The Purple Diamond Loropetalums are supposed to be just four feet by four feet. I have one, but not for long enough to comment. Loropetalums should do extremely well in your sun exposure conditions. Another consideration would be Camellia Sasanqua, Shishigashira (rose blooms) or Hot Flash (red). It would do well in your conditions and is very easy care. It stays low, but gets somewhat broad. My six year olds are about three feet high and five feet wide. I think I have selectively pruned them once. They start blooming in October and usually go well into December. Their only fault is that open blooms will be turned to brown mush by freezes. Nevertheless, they are handsome and any blooms that time of year are a joy. Encore Azaleas would also do well there. Mine are on the eastern side of my house, but about a dozen of them are at the south end, so they get hot sun nearly all day long. They bloom twice yearly, with the heaviest bloom from August until the first freeze. I'd recommend that you buy for foliage quality first and blooms second, as they are highly variable from one kind to another. I would recommend Harbour Belle Nandina. They are very dwarf (2 x 2') and are beautiful. They berry too. (Nandinas can be invasive in some areas, so take that into consideration.) Firepower has gorgeous winter foliage, at least in sun, does not berry, and is very attractive all year. Similar size to Harbour Belle. Don't forget boxwood. The Koreana varieties are slow growing. Mine only require pruning once a year, or, they are quite lovely shrubs when grown in their natural form too. They do well in shade or sun.

Here are some conifers: Picea abies 'Nidiformis' - "Bird's Nest Spruce - Green Variation": Probably my top pick. This conifer is green with beautiful overtones in summer, but when the weather starts getting cold in fall it begins to turn yellow. Then come December or so, it's a bright school bus yellow. This is one of the best around. Pinus contorta var. latifolia 'Chief Joseph' (midsummer) Pinus contorta var. latifolia 'Chief Joseph' - winter Another with yellow winter coloration. Simply striking! Pinus mugo 'Zundert' Some blue-color: Picea pungens 'Saint Mary'/'Saint Mary's'/'St. Mary's Broom' - a million spellings out there. This is a special blue dwarf picea pungens that grows very slow but has some of the most beautiful color not usually captured by the camera. A larger specimen would need to be purchased... Pick up at any nursery: Picea pungens 'Globosa' And just something else for variety's sake. Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Silver Lode' All these are slow-growing. The 'Silver Lode' plant can simply be sheared. The other conifers to control growth, when they push their new spring growth and needles are extending from the growth (about 2 weeks in), simply pinch off the new growth where you wish and buds for next year will form at that point thus keeping the growth 'pruned for life'. Then of course this should be treated like a bonsai project if you really want to keep something say should you like it. You'll simply need to watch the root system(s) and prune them every so often replenishing while removing old garden soil from roots and root pruning at this time. Early spring would be a good time to to this anytime before the plants start growing. Your current mix of topsoil and compost is not a good mix for any container plant, honestly. Sure annual flowers, etc will do fine in this type of a mix, but really topsoil is like mud and should be avoided. I realize you are a gardener so I didn't push this topic earlier. But quite honestly, you need to get a better mix. Photos courtesy of some of my GW friends who really have beautiful stuff happening. Dax

I think you should start looking into groundcovers for shade: Epimediums (some are clumpers but others are slow spreaders), Geranium macrorhizum (Big Root Geranium), Solomon's Seal (if deer are not a problem), certain ferns (Christmas fern, for example) which can handle drier conditions, our native Pachysandra procumbens (Allegheny spurge), Mazus reptans, certain grasses like Hakonekloa macra aureola and Calamagrostis brachytricha, etc. (Do some further research by googling groundcovers for shade) Also, many very handsome shrubs would be happy under the conditions you describe. Pretty much all of these must be purchased as plants, and they will not establish and cover the ground quickly-that is in a year or two--but they will establish and will be very handsome as they fill in. BTW, oaks are ideal for shade gardens as they don't have surface feeder roots that suck nutrients and water from plants as maples do.

Yes, I know that area. Brunsfelsia might be ok, it's fairly tough. If you could provide a bit of mottled afternoon summer shade, hydrangea. I'd also check out the soil, ensure that it drains well and has nutrients, I'd add some blood and bone at planting and maybe a little dolomite lime. B