I always hesitate somewhat to recommend annuals to someone who lives so far north of me, because your climate is so different, but here is a list of some that I really like and that ought to do well for you. Ask around and research in your area before jumping in with both feet. Zinnia Profusion, Pink and white tones: These are fabulous for the front of a border. They bloom non-stop, and probably will do better for you than they do for me. Our intense sun causes the pink shades to fade. Mexican Zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia) in Crystal White is a truly outstanding plant for us. It will be at its very best in late summer when everything else is pooping out. Salvia farinacea, Victoria is my very favorite blue and it's spiky too. It's about eighteen inches high. Delphiniums or larkspur would probably do well for you, and again, they provide spiky form that is so valuable. If they bloom all summer in your mild climate, I'd definitely include them. The larkspur will reseed. They are tall, but the foliage isn't, so they don't seem so tall, if you know what I mean. Sweet Alyssum will bloom all summer (for you, not me), comes in whites, lavenders, and pinks. It's great at the front of a border and provides nice fine texture. It will also reseed if happy. helichrysum is a splendid foliage plant that would provide silvery blue color with its fuzzy leaves all summer. Lambs Ears would do the same and provide some bolder forms. You could also consider stachys grandiflora. It's blooms are rose pink. Very attractive plant and if you have good luck with lavender, you should do well with it. Alternanthera is another wonderful low growing spreader. It has purple/silver/green leaves that are metallic looking, but not garish. It weaves through other plants well. It will spread 3 feet by summer's end, so set it back in the border, to avoid having it all over your grass. I second the motion for pentas. They are splendid annuals that look great the whole season with absolutely no care. red, pink, rose, lavender, and white. I personally like the full sized ones (about 18 inches) better than the dwarfs. The blooms are in scale better with the larger plant size. The whole plant is neat and elegant. Blue Lobelia, crystal palace is a great front of the border mounder that provides fine texture and really really blue flowers. (I'm so jealous to think of all these lovely plants you can have all summer that I can only have in late fall and early spring! :) pansies! snapdragons heliotrope Vincas are hard to beat in the heat of summer. They come in a wide range of pinks, reds, whites, and even lavenders. They have beautiful dark glossy foliage, make neat mounds, and never say die till frost. They reseed. Wave petunias Some begonias and dahlias would fill the bill too. Celosia, gomphrena, Amaranthus, nicotiana and statice would all be possibilities too. Oh, and browallia (blue). As you vary the number of plants you use, also stagger them in your bed. In other words, for a drift of seven, say, plant 3 across the very front of the bed, then plant 4 more right behind them. Then begin the next drift of plants in that odd space in front, so that the flowers blend together and don't seem to be rowed up. Make some of your drifts go deeper back into the bed, and other drifts spread out wider. (I hope this makes sense! It's easy to do, hard to explain!) There are, of course, more, but these should get you started. Post a picture next year and let us see how it turns out!

My Rdr is bare now, but it's in a spot where it's not getting a lot of sun right now because of the angle of the sun. My roses in the front get tons of sun even now because my yard faces south. It's actually sunnier there now than in the summer because then the sun is overhead and the trees block some of it. I have lots of new growth on most of my roses out front, but they may not have time to put on buds if it gets cold. Also, no rain for weeks, so that is having an effect. My teas look the best. Mdme Lambard is really pretty right now. Also Lady Hillingdon. I guess they like the cooler weather.

I must be luckier than most of you. I have for years planted rooted cuttings with a 2 litre bottle over them in the fall, had most of them survive the winter and thrive the following spring. Those with yellow blooms are the hardest to overwinter. The bottle cap acts to moderate both temperature and humidity. If the cutting has developed a new cane by autumn, the cap comes off until temperatures are really cold, and the plant is dormant; then, it goes back on. It stays until early spring, when the temperatures rise. The humidity in the bottle in spring can cause molds to develop. It is important to leave the bottle on, but not the cap, until after the last frost for two reasons: one, the cuttings may succumb to the freeze, and two, the bunnies like to lunch on the tender darlings. Usually, the cuttings get a head start in their little greenhouses in the spring. Of course, as Michael says, there is no guarantee of its survival. That is why I typically take three cuttings from the same plant. One has a chance of survival (and often all three do!), and groups of three look rather good in the garden, supposing I don't feel generous enough to give one or two away. In any case, good luck with your baby and the choice you make for overwintering it. Steve.

I have an area on the north side of the house. In spring-summer-half-of-autumn it is about 6-8 hrs of sun. In half-of-autumn and winter, 1 hour of sun. The roses do well and have for the 4 years since I planted them. I think if they get lots of sun over the course of the growing season, they can get by with a few months of shade because they've been able to store up some carbohydrates in the sunny portion of the year. Of course, I am in a mild climate--that doesn't hurt either. But as michaelg said, if this is due to tree growth and it will get shadier over time, plant something else, or consider removing or pruning some trees...