There are quite a few options. Boxwood, yews for evergreens, hostas and a variety of perennials as well. Depends what you need/want. Are you trying to hide the AC? Are there windows you need to consider? Is it seen from other parts of the yard, particularly the front? Clethra is pretty hardy...when was it planted?

It was planted in the heat late in the season. 6 died, 1 thrived. There is only one window in the area.

A landscaper should have a year warranty on plantings....have you contacted them? Were they well watered during the heat?

they have a warranty. Just wanted to look into other options. They were watered via drip irrigation. Everything else thrived.

Can you post a photo of the spot please? I find it easier to suggest plants when I can actually see the area under consideration.

one possibility that hasn’t been mentioned is Mountain Laurel, Kalmia latifolia.

Sorry about that...see below. To the left of the air conditioners are hydrangea.

I can't grow clethra. I think it is a pH issue.

Do you know what USDA zone you are in? That will help with suggestions.

We're in a very controversial zone...some claim 5 some claim 6

Do you want a hedge of all the same, like the line of hydrangeas or the original line of Clethra? If you want them all the same, they will all need to be short enough to not grow up in front of the windows unless you truly enjoy pruning shrubs. I would also suggest that almost all the Clethra seem to be alive, just had quite a bit of dieback, and they may recover if you have patience and keep an eye on soil moisture levels this summer. Don’t just rely on the timing of the irrigation system, but actually check that water is sinking down deeply in the soilwith your fingers. Regardless of what you plant, maintaining whatever soil moisture the plants like is important for the first couple of years.

If it were mine, I wouldn’t have the bed line jog in where the house does, but run the edge of the bed across in a single line. That will give the shrubs more space to grow as well as making the AC less visible without the shrubs having to be particularly close to the AC units because the shrubs will be set farther out from the house. As currently placed, it looks like your shrubs will be too close to the AC in a relatively short time. I would be more likely to place a simple but ornamental screen across a couple feet (or whatever the required clearance is) in front of the AC. Paint it to match the plantings or the house.

Your current Clethra might be a bit large for that spot because they can get large unless they are one of the smaller cultivars.

Because the area has sun for a few hours and then the shade looks relatively bright due to the lack of overhanging trees and the white siding, you can plant part sun plants. Whether any of these would work will depend on the cultivar you choose and whether you are able to enlarge the bed a bit.

Look at appropriately sized Rhododendron (either deciduous or evergreen), Kalmia/mountain laurel, Fothergilla, perhaps one of the Hydrangea arborescens/smooth Hydrangea cultivars unless that is the type of Hydrangea you already have, Leucathoe, Enkianthus, perhaps one of the smaller selections of Viburnum.

Thanks for the ideas and I will keep a check on the irrigation. I really like the mountain laurel and we were thinking about just adding more hydrangea, We currently have endless summers opposite the ac units. Do you have any suggestions for hydrangeas that would work well in this area and not take over the windows...although hydrangea seem easy to keep at bay?

Thanks again!

Jason

Little Lime Hydrangea and Bobo are both panicle hydrangeas and dwarf size (3-4') but I feel they might underperform in just 2 hours sun. The panicles are more sunloving, more drought tolerant. Hydrangeas aren't hard to keep smaller though if that's what you'd like to have. There's no end to the varieties available, many in the Endless Summer line.

What direction does this bed face? Oh, re: zones. We're on the northern MA coast and we're 6b. There really isn't a 5 anymore in MA. Even the coldest sector, western MA is a 5b. And then you have microclimates, many of which are near the house and protected so that can raise the zone a bit.

If you aren’t coastal, there is a reasonable chance that many winters the cold or spring frosts will kill off the overwintering flower buds on your Endless Summer so that you may miss the spring blooms and only get the fall blooms. Look at some of the smaller Hydrangea arborescens such as Mini-Mauvette or Wee White. Or if 4.5 feet will keep it below the window, consider some of the taller ones like any of the plants in the Invincibelle series or Annabelle. Or I find that I get reliable summer lacecap blooms from Hydrangea serrata Tuff Stuff. Any of these will be fine with your light levels unlike panicled Hydrangea mentioned by jama which like more sun In New England.

Sorry, didn't see Barb just mentioned Annabelle. I'll leave my post here in case you want more testimony:about this very reliable shrub.

"What about Annabelle hydrangea.? Ours are growing on the North side of our house.

They are well established, have bloomed every early summer for 15 years, They require cutting back about 10-14 inches every spring and after that, nothing. No maintenance, no feeding , no extra water. I have clethra and think it has lost its "shape." It gets messy looking and requires more judicial pruning than Annabelle. Just cut her back every spring (produces stronger stems so the flowers don't droop in the rain) and she maintains an attractive rounded shape and her perky greenish-to -white flowers."

The loss of your clethra really sounds like improper watering when they were trying to get established, and not any sort of site unsuitability. Any reason you aren't considering replacing the clethra (and ensuring correct watering this time)?