The reason the nursery is having a sale on shrubs is that this is the wrong time of year to plant shrubs. They are best planted in fall or early spring. That said, even though it's the wrong time of year, you can still plant now -- but you must take extra good care of your shrubs if you want them to survive and do well! Dig a large hole, add appropriate amendments (depending on your soil), and water regularly through the fall. [I will confess that I planted my small dwarf mugo pines this time of year two years ago -- and it was blistering HOT and we were still in our multiple-year drought. They survived and have done well ... and I am now in the process of moving seven of them (couldn't begin until last week, and if I wait till fall they'll be larger than I can handle). I will baby them ... and I'll be embarrassed if any of them die....] Here's the Shrubs forum's FAQ, which includes info on how to plant a shrub: http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/shrubs/ Make sure to plant your shrubs well away from the house. You want to leave at least a foot or two between the house and the shrubs, for window-washing, painting and house maintenance, as well as maintenance of the shrubs. Note that whatever you plant will be growing, so you want to plant it far enough from the house that after several years there will still be that foot or two of clearance between the house and the shrub. For instance, if the shrub's mature size is 5' in diameter, place its center 3 1/2' from the house (2 1/2' for half the mature width + 1' for clearance). It might be advisable to move the rhodie and azalea. Do you know what cultivars they are and what their mature size will be? Azaleas vary considerably in size. Many (most? all?) rhodies just keep growing and growing and growing. About that asymmetrical roof: I'm not a professional designer, but here's what I'd do: center a small tree (or large shrub) between the windows (not directly under the peak, but midway between the windows). The idea is that its crown will conceal the location of the peak. You might want something evergreen; I'm not sure how effective bare branches would be in the winter. The tree should be located several feet from the house. You want something with a relatively narrow crown, because you don't want to block the windows (or shade the front yard any more than it already is). You want something which will reach the height of the roof relatively quickly -- yet you don't want something so huge it will endanger the house. The shape should be rounded: you definitely don't want one of the narrow columnar evergreens or anything triangular (pointy Christmas-tree type). Unfortunately I am not knowledgeable enough to suggest what tree (or shrub) would be appropriate for your zone. But unless the nursery is also having a sale on trees, you have plenty of time to do research. Good luck!

eblin, thanks, I never considered a grass. I was just thinking today that I would like something that would contrast and be different than the bush's. When I was thinking about another bush of some sort it seemed like it was too much the same, then I thought some type of perennial may work better, but never thought of grass's. I will certainly consider that. Thanks for the suggestion.

I have to plan where I will put things before I order and it is no different with the bulbs. But this front section was very carefully planned. In the summer with the daylilies, roses and lilies blooming it all looks so pretty. I just needed to kick up the show for the spring blooms. I am very pleased with the result. Just wait till more tulips open. And there are different clases and divisions of tulips there so they don't all bloom at the same time. But enough bloom at once to make a big showing until the next ones bloom.

Thnaks, Bev! It's one of the dangers of guerilla gardening, unfortunately. But it was a nice long run. And while I could have weeded more, I think a lot of people enjyed the garden in the last few years. All of the herbs have found nice homes. (Some folks I didn't even know stopped by to say they'd enjoyed the garden and asked for specific plants.) I dug up the iris last weekend and the strawberry plants are being picked up Sunday. I've cut the New Dawn rose way back, and will dig it up this weekend. I wish I could think of some way to save the Bradford pear my folks gave me, but they brought it up from Cincinnati four years ago and it's simply too big to dig up. One of the guys I work with brought in a little red wagon, and we've been going out during the day, whenever we have a few minutes, and salvaging the flagstones and bricks from the garden. We've still got the little space immediately in front of the office, and will be developing that over the summer. We've already got two dwarf peach trees, 3 different types of lilacs, Mimi's Stella D'Oros.....