do NOT even contemplate in between them ... too much water competition ... first pic.. come at least 8 to 10 feet toward the camera ... and you will succeed much easier.. and faster ... do not get sucked into planting everything along the lot line.. [i am presuming you are trying to hide the neighbors house behind] ... the fact that the myrtle .... is alive.. but not aggressive.. alerts me to such ... it wont grow between and way under the tree.. only thriving near the edge.. where there is more light and less root competition ... are there power lines running thru those trees??? ken

Deanna - One more question to consider: Do you have problems with deer? (We have them, but find they don't bother the gardens in general since there is so much else available for them.) If so, you will want to keep that in mind so that what you plant aren't plants which deer particularly like such as hosta, or in my case, they are loving one of my asters this year. Look into this book: The Well-Designed Mixed Garden: Building Beds and Borders with Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs by Tracy Disabato-Aust. You can probably get it through interlibrary loan at your public library. Doing a mixed border with perennials, bulbs, shubs, vines, small trees and evergreens can be just lovely (my only annuals in my beds are self-seeded since I don't want to leave specific spaces for them.) Look at other books with lots of garden eye candy and decide what appeals to you. Then go to a bunch of nurseries that have shrubs to see what is available. In my experience they will often have fall sales (I think Cole Gardens in Concord is 40% off right now) so it's more economical to buy now, and most plants like the warm soil and cooler temperatures of fall to get good root growth. When I started a mixed border, I began with the large shrubs and have filled in around them with vines, bulbs and perennials. I had general ideas of what types I wanted (ie blue conifer, gold conifer, green conifer, rhodie, or red-leafed shrub) and how to arrange them, but waited until I saw what was in the nurseries to decide what to actually get. Think about foliage as well as flowers and varying the size, texture and color of leaves to add interest in times when the flowers aren't abundant. As cdeperon mentioned, the ninebarks/Physocarpus opulifolius and Cotinus/smokebush have colorful foliage as well as flowers, along with many weigelas, some elderberries, and some of the Deutzias. Consider broad-leaved evergreens like rhododendrons, mountain laurels/Kalmia, and Leucothoe. Several of them have foliage with color (along with flowers) and they all contribute a different texture than deciduous plants. Needled evergreens such as small spruces or arborvitaes will aslo add texture and color, especially during the 6+ months when plants aren't actively growing here in NH. Most of my evergreens are under snow in deep winter, but they add immensely to the interest in fall after leaf drop and in early spring before plants start up again as well as highlighted by shallower snowfalls. Below are some of my favoriite woody plants and vines to consider. Many of them have multiple seasons of interest, like my pagoda dogwoods, which have a couple of weeks of lacy flowers, berries in August, peachy fall foliage color and architectural winter branching. Not the absolute best plant in my garden at any given point, but earning its keep with year-round interest, and I grow clematis in its branches for July and early August flowers as well. Deciduous plants with colorful fall foliage: Blueberries, fothergilla, wtichhazel/Hamamelis, Enkianthus, Acer griseum (small tree), viburnums such as the natives V. acerifolium/mapleleaf viburnum, and V. cassinoides/wild raisin and the nonnative V. plicatum (popcorn and maresii are two I have) Spring flowers: Magnolias, rhododendrons, crabapples, kousa and pagoda dogwoods, spirea, mountain laurel, various viburnums, ninebarks/Physocarpus Summer flowers: Stewartia, some of the hardy deciduous rhodies and azaleas, hydrangeas, clematis (type 3 pruning, and can be grown on obelisks or into some of your shrubs), spirea, smokebush/cotinus Berries: winterberry/Ilex verticillata, elderberry/Sambucus, pagoda dogwood/Cornus alternifolia, blueberries/vaccinium, chokeberry/Aronia, serviceberry AKA shadbush/Amelanchier, many of the viburnums if they have compatible buddies to pollenate, crabapples Nice winter bark, branches, structure, color: Evergreens (both deciduous and coniferous), red/gold/orange twigged dogwoods, Cornus alternifolia/pagoda dogwood, Acer griseum/paperbark maple, Stewartia I agree with others who suggested some focal points. I have a stoneware garden lantern that I love near my house, and in my shrub bed I have several iron structures for my clematis to grow on that provide interest when it's snowy as well. In previous gardens I have used some of our native granite. Just be sure that whatever you use is large enough to read well from the house when you view it. Have fun with the planning and planting. Feel free to send me an email to arrange a visit and take home some small woodies to help you get started. The link takes you to my largest mixed border in its third year with photos taken in June, fall, and early winter. (and I want to update with recent photos when I have time to upload some pictures since it has really filled in.) Here is a link that might be useful: summer and winter mixed border

Thank you for all the suggestions so far! Sure I can give more specifics. As I mentioned, the area is about 1/8 of an acre, and it is already filled with a number of trees - a sweet gum, a few dogwoods, a maple or two, and oak tree, redbud tree, and two huge spruce trees. A stream cuts through a teeny tiny corner of the property, so it is attractive to wildlife, including deer. I would like all-season interest and be attractive to birds, but deer-resistant if possible. I'll be putting in some rhododenrons and winterberry hollies, and I'm not necessarily looking for any more evergreens, but since it's shade, and there won't be much bloom in the summer, then a few shrubs with attractive foliage is a must. Oh, and I ask only for shrubs at the moment because I think that I might be able to squeeze in some time to plant those this year and get a start on the garden. I will eventually be adding perennials and native plants, but the soil is pretty heavy clay, and will need some amendment for most shade plants that I want to put in. Right now with two little ones at home and countless projects lined up for inside the house, I just can't take on the entire job right now. So I'm looking for shrubs that can go in with little to no soil amendment, and will do well in the conditions that exist.

One of the plants that still looks fine in this heat which surprised me is the White Mistflower, eupatorium wrightii.. But, it doesn't meet the requirements you laid out. I just watered it today. It does loose it's leaves in the winter. But, I would overlook that for the fragrant blooms you get in the Fall. Stay cool. Crystal Here is a link that might be useful: White mistflower/White boneset