I'm right between zone 5/6 and hostas do ok in full sun all over town. I am over-run with variegated ones and the green/white contrast isn't as nice in full sun compared to the ones in shade. A quick count tells me I have 42 hostas (probably forgetting a few) and many could be divided further. Half are in really sunny spots. I like to divide in early spring when the shoots are just showing purple tips because then they leaf out really nice for the whole summer. Along side them I have tons of yellow daylillies and tons of Autumn joy sedum and they like full sun. Lets see, I also have some salvia and coreopsis and some bright pink dianthus all near hostas. I also have tons of purple bearded irises, but they are really boring, in my opinion, once the blooms are gone. I actually have a Jacob's ladder in a pretty sunny spot and it does ok. But perennial will all die back and you'll have nothing in winter. But I"m guessing in zone 4, you'll be under a blanket of snow anyway? Also, the burning bush loses it's leaves - not evergreen.

Our city has to come in and trim trees too. I wish they would just REMOVE the tree. I got tired of them whacking at my silver maple, making it lopsided. It was ugly, but not only that, I was worried it would fall over and cause even more damage. I tried to convince them to cut it down (they have taken out other people's trees), but they told me no. I probably could have fought it a little harder, but I just gave in and paid for it to be taken down. Ouch. It's an expensive item. I drive past houses on some of our major roads that have trees cut in the V shapes to accommodate the wires. I can't say I like those any better than my lopsided trees, although at least they are more balanced. I've been trying to establish a shade garden, it is not easy!

stillwelljill---I buy 2 and a half cu. liter bags of MG potting mix and can do approx. 50-60 2 liter bottles. But I add a small % of perlite to my mix. Keep in mind milk jugs take more soil than 2 liter bottles. I don't do milk jugs usually, so don't know how much on them. Hope this helps. Duane

Thanks so much for asking, sis2two! I have finished painting my fireplace surround (I used BM Mascarpone), and I love the way the soft, creamy white paint brightens up the room. I'm off on vacation soon, but do plan to infuse some more brightness into the room when I return - possibly painting a table, a chest, and/or a quilt rack! I'll post photos after I make a little further headway. For now, though, I am really loving the changes I've made in bedding and decor. I've still got my Native American artwork - rugs and pottery - but have added antique English and Bavarian china into the mix, and somehow it does seem to work! :-)