I'll bow to laceyvail's greater knowledge, but having spent 30 some years in Maryland where dogwood did (pre blight)/does abound, it does have the potential to reach some size. On our wooded lot, in the forest-like setting, the native dogwood tended to have tall slender trunks with a lacey canopy. However, a lovely one in the open on the front lawn was a sizeable tree, both height and width-wise. I'm just saying the potential for some growth is there and the OP's is planted close to the foundation. Daylilies (hemerocallis) are different from lilies (lilium) and without putting your nose right in the throat of a daylily - like Stella d'Oro which is yellow flowered - you'd get no hint of a scent. Some other groundcovers to consider: Phlox subulata (moss phlox) Moss pink, moss phlox or creeping phlox is a pretty common rock garden plant, but it also makes a good ground cover on poor, bare soils. It does do better when not competing with other things, though. It'll form a dense mat of foliage, which is covered in spring with masses of flowers in pink, purple, or white. Mine will often get a light reblooming throughout the summer and into the fall. Sedum (Stonecrop). Many different kinds ranging from tiny mats only a few inches high to plants 2 feet tall. They're used as ground covers, in rock gardens, on slopes, between stepping stones, etc. Most sedums are spreading or creeping plants that will root from broken branches or fallen leaves. Very easy, undemanding plants. From "How Stuff Works" - How to grow leadwort: Plant in well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. Leadwort likes full sun or part shade. It will rot if the soil stays too wet, especially in winter. In most of growing Zones 5 and 6 plants die to the ground in winter. Apply a light winter mulch, and wait until growth resumes in mid-spring to cut stems back to the ground. Plant only in the spring: Leadwort needs a full growing season to get roots established. Uses for leadwort: Plant as a ground cover under shrubs and small trees and interplant spring-blooming bulbs such as crocus and daffodils." Late to come up means literally that - other plants may be well up before a "late" breaks ground in the spring. I experience that with platycodon which is the last to break ground here. Having gardened a long time, I know where the patches of it are so I know not to dig or plant over them. It's always good to put a marker over late breakers to alert you. And most information on any kind of plants will show you pictures of them at their peak of magnificence -rarely their fall die-back or spring emergence looks. You're kind of left to figure that out on your own. It's all fun and it's all a learning process no matter how long you've been at it. Despite any degree of gardening expertise, no one's immune from unintended consequences - something that just doesn't look right, failure to thrive or survive a winter even though it's supposed to, doesn't make the neighbors stop dead in their tracks. A good local garden center can be a wealth of information.

I plan to add more hostas, I have a new bed in the woods garden where I ripped out honeysuckle. And some other shade garden plants. This year I'll be looking for older hosta varieties (read inexpensive) as this part of the woods could be a deer salad bar and I'm not wanting to risk "designer" hostas down there! Besides, we are still in a La Nina drought year in my zone. Besides that, I'm currently fascinated by succulents, and I'll be hunting down interesting hardy ones that I don't have, and adding to my rock garden. And probably a few aeoniums to keep in pots. I really love those. I really don't need any more perennials. What I need to do is divide and spread around! Little Bluestem grass, a carex and annual Ruby grass(melinus "Savannah") are the only other things on my want list. Besides a couple more Japanese maples. And another arrowwood viburnum, and and and....... Oh crap my list keeps getting longer, lol! Sandy

Welcome South from a fellow ex-Nutmegger. Best can be said for the big box nurseries is they have great sales on plants they've abused. You'll find that you will have a selection that extends clear to Zone 10 in spring. Things you can probably grow rather easily in the warm months but need extra care in fall and winter. Last year I bought a Kaleidoscope Abelia and it really does get multi colored in fall. What we need to know to give plant advice is how much sun the planting area gets and at what time of the day, moisture level, drainage, soil composition etc. I like also to know prevailing winds and what is the backdrop for these plantings. A brick backdrop in full sun can really bake some shrubs. So paint us a picture with words about your home and yard.

they plant and move easily all summer long ... just get them in the ground ... unless you are a master of pot science ... or want to become one .... there are 3 parts to a hosta.. the roots.. a potato like crown.. and the leaves above. .. the crown should be planted AT soil level ... with no roots showing ... so .. just pop them all in the ground ... AND THEN START DESIGNING A GARDEN BED ... and if it takes all summer.. fine.. we will move the hosta over to it in early fall ... this will reduce your feeling of being overwhelmed ... which was the thesis of what you asked ... what weed above.. may have failed to mention ... is how many years.. it took her design to evolve ... and that is what you are overwhelmed about ... you know.. the hosta will live.. if you throw them on the driveway for summer.. entirely remove them from your stress level ... but the surest way to not screw it up.. is to plant them in mother earth ... you dont mention how many you have... but you couple probably put 100 of them in a 10 by 10 foot area ... i would call it a nursery bed.. where it will be easy to deal with them ... while you think up a plan like weeds ... just make it easy.. by reducing your stress variables... so it is said.. so it is written... good luck ken ps: after putting them in the nursery bed.. then you have to ID the trees you have .. and decide if any of them do NOT favor hosta.. like the dreaded maple... and then.. you have to define light levels.. then define soil type ... etc ... frankly .. it would take me all summer.. to figure it all out.. and then i would plant in fall ... and that is why a nursery bed would be brilliant... BTW .. are they in potting media in the pots.. or dirt.. if dirt.. its IMPERATIVE.. that they be planted immediately ... otherwise.. you are going to have severe watering problems in the heat of the summer ...