A lot of people might use organic methods but live right on top of large farms that use lots of chemicals so these chemicals are within an 1/8 mile or less. I believe as this is just my opinion that this negates any claims that their stuff is chemical free. Runoff is water from rain and melted snow which is not absorbed and captured by the soil, but runs over the ground and in and out of loose soil. Farm runoff is water leaving farm fields because of rain - melted snow - or possibly irrigation methods. As runoff moves, it picks up and carries pollution, which it can deposit into rivers,small ponds, lakes, coastal waters, and underground sources of drinking water. Agricultural runoff include,s pollution from soil erosion, livestock feeding systems, grazing, plowing, animal waste, and herbicides-pesticides, irrigation water, and fertilizer. Pollutants from farming include soil particles, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, salts, and nutrients such as excessive nitrogen - phosphorus. Large levels of nitrates from fertilizers in the runoff can infiltrate drinking water I wonder if these so-called organic method gardeners that say they are chemical-free explain this to their customers. All certified organic growers are the proper distance away from farm fields that use lots of different chemicals to prevent cross contamination or at least they should be. When I choose to grow produce for sale I do not mention anything even close to the word organic because I am NOT certified and tested and inspected and licensed ORGANIC If people ask me what chemicals I use for my operation they get all of my information. If they don,t ask I do not say anything because the weed/bug sprays that I use are available over the counter and are legal to use without special fed, or county-govt. permits. Nick

Thank you all for your suggestions. I really appreciate getting some good ideas. This spot has been a problem for a few years and as I mentioned is getting worse. I have to be very careful what I plant however. DH just last year pulled out all of the vinca ground cover I had around part of the back and the north side of our house due it being too hardy and covering over the bushes and sidewalk. lol He has spotted a few trying to come back and he has already said he is going after them so I know whatever I plant must not vine. I like the Asian Jasmine very much and I believe the right color variety would look good with the photinias. If we could do as Dawn mentioned and just mow them to keep them off the bushes it might work and they might be able to withstand the late sun they will get. I also love thrift. I have had it as mixed ground cover in front of my house for years and it was just breath taking many springs and falls as well. But something happened to it in the last year or so...either the floods or the ice storms. It is trying to make a come back but is pretty sparse as of now. I know it can take sun since my house faces west and gets intense heat. It has been a challenge to find one which meets all my needs in this spot and is something DH will tolerate as well.....lol. Oh and BTW I forgot to mention it will have to be able to endure being trampled when DH prunes the photinias...lol. I think Ajuga is very nice ground cover but I really don't think it would survive the conditions I have. The purple heart I know to be a very hardy and pretty plant and low maintance but I agree Dawn it might look a little like overkill with the photinias. I find a twig of it in some of my beds around here occasionally so I am sure some of my neighbors must have it. Speaking of plants coming from neighbors...I had a battle last summer with the green variety of "jew" coming up EVERYWHERE around here. I didn't think I would ever get rid of it. Apparently seed must have washed through the yard during all the flooding rains. From the plants you all have mentioned I think the only two which might work are the Asian Jasmine or the thrift. I wonder if the thrift will have too much roots for me with all those power lines? I know the ones I planted in front came in half gallon pots. Yikes! But perhaps we could have the electric company come out and mark the lines so we can avoid them....it is pretty scary. Since this spot of my yard is in perfect view from my patio I need to do something with it. It looks pretty ugly right now with so much bare soil showing. Even thought DH gives the photinias a severe pruning pretty often and tries to keep them from being too tall still the bare spot is growing larger each year. Thank you all for your helpful suggestions and I will let you know what I end up doing. I have had so much else going on lately I have given little thought to any kind of gardening. After last year I am pretty disgusted with it to tell you the truth. It was THE WORST season for me EVER. And Dawn...no we have not been traveling. We have kept busy with going through our entire property and doing a massive clean out. I hope to have a huge garage sale and cut way down on things around here. I just want to SIMPLIFY. We finally redecorated our master bedroom and bathroom too....so we have kept very busy all winter. Now I am just ready for WARMTH. Lots of sunshine and WARMTH! Thank ya'll! G.M.

If it's shady, you don't want to attempt lilacs - they need full sun! My experience with Duluth is very limited - visited once on Labor Day weekend and you had frost!........that is so out of my experience zone, I am hesitant to make any suggestions of what may survive in your area :-) I would suggest visiting a local retail nursery or garden center and seeing what sort of shade tolerant shrubs they have on offer. Maybe something like the Northern Lights azalea series. Or Annabelle hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens). And depending on the size of the planting bed now, you may need to enlarge. Most shrubs will require at least 4' of depth and if you need to get behind to paint or wash windows, etc., you will want to increase that to at least 6'. ETA - you might want to post this in your regional Minnesota Gardening forum. I'm sure locals may have some additional suggestions for you.

uhhh WHAT???? I'm not Sheldon on Big Bang Theory. :) UPDATE: I JUST called AeroGrow and asked how many Lumens EACH bulb puts out NEW. Since I have 2 bulbs in each garden, it would be twice the amount per bulb. They put out 1,500 Lumens NEW. Then get weaker as they age,of course. So...right now I am working with 3K Lumens per garden. the light hood with the bulbs in them, are about 6-7in away from the tops of the violets, depending on the pot they are in. Some are a bit closer, some are a bit further away. The maximum the lights can be away is 12in. Some crowns are getting tighter/crowded, either from growing fast from getting stronger light, or they are to close to the lights? I have moved them up 1 notch in each garden, and like i said, they are about 6-7 in away from the top of the violets. Some violets are on the very edge of the garden tray area, some are right under the two bulbs. The pictures ended up here...not my plan! To show some of my set-ups, and the crowed crowns on some, the blooms i am getting, the pink/purple single bloom is 'Playful Spectrum'. Its leaves are very firm and it is in a 2 1/4 in pot. The crown pic. is of my 'Twinkle Twirl', this one is 'Heinz Starfish'. All the small ones I just got a week ago, and as you can see, I taped a 'foil square' to the side of one garden, there is so much light spilling over the sides, so I can put in two more violets it. The pics. i took of my other gardens/plants, to show the bloom stems growth, all came out either to dark,or WAY to bright. So they were not showing whats up. These were the best of the ones I took. so..any opinions of the light, and are they getting to much light now, or what? I am now getting a TON of bloom stems starting to pop up/out on my 'SILVER GLADES CINDERS', I mean like a dozen or more!! Getting more on my 'GEE PEE', and my, 'THE MARTIAN', a WASP variety. They were all in the 2 OZ Solo cups, till I potted them up 2 weeks ago, also the same time i got my new bulbs. There are (2) 26W AeroGarden GrowBulbs per garden. Less complicated opinions of my set-up, and the growths seen? I'm not that bright when it comes to light!!