The back of my house faces north, and I have a sloping bed next to the deck I am hoping to replant. The area is approx. a 10' x 12' triangle. I was originally thinking of a lilac for the corner where the deck meets the house wall, but it only gets sun for about 2-3 hours per day-from just before 2 p.m. til around 4:30 or so. Currently, I have a peegee hydrangea there, but it's been there for 3 years now and hasn't done anything to inpress-no height, no flowers, nada. So I want to move it somewhere else, and replace it, but with what? Now I am thinking a small tree. I am considering dogwood, redbud, Japanese maple, weeping cherry, ??? Maybe an evergreen. I want something that won't get too tall-no more than 12'-15', with a similar spread. Thanks!!

Thank you for your input, Imich! I was aware of the possibility of Adverse Possession, since I had been maintaining that piece of land for 17 years, and both prior owners of the property assumed it was my land, too. And I put a lot of plants over there, and she ended up with all the mature ones :( But I don't want to be a pain in the rear. And what done is done. In hindsight, I guess I would have asked her to allow me some of the land at the rear of the property and in return I would allow her the same amount at the front of the property----just to avoid the diagonal effect!!! My main concern now is using my property from the fence line over to the fullest, and I am certain she is going to tell me that I can't place certain things near her fence. So I want to remain within legal limits, BUT place things where I wish upon my own property.......but I will give her that foot that is technically mine. A concern I have right now.....I have a very large scrub pine that regularly loses large branches during storm. I am liable for fence damage from this tree, yes? Even though it existed for many years before the fence existed? In other news, not all my potted plants that were to go in front of the fence survived the winter.....I lost several ninebarks and an ornamental grass, and a few perennials; so I have less to work with. I did install three small rhodies from my pot ghetto in the shady area in front of the fence, and we planted our serbian spruce Christmas tree in a sunnier area in front of the fence. I gave the serbian spruce plenty of clearance from the fence. Teresa

most of those aren't native plants. The native ones that I recognise are: Ajuga reptans; Casuarina nana; Grevillea 'Molonglo'; Myoporum parvifolium; Rulingia hermanniifolia; Scaevola aemula; Scaevola albida; Scleranthus biflorus; I've never had much luck with scleranthus, neither in Canberra nor Melbourne. It seems to died from under watering and over watering too easily. Investigate your council tip and see if they have big piles of old chipped garden waste. As long as it is dark brown and doesn't have any obvious weeds growing in it,it should be find to use as a soil conditioner. You can probably pay someone to deliver a truckload of the stuff for a tuppence and spread that out. Avoid fresh mulches like woodchip or pine bark, as they are loaded with tannins which stunt growth, and pull the nitrogen out of the soil. Another possible mulch is road metal, which is cheap, readily available and looks quite interesting (to me, anyway). You can usually get blue metal (a kind of basalt) or granite. Canberra should also still sell 'granitic sand', a form of decomposed granite which makes a dense layer (though often contains a fair amount of clay). Start saving those newspapers!

Take your time and do some research with reputable sources. If you don't have Michael Dirr's references Hardy Trees and Shrubs buy it or borrow it. It will repay you in better landscaping choices. Also, MOBOT and Chicago Botanical gardens have great websites with helpful lists and recommendations. Consider ¨Four Season Interest¨ your goal, even if it isn't always possible. I say Four Season Interest, Minimal Pruning and Minimal Spraying. If quick growing is your only criteria then forsythia and quince fit the bill. However, Both look good only in one season. In my experience both are pruning nightmares. Personally, I don't think either one complements landscapes due to their messy growth. If it is a very visible spot I think lilacs have the same challenge. They need regular renewal pruning to look good. Set your sights higher. Is your spot such that you could do a mixed planting? Some lovely conifers with restrained growth, Serviceberry, resistant viburnums.