Maybe you could define - for yourself if for no one else - what "special" means to you. There are so many ways that shrubs can be special, especially from a close-up perspective. Let me give you an example. I know that I am a foliage gardener first, and I am also a plant minutiae gardener who likes to see things changing every day, and always having something to anticipate. For example, my favourite plants next to my front steps are Anemonopsis macrophylla, a perennial that takes months to form these little ball-shaped buds and then another eon to open them. Maybe I'm an easy mark, but I watch and enjoy that plant all spring and summer, same with a fern on the other side that unfurls huge fronds one at a time all summer. So for me, no matter how wonderful a flowering display might be (say, lilacs), the undistinguished foliage and (lack of) form of the plant makes it dull for me, especially because if something like that is next to the deck, by the time you can sit out there, there is nothing more to look forward to with it. It's done for the year. Your preferences may be totally different. You may be focussed on fragrance, or bloom colour (I go plant shopping with a friend who is into pastels. We never fight over a plant. If it's pink and fragrant she buys it, if it's orange and has great leaves, I do). Let me start by asking if your rhododendron diagnosis means no rhodos in that spot again? I fortunately haven't had to learn that. But if not by the deck, then perhaps in the other spot? There is a plethora of Rhodos with fabulous foliage and good form, but you have to hunt them down (such as the legendary Sir Charles Lemon that never blooms but with leaves like that, doesn't have to). I personally avoid the ones that turn into green blobs, have undistinguished foliage, and bloom in trusses (I'll flex on the last point to get the first two right). Now, here's the trick. If you know what you want, you may be able to get it from quite a common shrub. My little laugh at myself is that I have spent probably thousands on special shrubs (not kidding, I'm afraid), but of those that have survived, few have given me the enjoyment that a garden-variety blue hydrangea has - one left behind in a pot by the previous owner; I don't even know what it is. Similarly, because mock orange takes a long time to get its act together each year, I actually really enjoy it (and that might be good for the spot beside the deck but some do get huge... and maybe they can in that spot). I'm not going to check zones for you, but here are a couple of shrubs I have enjoyed that might work by your deck: Disanthus, Loropetalum fire dance, Fothergilla, and unlikely but true, Rose of Sharon/Hibiscus - in my case, Red Heart. Love the branch structure and grey trunk of my hibiscus. On that note, you might also consider one of the smaller special bark trees, like an Acer griseum or Japanese maple with the stripe bark attribute. Yes, the maples are OK in part sun/shade. And you probably can't grow Edgeworthia, but if you can.. Beside the deck too you might consider specialty conifers. Once you get into them, there are some to die for. Tougher to find one that would work in more shade. Of the shrubs mentioned so far, I have to say I was all excited about getting an Itea, but in real life: deadly boring. In particular, in my climate it needs good sun to get its famed fall colour. Kalmia too, I just couldn't get too excited about it. Final word, I promise: by the wall, anything deciduous will lean for the light. I would recommend evergreen for sure there - rhodo if you can. Alternative: put a big focal point container there with something in it that you like. Karin L

Hi, neighbor! You probably want something that's hardy to at least -10 since we usually get somewhere in that vicinity at least once per winter, though since it's a large town with a huge range in elevation, there is a lot of variety in microclimates. In the 30+ years I've lived here, we have gotten to -22, but that was at least 15 years ago. We usually have good snow cover which helps ameliorate the lowest temps. Since the rhodie did OK there, it must have bright shade or a bit of sun? Do you know how much sun/shade you have? Are you looking for winter interest or would a deciduous shrub or shrub-sized perennial do OK? Unless you have a way to keep the deer out, you don't want to plant yews. They are one of the few plants I can't grow since every time they try to put out needles, the deer chew them down to stubs. They ended being simply ugly all year. I haven't had issues with deer and hosta, just voles and hosta. I have a bunch of shrubs in part shade down to about 3 hours of sun. -You can always choose another, smaller rhodie, something like Yaku Prince or Princess. I have several deciduous rhodies as well that I like, such as R. narcissiflora and some of the Weston hybrids like Parade. -So far we don't have Hemlock woolly adelgid so you could try a dwarf variety of hemlock if you have really deep shade. -Clethra do OK with a fair amount of shade, though they may bloom less, and that might make them a bit boring. -A variegated cornus, either a small tree like C. alternifolia Golden Shadows or one of the colored twig shrubby variegated Cornus might be nice. -My Daphne transatlantica Summer Ice is pretty much in bright shade with only a couple of hours of sun. In years like last winter where we got -5 with no snow, it arrived in spring looking pretty miserable, but it is putting out leaves now. -Mountain laurels (Kalmia) do fine here, though sometimes there is a bit of winter damage to leaves. -There's a native Viburnum, I think V. lentago that grows in almost full shade, though it's happy with several hours of sun also. Nice flowers in spring, berries, and red-pink autumn foliage. V. acerifolium is happy with a lot of shade also, though it suckers and isn't really striking at any season. -If you want a large shrub, both the native fall blooming witch hazel and Hamamelis vernalis, which blooms in spring, are hardy and are fine with quite a bit of shade. - There's a variegated Diervilla (the name has escaped me) which will do OK in a fair amount of shade. -Spirea Ogon will probably do OK in shade and is fully hardy here. -Hydrangea arborescens cultivars might do fine since my Annabelle is in bright shade for much of the day. If you'd like a hunk of Annabelle to try, just ask; she suckers. That's a start anyway. If you have specific questions as to my experience with particular plants here, feel free to ask.

Not a thing accomplished here, Bonnie! IÂve been working for the last 4 days. Spent last nite in PhillyÂin a snow storm! Just got back a couple hours ago. But itÂs kinda fun to sit in a hotel room and watch it snowÂwhen you know you donÂt have to shovel it! And we sure havenÂt had any good watchin snow storms out here this year! I might try to get something done tomorrow. ItÂs supposed to be beautiful again! Just heard we broke a record todayÂ74 at the airportÂthat went back to 1901! And itÂs supposed to be in the 70's for the next 3 days. After tomorrow IÂm on reserve for 5 daysÂfingers crossed that I donÂt get used for Wednesday or Thursday! There are SO many things I want to move and/or divide that I donÂt have a clue where IÂm gonna start! And there are so many of those things that I want to pot up for the swapÂbut IÂm just not sure I want to do them quite this early and have to try to take care of them that long. IÂll figure it all out when I get out there! I agree with your assessment of the new Echinaceas! From everything IÂve heard, they are definitely not as hardy as the old standbys! I hope yours make it. I know how much you like all the new varieties. When my garlic chives bloomed the first time a couple years ago, I was really impressed with how pretty they were too. I rarely use them when cooking, but I do look forward to their blooming. And the seedheads would be nice for dried arrangements too! I saved some the first year. Skybird

Hard to suggest not knowing exactly how much sunlight this spot gets under the trees. I will say in reminder that you consider the mature width/bulk of whatever shrubs you choose and plant at least 2-3 feet away from the fence for better air flow for the health of the shrub. Use well rotted compost to amend the soil rather than commercial fertilizer because you don't want to be attracting more feeder roots of the big trees to sudden nutrients. Whatever you plant needs the first couple years to establish its roots among the tree root area so years 3-4 after install you should see more growth. I'd honestly leave off the 'mulch' so it's easier for you to check for water needs and also spot if any voles decide to take up residence in the soils you've loosened for planting. I have curly ligustrum in a very shady spot against the house and shaded from morning sun by a broad vitex tree. The 'curly' has very dark leaves and interesting form, more tall than broad in shade. Might make a nice mix with leucothoe fronted by pieris and tuck in a few daphne odora and perhaps a mahonia or two for interesting yellow flowers and blue berries in the shade.