Shoot... The west side of my house is where I plant Heat Loving things... It doesn't get much morning sun - but it gets 150% Afternoon sun when you count the reflection off the house..... It seems like that side bears the brunt of HOT summertime.... I really don't think you need to go high on any trellises... you will get plenty of sun and heat without any help. If you were really worried about it - plant something tall like a Pecan tree to block the sun during the summer... They grow plenty tall. It will help with the electric bill - and give you some nuts in 5-10 years... Thanks

North side: open shade in the middle of the bed...few hours of sun on each end of the bed...in the morning on one end, and in the afternoon on the other end. * Dwarf Pampass grass * Sweet Flag * Tassle Fern * Autumn Fern * Big Blue Liriope * Hostas (various, do great in the shade on a North wall) * Cleyera (fabulous glossy leaves. new growth is red, turning to green as it matures) * Lamium (Golden Anniversary, White Nancy...both varieties provide bright spots in the shade but they won't appreciate damp shade...leaves get mushy) * Ivy * Gumpo Azalea (stays compact. can't kill it. I can't, anyway.) * Camellia Japonica (Marie Bracey var.) * Vinca Minor (spreads like crazy and some people don't care for it. Personally, I like that it spreads so fast, and it has pretty lavender flowers..just cut it back when it starts to creep too far) On the South side of the house: * Nandina Domestica (mine have required virtually no care and look beautiful. I have 5 of them planted and right now they are a brilliant red. There are dwarf varieties available which stay compact and still provide that red color in the winter) * Soft Touch Holly ( stays compact and mine have been maintenance-free, with the exception of occassional watering during periods of drought last summer. very slow growers and great as a filler plant) * Blue Shore Juniper ( compact and very pretty color..have been maintenance-free and have looked magnificent all winter) I did have Wintercreeper growing on this side of the house, too, but it got some sort of borer insects and never did do well, despite application of a treatment for the bugs. I dug it up a few days ago and tossed it. I have roses growing in front of the house, by our front door, and they face due west....so I'd wager that they'd do well for you, too, in that position. I cut ours back too hard last Fall and I thought I'd killed one of them because it started oozing and didn't look well at all. Nope...it's growing like mad at the moment. Our electric lines are the only lines that don't run under ground, here. It would be a good idea to find out where yours are located because while digging a bed for my Sago Palm last year I cut into our cable line....looked just like a pine tree root. *blush* They came out and fixed it for free, but the guy said if I did it again he'd take my Sago away. LOL. Anyway, all the plants I've listed provide interest year round, with the exception of the Hostas, which die back once freezing weather sets in. They will come back, though, when it warms up again. Everything is just now in its second year...ie., it all got planted last year. We only purchased our home 2 years ago and I didn't get around to landscaping the property until last Spring. BTW, if I can figure out how to upload my pictures of the plants I've listed, I'll post them. I took pics. last fall of all my beds but they're in a file on our computer, not hosted. Good Luck and I apologize for the novella.

That is a wonderful amaryllis. I have never had one of those. Thought they were always so pretty. any sort of cacti and I do not get along. My mother had a few when we were growing up. I got into a big one out doors on time on was having tiny thorns dug out for weeks. Nope I will just look at those from wayyyyy across the room. lol. I keep year around an dracaena. That my son had given me for mothers day a few years ago. they had three large plants in one gallon tub. This year I took the tops off and started new plants and now have eight plants. I really like they way they look year around. I Have a philo that i take in an out with the seasons. I brought in a geranium an a mandevilla. I also brought in about 8-10 begonia plants. I think I am down to 6-7. I had trouble with them holding too much moisture. I finally changed out the soil and they did fine after that and started blooming. Africian violet used to be a favorite of mine. I have not grown one of those for years. I may need to try tat one again. Would do well in my kitchen window. christie when mine get to looking too bad I move them to a room where no one but me can see them. I get embarrassed if they start looking too bad. Yes I know it's strange but can't help it. Bonnie

Thank you for the suggestions everyone. I love those little Lily of the Valleys, I have to get me some of those. I guess it is too late in the season to have them bloom THIS year, but I can always get ready for next year. Derek... I did check out your valley nursery and it was very nice. They had some 'all blue' seed potatoes, so I am going to try those and see what happens. I did plant some Jacob's Ladder, Lupine and Foxglove, but I planted those on the east side of the house. I hope that they will do well there. They get a few hours of sun in the morning, but none in the afternoon. My house sits on a quarter acre, but there is another quarter acre that is kitty-corner behind my house with NOTHING planted in it yet. We are talking about putting in a sprinkling system back there, but so far there is nothing. It gets mostly full sun and I'm not sure what to do with all that space! It's a little overwhelming, so I'm just sticking to the front 1/4 acre for now! I need to look up some of these plants that were mentioned since I'm not familiar with all of them, but I'll do my homework and start planting! Thanks all! =] any other ideas?