Ya, I noticed too that there are a lot of non-native species there on your list. Not sure if you meant "focusing on native" as "all native" or just "mostly native". Serviceberry, Spicebush, Redbud, Ninebark, Highbush Cran, Blue Beech, Pumpkin Ash, Winterberry, Red Oak, Bur Oak, Nannyberry, Arrowood Viburnum and Ash have all done well for me in full shade. You might also consider Elderberry for the edges of your woods/paths as well as Grey Dogwood, Red Osier Dogwood and Bladdernut. We bought property that is built inside an old farm woodlot and I've removed all alien invasive plants and vines and am now at the point of just keeping the weeds and re-growth of non-natives from taking hold again. I think I've planted around 50 new southern Ontario native species and have kept away from cultivars chosing the species plants instead. One shrub that's a must have is WitchHazel...I don't recognize the one you have listed but our native one is called "Hamamelis virginica". Dogwoods are iffy inside the woods but will do fine at your path edges and edges of your clearings. The one I do have that does well in full shade is Cornus alternifolia. I also have "silky dogwood" and "red osier" in the shade but they don't do as well as if they had even partial sun. Anything with the name "japonica" is highly unlikely to be native to anywhere in Canada. You can find native roses if that's what you are going for and aside from Little Otter Tree Farm, a few others are: Acorus Restoration (Walsingham) Golden Bough Tree Farm (N/W of Kingston) Sweet Grass Gardens (Brantford, on the reserve) Your photos show you've done a ton of work so far... keep it up, you will be very happy with your results. Barb southern Ontario, CANADA

The hillside (north) generally slopes towards my house. It is higher on the east side of the property, so I get a little water drainage advantage there. When I remove the silver maple I will improve drainage away from the house also. My hemlocks are at the northeast corner. They are a little small for mature hemlocks. My thought on oaks was that maybe they would end up in the small range of their potential height on the slope. The dense-shade maple is east, between two houses. I have done some drainage improvements next to it, and am experimenting with liriope there. I may try mondo grass in that area also. That area is the primary path in and out of the backyard. Re. trees, I may look into Serviceberry if oaks won't live peacefully. I grew something called baby tears in California, but it sure needed a lot of water. If it is the same plant I don't think it would survive our occasional snow in Oak Ridge. The weedy viney things I am constantly fighting are climbing euonymus, puncture vine(very hard to extract), and a vine that has an ivy shaped leaf. I have taken it a couple places and asked advice. One nursery told me to call it bindweed, but it doesn't act like any bindweed I have fought before. On the southwest corner it has almost covered a 15 foot privet, which makes it hard for me to decide which plant to attack. It has sent out woody underground runners into a bed of canna. I tend to think of sumacs as weedy looking, but locally they do get a nice red color in fall. I will rethink them... Also of note, no oaks have volunteered on my hillside, and we have enough squirrels some should have. Current tree volunteers are tulip poplar and boxelder. I get a lot of pokeweed. I rather like it, but my neighbors grimace. Thanks

I'm unable to help with the first and last part but I can offer a little input on the wedding flower part. I would think that whatever flowering plant is used should have blooms sturdy enough to last throughout the ceremony and reception. What about (the appropriately named) bridal wreath spirea, lantana, gaura or lavender? Also, attractive leaves and foliage create a beautiful arrangement on their own. You mentioned ivy that's already growing. You could always bring a few of the attractive plants and bunch together their foliage with some flowers to create a textural arrangement with them. Even though I got my wedding flowers at Central Market, it was basically textural with sage leaves, fern fronds and a few others I can't recall with inconspicuous white flowers mixed in like baby's breath and star of david. Then we just wrapped the stems in cream and black satin ribbon.

Posted by Cindy z5: On the property I bought there is a section 60'x300' that was left wild. Growing on it are a lot of young trees (15' max), some sumac, brambles, kudzu and grasses. I would like a woodland garden, with a path winding through. I planted a few items last spring - canadian hemlock, apple, serviceberry and 3 chokeberry plants (aronia). What do I do next? Susan AK: Grasses harbor mosquitoes and if they are a problem, people here generally burn grass off in small, controlled areas, while the grass is still dry and dead and melted snow has provided enough moisture to keep fire from spreading. As for your pace, that would depend on your resources - time, help, and how much you can spend. Clearing woodlands is strenuous work. Consider ferns, dogwood, wild roses, highbush cranberries and monkshead. Susan-NC/Z7a: Map out your paths, and educate yourself about trees. If you mow once a year, trees flourish. We did, and the sycamores, ashes, and bird cherries almost shot out of their bark in 3 years time. Lauren: take your time. Do an inventory in all levels - groundcover plants, understory shrubs and canopy.Prevent yourself from destroying something that you may wish you had later. I put in variegated and pagoda dogwood, viburnum trilobum, and witchhazel. Debbie: Pulmonaria (Lungwort) are nice because the leaves are spotted. It flowers in spring. Although supposed to be for sun, I have luck with Campanula. Sheila Smith: Geraniums (not Pelargonium) will give bloom over a long period. Carole Musengo: I've had Corydalis lutea and C. ochroleuca growing in "medium" shade, and they bloom all Summer. Pulsatilla vulgaris and Anemones do well in shade. Lynda D'Arcangelo: I've been concentrating on ground covers. My favorites are violets and lily of the valley, both spread quickly and have been pest free. They bloom in midspring, and foliage stays nice until frost. Lunaria has worked well. I've seen beautiful patches of ajuga in other gardens. Bleeding hearts are my absolute favorites, but they turn yellow and disappear in midsummer. Andie Rathbone: Try some caladium. Francine Mezo: Heuchera does well in dense shade, also astilbe. Primroses manage nicely, if I keep the violets from becoming too friendly. Armeria provides a breezy little show, surprisingly, since sun is recommended. Early spring bloom is provided by Bergenia, and the large leaves provide a nice texture. darlene netzer: In North Carolina, hydrangea and rose of sharon bloom beautifully in filtered shade as do phlox. I made the mistake of using lily of the valley, very difficult to redirect. judi z.: Don't forget foxglove, trillium, solomon's seal and begonias, not the bedding kind, but reigers. Lisa: Columbines. I have several varieties in a heavily shaded garden in New York, and while they didn't bloom the first year, this year they were spectacular and lasted a good two months. Bill Plummer: Any of the native woodland flowers. Choose your favorite. Most bloom in the spring. I am fond of fronds, The wood ferns, Dryopteris, Christmas fern, Maidenhair are great. marilyn: A wonderful shade plant is the helleborus orientalis, or lenten rose. It has evergreen leaves and beautiful saucer-shaped flowers that hang upside down from the stems. A wonderful bulb is the fritillaria. Possibly the best book I have seen on shade gardening is one by Ken Druse, called The Natural Shade Garden. Terry Wright: What about Pavonia (rock rose)? It works here in a dry, shady corner of Texas. Mountain Sage will give you red fall flowers in shade. For short pink flowers try Shrubby skullcap. (there is one for sun and one for shade). I think these things will grow in just about all zones. Mike Gurley: One of my favorites is Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum Diphyllum). It has pale yellow flowers and blooms from March till June in N.C. Another that does well for me is Virginia Bluebells.