Just a comment on the north facing situation. It's the back of my house that faces due north. I'm in zone 6, which for me means very hot summers and winters with bitter cold, and cycles of snow - ice - thaw that can be plant killers. Throw in prairie winds out of the west and it's no fun right now. But my absolute favorite planting bed is a 9' x 20' border snugged up against the back of the house beside my back patio. I understand what you mean about the intense light in summer, but there may be a trick to it that will help you decide about what you will plant. I've watched how the shade line moves back toward the house as we move from spring up to the summer solstice (about June 21). At that point the shade line is about as close as it will get to the house itself. For me, there's a 3 ft band that is always in the shade. I don't plant that close to the house, but I do plant near that 3 ft mark. Those plants have access to growing some of their roots toward the shade. Plus the plants nearest the house are shaded through the days of the spring when the tilt of the earth thingy is moving that shade line. Anything closer to the house also gets the reprieve from the sun soonest as the shade line moves back in the other direction further and further from the house. In other words around the spring equinox (about March 21) the house shades an area extending beyond the bed and the patio. At that point everything is in complete shade and the plants are coaxed up from the ground by the warming earth and gentle ambient light. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths poke up a little later here because they are kept cooler in the shade. Right at the sweet spot (about 5 ft from the house in my situation) a gorgeously robust clematis is beginning to need a little more space. It usually blooms long and then blooms again in the fall. So far I mostly have shade plants in this entire bed in spite of the fact that I know the afternoon light is coming. Kept watered, and tended, and mulched, I have been amazed at how well these shade prefering plants do. But ... I think it helps that as the earth's tilt again shifts the light southward, the shade in this area slowly begins to give its reprieve to these plants. I once used this bed for vegies ... just to see how that would go ... and the things that really love light to do well and are harvested in Aug and later, didn't produce much once they were tucked under the growing edge of the shade. Your situation is different, so you'll have to watch the light. On a sunny day in January the north side of my house is gloomy and significantly colder. The south side is the brighter warmer side. Anyway, my point is that you can work with this exposure and expect good results. There are all kinds of ways to create shade protection. A stepping stone in just the right spot is incredibly effective for keeping the ground moist and cool near a plant. I sometimes use that technique in addition to plenty of mulch. I love my north side beds and was actually planning to add hydrangia to my little playground in back. Wellspring

Lots of good ideas already offered here. We are nuts for roses (count now over 100), and have cottage garden plants in a picket fence area in our front yard. We have no azaleas, and we want to add boxwood somewhere!! I also look at the Cottage Garden and both Roses forums, you'll find them very helpful. Love the David Austin roses, not been very happy overall with J&P roses. I would mix it up a bit, maybe two or three Austin varieties that compliment each other in color, maybe 3 of each one. The Renaissance roses are quite lovely too- ck out www.helpmefind.com and look up 'contains: "Renaissance"' in the rose search. Another favorite roses we grow is "Paul Bocuse"- a beautiful pink one. To see pics of our front and back gardens and landscaping, ck out my Picture Trail: careytearose Here is a link that might be useful: look at Landscaping Projects 2007, Favourite ROSES We Grow albums

"Finally, I'd like some input from folks as to whether this space is too long to simply put in a line of a single plants... " It depends on what you mean by "this space"... just what's at the porch, or along each side of house? Between shadow in your photo and materials setting in the way of view, I can't tell how much slope is along left side porch area... but it looks like there's some. I suggest you grade so as to continue it level along the porch area for a look of greater stability for the whole house, and so that when you install lattice (or something) it's easier and looks better. For surrounding the porch area, a single plant type (with possible seasonal color added at each side of steps) would look good. I'd graduate to a larger shrub, as needed, to compensate for the slope. Also, there's are fair amount of blank wall space below windows @ the drive side that could be two-thirds screened. It's likely that during the summer what is now exclusively shade, will get some sun. At this point, I'm not trying to address what any plant is... just form and arrangement.

My original post might not have been too clear. I am just looking for ideas for foundation planting ideas, not a total landscape design. Gosh. I do not find this rude nor dismissive. The OP simply apologized for perhaps wording the original post poorly (which he did not) and restated his desires. I find it amazing that someone could belong to GW for less than a month and feel it appropriate to comment on the suitability of a post for a given forum. As it is, you have probably driven away a poster who was gaining insight from the kind people on this forum who chose to respond. I personally have learned a lot from the people willing to give their time to help those of us who have no idea what we are doing. Many of us have posted questions that are not "landscape design", yet the mainstays of this forum have taken their time to answer our questions, address our concerns, and carry us into the next (perhaps incremental) stage of our development. Many of us now mostly lurk, but we are learning with each thread that occurs (well, maybe not with every one, but with many). It seems to me that perhaps you, as a landscaper yourself, could take the time to read some previous threads, learn the culture of this forum, then find a way to offer your insight such that it will be appreciated. Ink offered you the same advice. And, it might not hurt to take care with posters screen names. You still (probably deliberately) have maro's wrong, and inkognito's as well. If you want to talk about courtesy, then show the people on this forum some as well. ducking back into hiding now