Thank you for taking the time and trouble to share these. So lovely! They give the rest of us inspiration and hope that spring might really be right around the corner. I hope that you will never feel that you're taking and sharing too many pictures of your garden. Can there really be such a thing as too many pictures of pretty roses on the antique rose forum?

..apart from the Iris's mentioned above... I would try Persicaria amplexicaulis or species Hemerocallis.... from what I've been reading these are not averse to wet soils in winter and spring...

Not great lighting for pics, but a couple spruces are doing their thing: Picea pungens 'Procumbens' It used to be very stiffly horizontal, but the left side started upturning last year or so. Usually even more intense blue. Picea abies 'Pendula' Picea glauca 'Rainbow's End' Picea pungens 'Thume'

I know exactly what you're saying bamboo. Everyone's different which means we don't have to do exactly what everyone else does. Do what you want to do and be happy as long as it's legal. If it bothers others people then too bad, they're just miserable and unhappy people and don't care if they pull other people down with them. Those people who complain about you will never appreciate tree's like we do. Tree's understand more than we think and they grow according to how we take care of them. Your tree's are definitely happy tree's and they thank you for taking care of them so well :)