I need a suggestion to fill the area next to our front steps. It's on the southeast corner of the house. We are on the edge of zone 3 and 4. The shrub will be planted next to 3 existing yellow/green hostas and one of the main things you see as you are walking up to our porch. It should be no more than ~3-4ft at max height. So what's a really nice shrub that would fit this area? Thanks!!

O.K. Let's start with the Juniperus chinensis 'Blue Point'. . .most junipers PREFER full sun, but that usually only means that they will look their very best in full sun, not that they will collapse and die. In my own garden (and many others) I have successfully grown junipers (one of my favorite conifers) in LESS than full sun - I have a 16-year old J. 'Old Gold' that started out in full sun, but as the tree near it matured, the area became mostly dappled shade, with just one hour of direct morning sun. . .it's still going strong, but it's not as dense as before, and you definitely lose the golden new growth in the Spring. I'm currently growing J. 'Sargentii' in partial shade; it's simply not developing as quickly as another in the full sun. A J. communis started in 3/4 sun, finally had to come down when that reversed to 3/4 shade. . .but not before it had grown 20' tall ! ( I limbed the tree a few weeks before Christmas, so our holiday Bazaar had HUGE arrangements of juniper boughs, weighted down with masses of their blue berries - the hall actually reeked, beautifully!) The remaining trunk was cut into three sections, the bottom third left rooted in the ground, while the other two were lashed to the original to form a "natural" tripod. . .which is currently buried in clematis, C. 'Jackmani' and 'Guernsey Cream'. . . But I digress. . . The Juniperus 'Blue Point' in my side yard is growing in 3/4 sun, and doing well. . .how well it will do in your specific situation, I simply couldn't promise. Since the location is very "in your face" - you pass them every time you enter or exit the house - perhaps you should lean toward a more site-specific plant. Sorry. . .can't lie to you. . . :-) That brings us to another point that someone made about the "matching pair" of shrubs not growing identically (horrors!). . .so I have to share this story of how a very "anal" garden friend solved this exact problem. She had decided on a "matching pair" of shrubs on either side of the front steps leading up to her porch, but being obsessive, she INSTANTLY realized that they would be getting unequal amounts of sun (due to the sun's angle and the porch corner casting a partial shadow). Her solution? The two shrubs each went into large, individulal pots - I seem to remember they were some kind of hollies - and once a week, the pots were given a half turn in place, and then once a MONTH, the pots changed position. It didn't hurt that the pots were fiberglass, which cut down on the muscle required, but trust me, I would NEVER go that far for perfection !!! Gotta tell you, though - they did develop into a perfectly matched pair. . . Which makes me think: just as someone else suggested statuary, how about a pair of those tall, elegant pots (easily 3'-4'), each planted with a tall, stunning (4'-5') canna or other narrow perennial or annual, and mounding/cascading plants at the base of the central plant which would easily give you your 3' width and a teardrop look. Martha Stewart would love it. . . Answer to question: yes, yews ARE male and female. . .if you have one of the common Taxus cuspidatas (the kind available at Lowes and HD), all you need to do is locate a Taxus cuspidata 'Aurescens' (see the link below) and plant it nearby in the sun.. T. 'Aurescens' is a quite lovely, golden-needled evergreen which stays low to the ground. . .he's a real stud muffin, and the Taxus ladies in my garden have been popping out berries ever since I brought him home. . .CAUTION: IF THERE ARE LITTLE ONES AROUND, KNOW THAT THOSE BERRIES ARE VERY TOXIC !!! Finally, my personal experiences with Thuja 'Green Giant': terrific plant (developed with yours and my tax dollars by our National Arboretum), IN THE RIGHT LOCATION ! Because the sellers know they have a good product, they'll tell you anything to get you to buy it, like it grows only 8'-12'. . . that is total B.S. !!! Example: I planted a row of five of them along a friend's back fence just three years ago - while only 4' tall when we put them in, they are now OVER 12' tall !!! Following recommendations from many sources, I planted them 7' apart. . .sometime this growing season, they will finally meet and completely obliterate my friend's 6' fence. . .that's a pretty cool delivery on a promise of a fast screen! But even the National Arboretum will tell you that they will be at least 30' tall in 30 years, and will continue to grow over a lifetime into 60'-80' GIANTS. . .hence, their name. . . They are one of those rare shrubs/tress whose growth rate is so spectacular that you can easily afford to buy small (my 3'-4' specimens in 3 gallon pots were just $15. apiece!) - some other fast-growers I've had great success with are Leyland cypress and Betula nigra. Wow! I think this long-winded response adds up to four cents, at least. . . Carl Here is a link that might be useful: Missouri Botanical Garden Plantfinder

How high are the windows? If you like ninebark/Physocarpus, there are a few smaller selections like Tiny Wine which shouldn't exceed 5' and the ones I've seen have been more upright and less arching. I wouldn't suggest regular pruning of physocarpus for height, so they may be too large and better placed elsewhere. You could check to see if there are any Mahonia that are the right size for your requirements. I've been blown away by the color and scent of a Mahonia in full bloom in zone 7 (though I don't know the variety), and I know I've seen some varieties in zone 6, so it might be worth investigating. Where they aren't happy they can look ratty, but when in a spot they like, I find them quite handsome. I was thinking of rhodies along the sides of the walkway, but they would need to be quite small or slow-growing selections. Alternatively, slightly larger but still small selections might work under the windows if you have acid soil. As Laceyvail and MadGal suggested you would need to test soil first. I didn't read carefully and missed the reference to KC. A good reference for you would be the Missouri Botanic Garden's plantfinder (and the garden itself if you are up for a field trip.) You can put in requirements like evergreen and shrub and height and width and see what pops up. I also would want to figure out all the plants for the entire front area before actually planting anything since you want to be sure that everything will work together. You can still plant in stages as time, finances and energy allow, but I wouldn't plan in pieces. You might want to ask Yardvaark if you can put his sketch over here so that others can see the general look you are working towards. Or even just link to that thread on the LD forum.

Some of the smaller Hydrangea paniculata might work as would some of the smaller red-twigged dogwoods - check out ones with variegated foliage for a longer season of interest. If you can find PJM 'Checkmate' rhodie, it's a small-leafed evergreen that's short enough (3') that it may be less bothered by wind. Mine is in a fairly exposed site in a river valley, so it may work for you. I also like Tim's choices and have found that H. serrata Tuff Stuff blooms far more prolifically for me than T&S.