The height you want is a hard one .... usually 'short' means about 2-3 feet. The suggestions already given are good ones but here are a couple more not listed. Juncus tenuis - path rush 1' tall, dry soil, sun to part Muhlenbergia cuspidata - prairie satin grass 1' tall, dry soil, sun Carex rosea - curly styled wood sedge 1' tall, dry-mesic, shade to part shade You may want to consider spring ephemerals for flowers...they die back once they've bloomed. Otherwise there are violets that are under a foot tall.

Generally running the floor the long way of the room make the room look wider. Consider a hall that's 3' x 16'. Running the floor the short way will make the hall look even longer and narrower. A someone above pointed out, wood was run perpendicular to the joists and the joists generally ran the short way so that's the tradition. You must also consider how the floor will look as you enter from various doorways. In a room that's 25' long you could have two furniture arrangements with a strip of uncovered flooring running between two doorways, so something that might traditionally seem incorrect might look best.

a pic might help ... w/o such.. i would guess the trees are competing for sunshine.. by growing straight up .... wasting no energy spreading leaves [which would be on the branches that are missing] .. which would not thrive under the canopy in full shade .. most trees are are nudey inside ... the outer canopy shading out the interior ... the only difference here.. is that the whole group.. the forest .... is acting as one organism ... pic??? ken

That color looks great with your forest grass, killlean! I didn't want to order online, so I looked up everything this nursery carries. I googled ahead of time and made a short list. I had looked up everything they listed as being under 6 feet and pink or wine red. They do have an entire row of clematis. Though by early June, I found, many are sold out. I am over 100 miles away, though, so I can only go when I am passing nearby. I was torn about Empress. I actually had both on my cart, then had to decide. I had not written down which pruning type each is. That would have helped me decide. There is something about being in a massive nursery, having a big wish list, and having only 3 hours before they close. It's hard to think straight. I think I remember someone saying that Piilu blooms first on old wood. I am hoping it won't look scruffy over winter on my gate.