It sounds like a lot of sun for a true shade plant; frankly I'm surprised the roses aren't doing better than they are, because that's as much sun as any rose ever gets in my yard! However, I have to agree with Ceterum about the hardy geranium. I would go with Jolly Bee instead of 'Rozanne', which has been tougher and a better blue color. It never stops blooming. Heucheras with bright or intense foliage - like Peach Melba or Obsidian - would make great companions. Another option would be to try more shade-tolerant roses before giving up. Polyanthas would be at the top of that list. My family and I love 'Gruss an Aachen' (essentially a floribunda), and although some people have trouble with black spot on it, this may be more related to the clone or rootstock or some other factor. It's never gotten a disease it couldn't quickly recover from in my experience with it in Minnesota, even where it got less than three hours' direct sunlight and had claustrophobic companion plantings of hostas. My original plant was probably grafted on 'Manettii' and I've grown a number from cuttings of this version; a second came from Pickering and has done very well, too.

I have Alba Meidiland and it is a focal point for my garden and also a foundation planting. It is the first thing I see when I go into the back of my house. Right now it must have at least 500 roses and I just love the way it looks. It is about the same height and width of your Pink Meidiland, but it has arching branches instead of growing straight up. I am sure that there are many things you can do with your new rose. You need a space at least 6' wide. Im not exactly sure what they mean by barrier or hedge, but I think as a barrier you could start to create a garden room. Diana

I'm a definite Bradford hater -- if I want to insult something that only has the thinnest shell of superficial appeal but is really very poor I'll often refer to it is as the Bradford pear of sweet potatoes/cars/paintings/etc. -- but even as a Bradford hater, I've frequently noticed the attractive deep red fall color of the invasive callery seedlings in my pasture. There's a photo in the link below (an old thread on this forum) that's very similar, although I don't have quite so many as in the photo. I haven't noticed very nice color on the full grown intentionally planted trees, but maybe it's the same and I just haven't noticed. I'll say the color in the photo above taken in the parking lot looks like the color is tending toward a duller brownish red. That tree/photo doesn't do much for me. It does more for me than the flowers in the spring, though. I think a flowering wild plum or peach or even some wild cherries are much prettier than Bradford pears. I even prefer the gentler beauty of a flowering red maple. One thing I like about callery pears, though, is what handy rootstocks they make for eating pears. If I ever want another pear tree I rarely have to dig any holes or plant or water anything, because callery pears are invasive enough that I can mostly just find a volunteer to let size up for a year and then graft onto (if not one to graft right away.) Here is a link that might be useful: thread with photo of callery seedlings in pasture

It happens to be in the parking lot where I do grocery shopping! I collected some seeds off it. We'll see if I can produce seedlings with red fall color. I can always send cuttings to anyone who wants them! Dax, You must be talking about 'Midlothian' cypress? It's in somebody's yard so I'd have to ask for permission to bring 15 feet ladder to get cuttings! They pruned it way up high so they could play basketball in the driveway... I did end up with 5 seedlings from that tree and all produced deep green color. The form seem to vary a bit. I have this seedling that is narrow and weepy. Another one which looks like it would eventually be a monster. I never get tired of looking at this gorgeous tree! A director of Stephen F Austin State University apparently likes it a lot so he used that picture for his presentation over taxodium species. He's the one who is responsible for bringing taxodium hybrids from China that we all may eventually end up having in our yard. He said that he's already rooting some cuttings from Midlothian cypress seedlings. He must have liked them! Time to get ready to drive 3 hours to SFA arboretum to do hunting for seeds! Have a nice day! Lou