I'm not sure what elevation you are at, but assuming the Marina will do ok at your elevation, this looks like a good spot for it. It needs open areas, will take part shade as long is its bright and open, so this looks like it would fit that bill well. I wouldn't hesitate trying the native Madrone there myself, if the soil is well drained. I would NOT add a Japanese maple next to it. They will grow quickly enough to compete for both light and water with the Marina, and though it likes it dry, an active fast growing tree like a Jap maple does not seem like a good fit to me for getting it established. I am intrigued by the thought of the Marina with the Stewartia, honestly. They are both known for their bark, which I think would make for an interesting pairing. The stump may work well for one of your hemlocks too, if you were interested in using it for that. Be aware though, Mountain Hemlock in my experience needs a fair amount of water to get it going, and really prefers more even moisture as it is growing than the Marina may like. Keep the two separated if you plan on supplementing the water for the hemlock. Once established though (which I find takes longer with this alpine than it would for most native conifers, especially if we have dry summers during the establishment phase), they should be fine with the drought, especially if they are growing on or near a "nurse log" which will help with that immensely. Maybe its just my love affair with the native dogwood... but I always like seeing dogwoods up against evergreens, lol. It would probably like the conditions you have their, and would be lovely with the white flowers against the colorful bark and dark green leaves, but I'd be a little worried initially about it overpowering the Marina, especially if you want it to be the star of the bed. Once the Marina gets its head up above the dogwood, it may be less appealing than when its a smaller tree with the combination of the leaves and flowers more apparent. I'm not at all familiar with the Oxydendron, so can't say much of anything about that. Seems to me similar enough in flower shape that if they bloom anywhere close to the same time period, I'd rather see them in separate beds, but close enough to where the flowers can echo each other without looking like you are trying to match them up. But it looks lovely, especially in fall color. On a side note... especially with the woods around you, I kinda get a red neck kick out of the "stump farm" look... I'd be awfully tempted to leave the stumps the way you have them, plug them with different kinds of (edible?) mushrooms, and garden around them for a while. Maybe bowl out the tops of the bigger ones enough to plant some ferns and maybe some ground dogwood in them or something... have fun with them rather than remove them. But then, I like the way these stumps look in the woods as they are decomposing. I kind of think of it as the cycle showing all its splendor right there in front of your eyes, lol. I've had good luck planting red huckleberries, spiny wood fern (Drypopteris expansa), licorice fern and a few others in these stump pots. I think with the new trees and the returning salal etc, you could have a really beautiful bed that way. One trick with this- use something really organic like peat moss or coir to plant these, or if you have it, composted bark. It mimics the decomposing wood, and the roots will be able to adapt easily to the wood as the potting "soil" and stump become one. Most of the usual suspects that grow on nurse logs in the woods will like this kind of organic soil too.

The Bremerton acacia shows signs of having frozen to the ground in the past and is of interest precisely because it is just about the only persisting one of much size known in the area. It is exceptional, like the azara in the UW Friendship Grove and the 50' eucryphia near Brian's place in Bremerton. Many others will have been planted elsewhere and frozen out in time. The late J. Witt of the Washington Park Arboretum once told me that there used to be a 50' eucryphia in a garden next door in the Broadmoor Golf and Country Club (most likely planted in the D. Graham garden) but it died in the awful 1955 freeze. An obvious difference between the two sites would be that the Broadmoor location is some miles from salt water, whereas the Bremerton site is quite close. If you are close to the beach the salt water keeps your minimum temperatures higher enough than even areas father inland but close by to make a difference in what you can overwinter. A cottage on Vashon just behind the Seattle/Bainbridge ferry dock has had a tall conspicuous abutilon for years. Even though this is a north exposure, apparently the salt water is keeping it from freezing out. I think I noticed it was still there during a recent visit even after this last winter, although the proof will of course be if it is seen blooming and full again this summer. One of the better embothriums I've seen was growing right behind the beach along a quite inlet west of Tacoma. It was the first bit of plant life behind the cobbles and sand, and was leaning towards the water as though responding to its proximity.

It's always shocking and sad to hear about such tragedies. My sympathies to them and their community.

Thanks for posting bpath! I looked at a unit in Marina City way back when I was single and living in Lincoln Park. (Ended up buying a loft in the Lincoln Park area.) On the last trip I took pre-Covid, back in early March, met a pilot who had a place in Marina City. He showed us pictures and I was impressed with the view and what seemed like a very low price for a city condo. I love Chicago! Been a suburbanite for years but my kids grew up with outings taking the train to the city and visiting Lincoln Park Zoo and some of my other old haunts up there. (Late DH and I got married at Cafe Brauer - so pretty!) I guess it's no surprise that when my DD graduated college last year she moved to Lincoln Park :) I love the Architectural Foundation river tours, and in addition to Marina City one of the sights has always intrigued me: the Harry Weese River Cottages. I'd love to see the inside of one someday.