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

I planted my boxwood hedge last summer (consisting of about 40 boxwoods)---goodness I can't imagine 300! I have to laugh at how much you sound like me though.... Ah, how we drive the husbands crazy eh? I have to ask, how are you pruning them at this point? Are you keeping the rounded shape? Mine are still round balls about a foot from touching, so I've been lightly pruning them, but haven't started boxing them in at all yet. I've read about the stake and string method, and to make sure not to go straight down, but rather have the top be a bit more narrow than the bottom. When is the right time to start that shape? I was waiting until they grew together, but the above comment about not having a dense shrub worried me. My neighbor's boxwoods are 5 years old and have not been pruned much (she likes them to be more natural) and I did notice the other day how open they are inside compared to mine that seem more tightly packed. I don't want to lose that! Sorry to tag along on your thread here, but I am also anxious to hear the advice you receive! :) Oh, and I would love to see pictures as well!~ To post a picture, go to photbucket.com and upload your picture. Once the photo is uploaded onto the site, click the picture, and then click and paste the HTML code onto the text here.

I had the same situation, I needed a plant that could take the roof runoff. I planted an iris looking plant, that I bought at Lowes. I can't remember what color it bloomed, I bought it mainly for texture. I like airy plants. It got so large that Albert dug it up for me, maybe he can tell you more about the plant. Roselee took a picture of it and put it the photo gallery in this forum on 5-23-11( honeybunnys garden). I looked it up and its on the 3rd page. Its the 2nd picture down, next to the white indian feather( gaura). It was the only plant that could take the runoff, everything else rotted. I tried sky flower, yellow bells, and hibiscus they rotted. It fianlly got so large, it was blocking my sprinkler from watering the yard, that is why I gave it to Albert, who is the perfect neighbor. Indian feathers also come in pink, they bloom all year long. I cut them back in November, they are already 6 inches tall. They get dapple sun, and are planted on the North side of the house. Barbra

If the area in front of the yew hedge is also partially shaded there are many plants you can use. We have run into this often in older homes. Most of the time, given a shade to partially shaded location, we use a combination of blue, yellow, or variegated hostas and then purple or caramel colored coral bells. Both of these give season round color that goes well with the dark green of the yews and helps break up the finer texture of the yews with their coarser textures. It may not be the most original but for shade plants where I am they are good performers. Japanese painted fern would also do well for you given the right soil conditions (Ghost fern is also great). You need to use them in quantities large enough to get the full impact of their color. If the sight is bright enough for full sun perennials and shrubs then your options expand greatly and you can use just about anything. I like textures than contrast with one another but you could also use very fine textured plants with good success so long as the color was different. If you are looking for shade plants with great flowers I would just about say go with annuals rather than perennials as they give such a long bloom time even in zone 4.