Thanks, guys :) woodyoak- I do have an informal flagstone path cutting through the border right next to the side porch, did you see that? (Next to where I drew the Arctic Fire Dogwood). From a functional standpoint, that gets you into the lawn and could walk around to the front door (which is what we do now on the rare occasions we need to go over there.) Maybe I could lay some more flags in a much looser, "stepping stone" type pattern over around the crabapple and to the front door, if you think it needs that... So----- these are the questions stopping me from planting now, do you have any opinions? 1) What to put on either side of the front door? 2) Do you like the two evergreens I drew, one in the corner and one next to the bedroom french doors? Any other suggestions other than Chamaecyparis? Could the one in the corner be deciduous... if so, what (needs to remain narrow but with some height)? 3)Can you think of something with mid-summer fragrance to plant in front of the french doors -which will be open then :)? Thanks so much!

I have seen littleleaf lilacs (S. microphylla) in bloom in summer and fall in the lilac colection in the city gardens. The plants were small and the rebloom small and sporadic, nothing that was abundant enough to give off fragrance into the air or anything. "The little leaf lilac is a slow-growing, compact shrub reaching six to eight feet in height, and spreading even wider. Its pale lilac flower clusters appear in small quantities throughout the summer and into the autumn, giving it its second common name, four season lilac. In gardens, it is usually represented by the form 'Superba' whose profusion of clear pink flowers heads bloom from late May into early June. Like 'Miss Kim', 'Superba's' delicate foliage is quite mildew-resistant and takes on burgundy tints in autumn. " Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.plantations.cornell.edu/publications/IthacaJournalArticles/Little_Known_Lilacs.cfm

a different kind of fragrance of foliage would be southern wax myrtle, myrica (now morella, i think) cerifera. it grows fast, is semi-evergreen and responds well to pruning. birds are fond of the berries produced by female plants. they are very easy to propagate from cuttings. i like them for natural areas but have seen some pruned into tree form with large, exposed trunks that are very attractive. other hardy fragrant shrubs suited for sunny sites are witchhazel (hamamelis sp.), sweetshrub (calycanthus florida), glossy abelia (butterflies love it, blooms for along period) and winter honeysuckle (lonicera fragrantissima). quite a few of our native azaleas are very fragrant. some that may be marginally hardy in zone 7 would be banana shrub (magnolia figo) and sweet olive (osmanthus fragrans).

Image by: OlivierMagnolia stellataWhat's that smell? We all know that many flowers smell and that is true of flowers on shrubs. Some also have fragrant foliage and occasionally fragrant roots or stems. This is often neglected when shrubs are chosen for the background because of their size and shape, leaving perennials and annuals to provide the scent. Here are some ideas for shrubs that have a pleasant fragrance, either from their flowers or from their foliage. Fragrant flowers By far the commonest way to add scent to a garden is by using flowers. Latin Name Common Name Comments USDA Zone Buddleia davidii Buddleia Distinctive summer fragrance. 5-9 Calycanthus Allspice Flowers smell like bubblegum. Leaves are also fragrant. 5-9 Chimomanthus praecox Fragrant Wintersweet Small fruit-scented creamy flowers during late winter. 7-10 Choisya ternata Mexican Orange Orange-scented spring flowers. 7-11 Clethra Summersweet Flowers from mid-summer to autumn and smells like roses. 3-8 Cytisus battandieri Pineapple Broom Flowers smell like pineapple. 7-9 Daphne ordora Winter Daphne Very fragrant winter flowers. 7-9 Daphne x burkwoodii Daphne Showy fragrant flowers in spring. 5-8 Gardenia jasminoides Gardenia Scented flowers for several months in spring and summer. 8b-10 Hamamelis mollis Witchhazel Spicy scented yellow flowers during winter. Many Witchhazel hybrids are also scented. 4-9 Jasminum nudiflorum Winter Jasmine Not a strong scent but it last the whole winter. 7-10 Ligustrum Privet Flowers have a distinctive smell, not always considered pleasant. 5-11 Lonicera Honeysuckle Familiar sweet-smelling flowers. 5-9 Magnolia Magnolia The large spring flowers are scented. 7-9 Osmanthus False Holly Insignificant flowers in autumn have a subtle scent. 7-9 Rhododendron Rhododendron/Azalea Many species and varieties have scented flowers, but not all. 4-9 Rosa Rose Choose a Rugosa or an old rose like Damask for the strongest scent. 5-10 Sarcococca Sweetbox Winter flowers smell like honey. Followed by berries, S. hookeriana is the most fragrant. 6-9 Syringa Lilac Lilac flowers add scent in spring. 3-8 Viburnum Viburnum Honey and spice scented flowers. V. burkwoodii, V. carlesii, V. farreri, and V. x bodnantense offer the best scent. 4-8 Scented leaves A few shrubs have leaves which produce a noticeable smell, sometimes only when touched or crushed. Latin Name Common Name Comments USDA Zone Aloysia triphylla Lemon Verbena Lemon-scented foliage used as a herb. 8-11 Calycanthus Allspice Also has fragrant flowers. 5-9 Elettaria cardamomum Cardamom Leaves smell like Cardamom. 9-11 Elsholtzia stauntonii Mint Shrub Leaves smell like mint. 4-8 Illicium Anise Crushed leaves smell like aniseed. 8-10 Ledum groenlandicum Labrador Tea Aromatic leaves are used to make tea. 2-8 Lindera benzoin Spicebush Strong spicy citrus scent from crushed leaves. 4-9 Rosemarinus officinalis Rosemary Small scented shrub used as a herb. 8-10 Ruta graveolens Rue Foliage scented like gorse 5-9 Salvia officinalis Sage The herb used in cooking is actually S. fruticosa 5-9 Sassafras officinalis Sassafras The roots, bark, and leaves are all strongly scented. Very large shrub or tree. 4-11 Thymus vulgaris Thyme This herb is actually a small shrub. 5-9