It sounds like you have a great approach to gardening! For in-ground plants, considering organic slow-release options can help boost growth when needed. Here are some suggestions: Compost: This is one of the best options for enriching your soil naturally. Compost provides a slow-release source of nutrients, improves soil structure, and enhances moisture retention. Plus, it adds beneficial microorganisms to the soil. You can create your own compost using kitchen scraps, yard waste, and other organic materials. For more on how to compost effectively, check out this article: Unlock Garden Gold: The Art of Composting. Organic Mulches: Using organic materials like straw, wood chips, or shredded leaves as mulch can also contribute to nutrient release as they decompose. This not only helps suppress weeds but also enhances soil quality. Manure: Well-aged manure from herbivores (like cows, horses, or rabbits) is another excellent organic option. It’s nutrient-rich and can help with soil aeration. Just be sure to let it age before using it, as fresh manure can burn plants. Fish Emulsion: This liquid fertilizer is a good source of nitrogen and other nutrients, and it releases its nutrients slowly. It’s especially effective for giving a boost to plants that need a little extra help. Bone Meal and Blood Meal: These organic options can provide phosphorus and nitrogen, respectively. They release their nutrients over time and can be mixed into the soil when planting. Since you typically don’t fertilize your in-ground plants, these organic methods can give your garden the extra nutrients it needs during growth spurts without overwhelming the plants. Happy gardening!

Little Bunny Dwarf Fountain Grass (not Bunny Tail grass) is my absolute favorite! I blooms all summer until it freezes back in winter, comes back reliably in the spring. It gentle spreads itself around in the bed, but doesn't try to take over the world. I wish I could post pictures but haven't figured out how to get pictures here from my phone and didn't keep my photobucket account open. There might be an old post on here with photos, but it is not easy to search only on this forum anymore. If anyone on here is interested they are in the 8th photo down in this post: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5970104/night-lights

That cherry is definitely ornamental! Is it Tibetan Cherry (P. serrula)? Makes me wonder why I don’t see it in arboreta more often. Here’s Betula papyrifera aka Queen of the North.

My crabapple is at the end of my driveway, next to the garage. The snow gets plowed into a pile there. It worked for years. My crabapple has fireblight and needs to be removed, but I haven't heard that snow is the cause. The chances are good that it will take years for a newly planted crabapple to provide a lot of shade, so you can put it near your planting bed and worry about the shade in 10 years.