as to the immediacy of the window.. look into window films... i put one of the classic wisteria stained glass ... in the center of a rather large window ... so i can get more light by more fully opening the drapes ... but more privacy with them half shut ... in doing this.. then you can work with more time.. as to planting something in the yard.. to eventually grow to do the same thing ... a pic of your area.. would help peeps like me.. who cant work on words alone ... especially if you took one pic from upstairs.. down into the area ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

The Dark Lady, which is absolutely gorgeous, does very well in a partially shaded area, and in fact seems to enjoy it. She gets some blackspot but this is such a beautiful rose that I highly recommend her. Brother Cadfael can also tolerate some shade, though not as much as the Dark Lady; he is not as beautiful, to my eye, but he has cleaner foliage.

Illicium Henryi - Henry Anise tree. Likes lots of moisture and partial shade. It is one of Georgia's plants of the year. Grows in a pyramidal shape to about 10 to 15 feet tall. You can limb it up so it looks more like a tree than a shrub. It has scented blooms - if I remember correctly, sort of a red color. To find out more, google 'UGA gold medal' to see the list of Georgia gold medal winners. I think the anise tree was a winner in 2003 or 2004.

one suggestion is a "silverado sage". very drought tolerant, lovely purple blooms in summer after rains. while zone 5 seems a bit north of its natural habitat (am unsure of your winter conditions) its a great xeriscape plant. here is a link: http://www.floridata.com/ref/L/leuc_fru.cfm "Purple sage is one tough plant! It can face droughts, freezes, high winds, salt spray, hungry deer, and blazing heat and keep right on performing beautifully."