Deciduous choices: 1. A small native tree, cercis occidentalis (Western redbud). Gets to about 15 feet. Usually grows as a multi-trunk. Usually blooms better inland where it gets colder. Attracts hummingbirds. Doesn't bloom heavily near the coast where I live. Rounded shape and leaves. Well-behaved rootwise. Mine is 5 feet from our pool. 2. Chaste tree (vitex agnus-castus). Great, reliable summer bloomer, even near the coast. Attracts hummers and butterflies. Roots well behaved--ours is also 5 feet from the pool like our cercis occidentalis. To about 15 feet. We've grown ours as a multi-trunk. Some people like to keep the tree trimmed as a large shrub. (You can see a small portion of the Western redbud in the foreground to the left.) 3. Forest pansy redbud (cercis canadensis). This one blooms better (at least in my location) than my native redbud.

Honeysuckle - be sure you get a native, non-invasive variety. Clematis virginiana - although native, some, including Cornell U., consider this plant "weedy and invasive" Trumpet creeper - I'd stay away from this one - take a look at the USDA/NRDC fact sheet before buying: http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_cara2.pdf Be prepared to control any of these assertive vining plants, including the passiflora incarnata (passionflower vine, a/k/a Maypop) ... I have one and it spreads underground, popping up all over, even 8 feet away from the parent plant. What I see as missing is some year-round interest. How about some deciduous and evergreen shrubs (either needled or broad-leaved), spring bulbs, fall color? There are so many; just a few: Leucothoe is a native broad-leaf evergreen with small flowers similar to those on pieris; it is available in green and variegated varieties. Fothergilla, deciduous, early spring small white bottle-brush flowers, bright yellow fall foliage. If you have enough sun, winterberry holly will provide bright red berries for your visual enjoyment and the birds' sustenance through winter. You'll need male & female plants, unless someone in your neighborhood has a male plant. Ninebark (physocarpus) 'Diabolo' has deep red leaves that would echo your 'Forest Pansy' redbud. Digitalis is a biennial, so will die after its second year (or so they say ... I swear mine lived three), but will re-seed if it is happy. Herbaceous perennials, it's sooo hard to choose. Tiarella is one of my favorites, available in many varieties, some with red markings on the leaves; attractive leaves long after the delicate flowers are gone. Lungwort (plumbago) will form a nice groundcover in a shady spot; some varieties have silver-speckled leaves to brighten the shade; spring-blooming flowers start out pink and open blue, though some varieties will stay pink. Dicentras also - d. eximia is fern leaf bleeding heart, reblooms at end of summer when weather cools down; d. cucullaria is Dutchman's breeches. If you have at least half-sun, purple coneflower will give a decent bloom season and if you don't deadhead, birds, especially goldfinches, will really appreciate the seeds. Whatever they don't eat will sprout next spring. Native ginger also makes a nice groundcover in shade, and has the most interesting (if well-hidden) little flowers. There are so many to choose from - we are truly blessed here in the Garden State - I shouldn't even get started. I've left out tons of wonderful plants ... explore the web, local nurseries, public gardens (Mt. Cuba in Delaware and Bowman's Hill near New Hope PA are just two that focus on native plants). If you're anywhere near Monmouth County, stop in at Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown and check out the second largest horticultural library in the state (while you're there, ask for a copy of the list of Native Plants That Thrive in Monmouth County ... oh and the NPSNJ native plant list is printed out, arranged alphabetically by common name as well as by scientific name). I realize you want privacy, but try not to rush it - enjoy the process. The Native Plant Society of NJ has plant lists on their website - npsnj.org The NJ Invasive Species Strike Team has lots of information about all kinds of invasive species (plants, insects, mammals, pathogens) and a "Do Not Plant List" ... with so many invasives available commercially, I wish everyone had a laminated copy in their glove compartment! On his website, Doug Tallamy, Professor and Chair of the Dept. of of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, U of Delaware, has lists of the top beneficial plans for various regions. He also has an excellent essay on the importance of supporting wildlife through our gardening/landscaping efforts. bringingnaturehome.net P.S. Deep Cut Gardens is a county park, so no admission or parking fees. This post was edited by agardenstateof_mind on Fri, May 24, 13 at 19:18

Although HMF notes GT as very disease resistant, a grafted potted GT planted here in central Virginia suffered repeated bouts of blackspot in this no spray garden & died off after several years. Perhaps I just got a bum specimen, but I've not been tempted to replace it after that experience, having read some reports on the Roses Forums that it blackspots in some gardens despite spraying. You may want to ask specifically about other gardeners' results with GT in hot & humid conditions. Golden Celebration, another golden yellow Austin, has grown happily here for 8 years. Also bought grafted & potted, it didn't begin to throw climbing canes till its second year. It blooms profusely & nearly continuously (new buds swelling as others are blooming) in large sprays off many laterals, offers solid perfume, and sets hips if not deadheaded in the Fall. This one's held upright within an obelisk & arches through the crossbars, but believe it could easily be trained along a fence. Without pruning, its canes are now 8'+ in arching length & would be longer trained horizontally. Very little & ocassional blackspot problems, confined to lower leaves that I just strip off when it occurs & it quickly replaces them with clean fresh ones. Mine is planted where it gets good air circulation, the branches don't much intermingle with other roses & the support is metal. Interlaced along a wooden fence for dense coverage, it might be more apt to spot, or not. Ask for others' reports if you're drawn to this one. You might consider Kordes' Golden Gate (KORgolgat) for your fence. At a distance, very similar effect as Graham Thomas. On my radar for several years, found two grafted 3-gallons last Spring & brought them home for tryout. Intended for either side of an existing arch in a long hedge, needed to shift the plants next to the arch prior to planting, so repotted them into 15-gallons & kept them where I could observe them closely in the meantime. (Hot Summer. Still in pots. First on my to-do list when we get a mild spell that's not wet. Likely better for the hedge plants & roses to accomplish when both are dormant, and certainly easier on me.) Golden Gate arrived in bud & bloom at 5', put on another 3' before cold set in & still holds a good amount of green leaves at the beginning of February. It bloomed in rapid repeat with snap-deadheading deep into Autumn, each round of blooms fuller & more numerous as it grew, increasing also in the perfume punch that won the Prix de Parfum Paris in '08. No disease at all, reflecting the ADR awarded in '06. Blooms held fresh a good while before dropping their petals cleanly (except in heavy rain when wet petals didn't shed till they dried again), flowers were unmarred by rain, didn't ball in the wet and were produced in both heat & cool. Given no support, the canes arched as they gained height & laterals sprouted & bloomed. Only a preliminary report after 9 months not yet in the ground, but Golden Gate certainly looks promising. Searching its registration name of KORgolgat turns up reports from Europe where it's been available longer than the US. I'm betting it will reach 10-12' or higher, and trusting the 3-4' width grown upright against a support. Some sources include it for fences, as well as arbors, trellises & pergolas. In the link below, the height/width is backwards. Included because it links to Palantine & Newflora, give the Newflora site a minute to cycle through the three photos, or click the dots under the main photo to see each one. Here is a link that might be useful: Golden Gate

Sorry for the delay in answering...my brother in law passed away after a long illness. My sister in law just had a triple bypass on top of other health issues..so we have been helping her. (she can't stay alone) Thanks for the tip about Crep! I will try them tomorrow. (back at the office and swamped playing catch up! lol Kelly, H have Nahema and have enjoyed the few blooms I have had. She is still young and not putting out new growth from the ground...but does send out shoots with buds. I am now cutting off the buds to focus on root growth. Very healthy, just hasn't taken hold, I guess...