Just a question, but do you prune off the Spirea before it leafs out in spring? I shorten mine to about 10 inches, just as the leaf buds appear. The benefits are lush new growth, puts the bloom time back a few weeks, so everything looks nice at a different time. Mine are Limemound and Goldmound, so the colors are quite different, contrast well. Other varieties might give you different leaf colors as well. The short, Japanese Spirea, bloom on new growth, so your shearing them short, should help increase the bloom quantity too. My flowers last a couple weeks, as they gradually all get opened. I love the little Spirea, they are always colorful, RELIABLE, no work except that yearly cutting back. So an idea for you to consider. Change out the bushes if you only have plain green. Doing an every other variety, with two very different colored leaves, could be quite striking.

Thyme2.....you are right, I guess that is why I was having a hard time coming up with something...lol. I was just looking at Skimmia the other day and trying to figure a place to add one, but this particular location it would not work. They are a very pretty shrub in the shade. dibbit...Nandina is probably not hardy here in z6a. I never see it for sale in a local nursery. The shade would probably be too much for the conifers, having already tried to find a conifer for another location that would grow in shade, it is not easy. Small azaleas is an idea I had not thought of. They grow nice and slow too and if there was enough light, they might even bloom which is a nice plus. Are there 'non invasive barberries'? I happen to like barberries but have stayed away from them thinking they were all on the invasive list. I especially like the yellow ones. Ilex crenata ...I hadn't remembered those. I just found a webpage of cultivars that are minature and dwarf, and if I can find a few of those, they could work and would be evergreen. I am not quite sure how much sun/light they will get, they will be near the drip line of a Maple tree, on it's East side. I will have to observe it next spring as doing so now would not be of much value, since the light is so different this time of year. I know at one time we had a Father Hugo rose growing there that did develop some bloom, so maybe there would be enough light for the azaleas to bloom. Yes, Hostas would be a last resort choice for me. This location is in the front of the house, so having something neat and evergreen would fit the bill much better. Great ideas...thank you very much for the help! Here is a link that might be useful: Cultivars of Ilex crenata

Hi Ritholtz - Leylands are beautiful trees. If you want to trim them that short, they may be more prone to disease over time. It's better to find a plant that you can prune a bit closer to it's mature height. Maybe other can weigh in on this? Neil Sperry says never to "top" a tree. Because I read recently that Neil Sperry (or Howard Garrett) no longer recommends Leyland Cypress for Texas, I marked it off of my consideration list (arborvitae's are prone to a lot of insects?). Because of that, I am focusing more on junipers. You can google evergreen plant nursery for dimensions, "mature" rate, etc... If you are interested, I would do some further research. Last night I was looking at some videos of Wax Myrtle on youtube. I recommend checking the videos and google "wax myrtle trees" images. Yes, they do need to be pruned and trained as a tree (some people want them to grow more as a shrub). They take really well to pruning so it is possible to make them look like a nice tree. I found some really nice ones. Right now, I'm looking at the Majestic Beauty Indian Hawthorne; It grows to the right dimensions, is evergreen, drought tolerant. I would have to find a larger size since it is only moderate growing... Here's what I'm doing - a combination of spartan juniper, Nellie Steven's Holly, Blue Point Juniper, Majestic Beauty Indian Hawthorne, and Cleveland Pear (hardier version of the Bradford Pear - a bit larger and still very dense). I know some people hate the pears but I think they are "well-groomed" and provide good density. Cleveland is less prone to blowing over in an ice storm. Also, according to Neil Sperry, they have a moderate lifespan (25-50 years) and fast growing. In all these trees, I'm taking into consideration - hardiness, drought resistance, density (for privacy) and beauty. I've been reading Neil Sperry's gardening book to help narrow down choices; I recommend it! Hope you can find some answers!

A lot of the clumping bamboos (most, I believe), that are hardy in zones 7 and 8 are subtropical mountain species. Which means..., they are not as hardy to extreme cold or too extreme heat as that notorious running genus, Phyllostachys (you don't wanna go there!). F. rufa seems the most commonly available in the Mid Atlantic area. It is a nice species and does put up well with our hot nights (a potential issue with many of the mountain species). It has seen temps from 4F to 109 without any burning. It is not cheap, and you will not get a privacy wall overnight, but will, eventually, if it likes its positioning. Some shade from the hottest sun is definitely a big advantage. It is well-behaved and will not be invasive, but will form a dense grove. We have Fargesia rufa (Green Panda Bamboo). Started with little pots and every year would divide each plant to lengthen 'the wall'. Growing area gets morning sun and dappled midday. It is never watered nor fed.