This is not germane to the discussion here, but I was reminded of a visit to the Barona Casino years ago (not that I gamble at all but I was there for their buffet), and the lovely thing was that they had a small rose garden, which is where I first saw Yves Piaget. I was blown away and took its picture (see below). In spite of the brutal heat that day everything was blooming EXCEPT the section allocated to Austin roses, which did not have a single bloom, not even one. Compared to all the blooming florabundas it looked really dreary. I'm surprised that after that I even considered ordering Austins, but thanks to the evil influences here I did, and they actually did very well for me. Yves Piaget at the Barona Casino

I agree, Paul. We have one FDY growing in our garden now. It is a cutting I rooted from the one I posted a pic of above. The only place I had for a rose which I was hoping would get huge was next to a tree, in a spot where it would get sun only if it climbed up for quite a distance. Now it is growing all along the top of the fence near that tree. I thought it was about 8-10 feet tall and 15 feet wide. To my delight, last week our gardeners found a cane of it growing 25 ft up the tree! They were pruning the (not loved but large privet) tree to get more light into the new fenced garden, and found that cane and another one had climbed up the tree by themselves. They very carefully tied the canes up to the privet tree, after pruning the tree substantially. I am so looking forward to next Spring's bloom! Beyond the privet tree there is a huge (12 ft high by 15 ft wide by 30 ft deep) bush, so if it wants to grow over the top of that after it eats the privet tree, that would be fine with me. Now that we can't grow roses on our house (Fire Dept), I am happy to find another place to "go vertical" with roses - Jackie FDY and the old privet tree after the tree was pruned last year:

In the early 1900s during WW1, states were banning the sale of Berberis species, and having eradication projects, after it was discovered that Berberis host a wheat rust, during one phase of the rust's life cycle. The government took the drastic measures, so that wheat crops wouldn't suffer huge losses during a world war. By the 1970s the bans were lifted because of newer rust resistant wheat cultivars, and also more rust resistant Berberis cultivars. There is one native barberry, Berberis canadensis, that is endemic to Apallachia. It's impossible to find any source for native Berberis. I found a source selling plants, and I ordered 2 of them, but I was sent 2 Berberis thunbergii instead of the native. Barberries are also believed to attract ticks. Berberis canadensis Berberis canadensis has leaves with serrated margins, and mature stems have three spines at every junction instead of 1 spine. Range of Berberis canadensis https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/stpaul/cereal-disease-lab/docs/barberry/barberry/

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. The plan so far is to plant a cluster of paper birches on the hill to the left of the house, evergreen shrubs/small spruce trees on both sides of the entrance, and native perennials in beds to the front of the house wrapping around the well cap. I will use large flat granite boulders to create steps up on the right to the back deck and to use the other boulders to add dimension to the hill. I will post pictures when it is complete. Thanks again for all the suggestions!!!! :)