I looked them up for you. All three can be grown in your zone; thus, overwintering should be fine if you can find and follow the specific recommendations. The general plant care info below is not specific to container growing conditions for these tall deciduous shrubs and evergreen tree. Clethra alnifolia (summersweet) has definite climate and soil preferences: Need acid soil (low pH) similar for rhododendrons and azaleas. Full sun in cool gardens. Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry): Not sure but red chokeberry can grow in any soil and full sun. Tsuga canadensis (Canadian hemlock): Conferous evergreen - no need to overwinter Acid soil w/ ample moisture High summer humidity Protection from hot sun/wind Tall in native eastern states but there are dwarf varieties.

I'm not well-versed in conifers, but do have a list at work from a presentation given by our Ag. Agent "Underutilized Trees & Shrubs". If I can remember, I'll bring it home; anything suited to our area should do just as well in yours. Right off the top of my head, two deciduous woody plants with good winter interest are the river birch (betula nigra) 'Heritage' and redosier dogwood. 'Heritage' is better suited to our hot summers than white birch, and is resistant to many of the pests and diseases; as it matures, it also develops a lovely an interesting exfoliating bark. There are a few different varieties of the redosier dogwoods now, with different coloration. They thrive in full sun to part shade, but will have better winter color in full sun. Winterberry holly is deciduous, and you need both male and female plants, but will have a beautiful display of bright red berries in winter - for the birds or to cut and bring indoors (use them as supports for your forced paperwhite bulbs ... great combination). I'm glad to see you've chosen the serviceberry (shadbush, amelanchier, etc.). Check the different varieties for the characteristics you prefer - some have more vibrant fall foliage than others. The berries are very attractive to wildlife (I didn't realize chipmunks climbed trees until I saw one gathering berries in one of the serviceberries at our park). The berries are edible for humans, if you can get to them before the wildlife does! They taste a lot like blueberries. One of my favorite local nurseries is also a good resource for information, rarefindnursery.com. Even if you don't order anything from them, you will find a lot of photos and information and I've always found it to be reliable. Ah, sweetbay magnolia (magnolia virginiana) - another native, semi-evergreen, very fragrant blooms (heavy in June, intermittently thereafter), seeds are colorful and food for wildlife. The undersides of the leaves are silvery, making a nice display when they flutter in the breeze. Choose an upright or multi-branching variety, according to your needs. Like serviceberry and river birch, they do well in a moist soil. Ninebark (physocarpus) is another deciduous native, for sun or partial shade. 'Diablo' is a dark red leaved cultivar with contrasting clusters of tiny pale pink flowers. I'm sorry, I should never get started.

Currently your azalea is in good shape, with new foliage looking healthy. "make sure you water often, azaleas love water" Please don't follow these directions as the poster is in Houston TX and probably does fine with azaleas there, but this won't work in midwestern clay. As a former Ohioan, this will leave your azalea with roots deprived of oxygen from saturated soil. I would mulch around your azalea with wood chips which will help keep the ground evenly moist and will over time add organic matter. Don't put them right against the trunk, however; leave a few inches between the trunk and where the mulch starts. If you haven't had significant rain for more than a week, stick your finger down through the mulch into the soil around your azalea to feel whether it needs water. You don't want the rootball soggy, but you don't want to let it get really dry as it can be hard to get the grower's mix to rewet. You have chosen a reasonable spot for it where it gets good light, but shelter from the worst of the southern sun. This may help during the winter months. Keep your receipt and if/when it dies, get a refund. akamainegrower referred to "iron clad" rhododendrons. Your Roseum elegans is one of them. They have the potential to get huge, though, so it isn't a great foundation plant. If you can plant it in a spot where it gets lots of summer light, but a building or evergreen gives it shade with the winter sun angle, you will be less likely to get winter-burned foliage. Planting a bit high in clay, and then putting soil around the raised part of the rootball and mulch on top of that will help prevent drainage issues, since as the chips start to rot the roots will grow into the nice organic rich soil that is to its liking. You will need to renew the mulch every year or two. I didn't plant this roseum elegans (planted by PO), but it is 4' from ground level to the window sill, 12' to the gutter and the center of the plant is 6' from the house. The plant is about 20 years old.

Try checking out the Maryland natives site: http://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/nativesMD/pdf/MD-Piedmont.pdf If you aren't in the piedmont, they have a mountain zone or coastal zone list as well. We are zone 7 in northern VA and have many of the same natives. I have currants, Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel-evergreen), Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay Magnolia-evergreen), Ilex opaca (American Holly-evergreen), Amelanchier canadensis (serviceberry-deciduous), Virburnum dentatum (southern arrowood-decid.), Decumaria barbara (native climbing hydrangea), vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry-need two different to cross-pollinate-I have Jersey and Hannah's Choice), native azaleas (deciduous), and pysocarpus opulfolius (common ninebark). I tried pines, but found them to be poor barriers/screeners, although mixed with other plants they are pretty and feathery. I decided that the screening was most needed for only three seasons, so I have a variety of trees (oaks, river birch,redbud, and native dogwood) and shrubs which offer depth and great screening when I need it. Lots of food and habitat for the birds, also. Hope this helps some. And do check out the website-lots of good information there! Cynthia