Thanks, Yardvaark, for your response. The lawn tree that's there is a Carolina silverbell. I thought it got to be 15-25 ft or so, but I just looked it up and it's more like 30-40. Yikes! I don't know how long that one's been there, but it's got to be at least 10 years. We just moved in 2 years ago, so I can't be held responsible for the bad pruning (or lack thereof). I did some this past spring (mainly to remove crossing branches, etc.) but I thought it was a smaller tree so I didn't try to raise the canopy. I can work on that, though I might have to get some professional help 'cause I don't want to mess it up. It also needs pruning on top where I can't reach. Especially given how big it could get, I think you're right there isn't really space for another tree on the barn side. I don't want the plantings to start looking too crowded. Your idea for next to the driveway is an interesting one. I thought it might work, but when the hardscaping is redone, that will be part of the new parking area. (A plan is below.) It looks like I will just have to wait on the redbud, unless I can fit it into the bed next to the house - too bad, it's a really good deal! I guess I was also asking for suggestions for the foundation bed. I just don't have a good sense of what to do there. (The bulkhead and off center bay window don't help.) I'll put a closer-up shot of the area in the next post. Right now, it's my 'holding bed' for a lot of perennials I moved from elsewhere. The scraggly rugosa rose at the right corner of the patio is going to get moved in the fall. I am trying to rejuvenate the (also scraggly) boxwoods along the back, which were overcrowded in their previous location. So basically nothing here is permanent. The bed is about 9-10 ft deep. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

To revert to your original post, if you want another spring-flowering, small tree of a different color - redbud, crabapple (some are white flowered), Flowering cherry, etc. - would be a good substitute. Fringe tree is another one, but IS white flowering, and is late to leaf out. Hawthorns (some are native and some European or hybrids) do have white flowers for the most part - some have red - but the red fruits are interesting, and some have good fall foliage - being members of the rose family, they can get common rose family diseases, including fire blight, and they do have thorns. If you want a summer flowering tree, then there are possibly one of the hardier crape myrtles, stewartias (possibly not hardy), franklinias, and a few others - some of which will also have white flowers. You might also be able to grow and limb up a Peegee hydrangea, although the weight of the blooms will bow down the branches to a degree. If you can find one, a sourwood is summer-flowering, whitish and come in July-Oct., with good fall foliage. Virginia Witch hazel flowers in the fall, with yellow flowers - there are hybrids with European varieties, which might be hardy for you, in orange to red colors, that flower in early spring. Fall foliage is yellow.

I was surprised how easy it was to cut for its annual spring trim (the only time you need to trim). Its not invasive and its native. The grass I grew from seed didn't take off until year 2 but that is typical for any grass. I bought seeds from Plants of the Southwest, planted in pots in early spring and planted them later that year. They grew fast after the second year. These form a border by a walkway on my east side. I love them. I had ordered 4 of the really huge 'Los Lunas' plants from High Country Gardens previously to block the view on my west side but they really were too big but only because they looked out of place with the perennials in the planted area in front of them. I dug them up and gave them to my sister in Kansas for her alley to block her neighbor. She hasn't had any problems with them. I have two other suggestions. One is Switchgrass, my favorite is Panicum 'Northwind'. Panicum 'Heavy Metal' is also nice. 'Northwind' is a very tall cultivar that looks spray starched. You can purchase 4' pots from Santa Rosa Gardens. They are out of stock right now on it and several grasses but will have it available in fall. They have great spring and fall sales if you order late too. Here is Panicum 'Northwind'. This grass stays upright in winter very well, come spring you really hate having to trim it to get it ready for the new growth. The blooms are already formed on mine, its gorgeous. Mine is up to my chest but it gets good moisture. The ones on the dry bank are smaller. Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.santarosagardens.com/Native-Grasses-Ornamental-Grass-s/184.htm?searching=Y&sort=7&cat=184&show=20&page=2 This post was edited by TexasRanger10 on Thu, Jul 10, 14 at 15:47

My Kousa dogwood didn't weather temperatures of -23F well. About half the tree died. We normally don't get quite that cold, but the one year it did, mine suffered. Unless you never get below -20F, I would not recommend it. Fringe tree is susceptible to emerald ash borer from what I read, so I wouldn't recommend that if the borers are within a couple hundred miles of you. It seems to spread relatively quickly. We haven't had issues with serviceberry here and it has lovely spring flowers and fruit for the birds. Aronia (chokeberry) is another that I think would be OK in your conditions. River birches (Betula nigra) don't mind wet feet and Little King will stay in your size range. By the way, Arbor Day Foundation isn't a good source for trees. They often send barely rooted or poorly cared for twigs that often have high mortality rate.