You mention in your other post that you think the gold may be lost against your brick color. If you plant a dark green evergreen, and the gold in front in a second layer, it will show up nicely, if the gold is what you want. If you want a red for winter, you could possibly plan on using a second plant, instead of relying on one to carry you through the year. One of the red twig dogwoods, planted in a large clump at one end, might give you the punch you want in winter when your other reds have lost their foliage. Or maybe a Winterberry Holly, a deciduous holly with bright red berries. Both lovely against snow. When you say symmetrical plantings, do you mean literally a mirror image, the same on both sides? I wouldn't with your house, which is informal in style. If you mean a fairly ordered planting with a lot of repetition of the same plant, that's something different. You do seem to be rushing into it a bit, and I can understand your impatience to get it done, we've all been there. The suggestion to ask at nurseries for design help is a good one. You may also know by now that with the cost of plants being what they are, an investment in a professional design can save you not only the angst of worrying over every decision, but time and effort wasted, as well as money wasted on mistakes. I've said it many times, and I speak from experience. Going to the nursery with a professionally done planting plan in your hand and a plant list is SO much more fun than doing it the way you are doing it. Even if you do the installation over a period of a few years, you are always moving toward a known goal, with no false starts, no guessing, and no gnashing of teeth. But if you're determined to do it yourself, go ahead and try. At least you are putting some thought into it, and you may make some mistakes, but you can always move plants that don't work to another area and try again.

Sunlight Gardens, a mail-order nursery with a very good selection of regional natives, especially recommends the Dutchman's Pipe or Pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla) for "screening" uses in a shady location. This vine will grow in sun or shade although probably not really deep shade. Not evergreen; however, the large, 6 to 12 inch, heart-shaped leaves, will effectively cover a fence or trellis during the growing season. The plant is named for the shape of the flowers. More description: "Dutchmans Pipe is a common vine in moist southern Appalachian hardwood forests in coves and along stream banks easily twining 20 to 30 feet high. It has been popular as a porch screen for ages because it is fast growing, has large heart shaped leaves, and has odd little flowers. The two inch pale brownish purple flowers are pipe shaped or s-shaped with a widely flaring triangular "mouth" perfect for catching careless flies. The curious looking early summer flowers are borne sparsely among the wide leaves. Try it on a trellis for screening or let it ramble among shrubs and trees. It likes good moist soil and can take either shade or sun." For even more information, see http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=J410 "Will quickly provide dense cover for sun porches, verandas, pillars, posts, trellises, arbors, fences or walls. Has been used for many years to screen front porches, and is capable of creating a deep shade." And, as a further benefit, pipevine (Aristolochia) is the main host plant for the caterpillar of the beautiful pipevine swallowtail butterfly, described here. (So if you do plant this vine, and then eventually a weird looking black caterpillar with orange spikes all over its body shows up, please take good care of your "babies" and don't spray them!) http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/pipevine_swallowtail.htm Here is a link that might be useful: Dutchman's Pipe Vine available - Sunlight Gardens

Cindy, I've yet to see a juniper that doesn't like it here, although I'm sure there are some. I think the junipers will be dense enough, but you might want to google and take a look at thuja "Green Giant" because they make a good screen also and seem to be well-adapted here, as are some of the other thujas. The loblollies here in southern OK are not very dense, and get insanely tall, so be sure they are what you want. You don't want trees that will get too tall and be out of scale with the rest of your landscape. I like Austrian Pines, had one in Fort Worth, and was very pleased with it. It was fast-growing, pretty dense, and didn't have any pest or disease issues there. I haven't grown Austrian Pine here though. If you have time to surf the internet, go to the website linked below and look at photos/read descriptions of the plants they carry. I'm not saying you have to buy their plants, just that their website is VERY thorough and is a very good guide to what grows well here. Also, are you "married" to the idea of having only conifers? I think I'd put in some broadleaf evergreens too--maybe some type of a holly. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Sooner Plant Farm Website

Beautiful property! I would plant some hosta, dicentra, astilbe (in any damper spots or near a birdbath where you change the water regularly, so the astilbe gets lots of H2O), heuchera, etc. Sweet Woodruff is a wonderful, evergreen groundcover with white flowers in spring. Your yard is exactly the way I envision mine. Sadly, the galloping gardeners have other ideas and trample everything in their path. We also have lost several oaks and a couple other trees in the past several years, so I am getting more sun which is frying some of my shade plants. I have planted more trees, but they are young yet. I also fear that new neighbors are going to pretty much clear their property (he told me he likes grass and the golf course look), so we will lose more shade as well as privacy and a lovely vista. He has already removed five trees and have plans for a pool next spring, so more are bound to go. Yikes. I had better get planting this fall! Can't wait to hear how you proceed! Congrats on the new house!