a similar situation. I haven't killed it yet.

You are asking about "what to plant" but have you figured out where you should be planting? Looking at your picture I am curious about that gate and how it fits in with your house. Do many people use that gate? Is there a path to your front door? I am also wondering how your lawn looks during the summer. Are you struggling to grow grass in this area or it that just the time of year that the picture was taken? You have what looks like a cozy enclosed space. How do you like to use this area?

In a lot of ways the question "what should I plant?" is about the same as "what should I where?" Are you going to the beach, a night club or to the office? When you go out do you like to wear jeans or a formal outfit? Without knowing you, your style or what you want your front yard to become it is hard to come up with recommendation on what you should plant.

I would suggest hitting the library looking for books on shade gardening and borders. You could also jump over to Google and do an image search on phrases like "shade garden" and see if something jumps out at you.

- Brent

Thanks Brent, you've helped me to think through some things that hadn't occurred to me. The perspective of the photo is from the 6' x 9' living room window looking out into the front yard. I guess since the area needs to be appreciated from the inside almost as much (or more) as the outside, I need bolder plants...? (I guess hydrangeas and rhododendron fall into that category!) The gate is the main entrance to the house, anyone who comes to see us walks through it.

Do you have any favorite shade gardening books? I've checked out Ken Druse's "Natural Shade Garden" many times, but I haven't found many others that go beyond hostas and acuba.....

Thanks!