Well, I ended up buying another magic carpet spirea. It's nice and moundy shaped like I wanted, but the foliage can't substitute for strawberries, so now the bed is kind of out of whack, all the leaves look the same in that area. On the flip side, having more repetition has tied the two beds on the sides of my patio more together. I think I am almost there though. Just ripping out those strawberries with their copious runners did a world of good, making the whole think look neat, tidy and low maintenance, which I think will be a good selling point. Today back at work I noticed a patch of gorgeous sedums growing with beautiful pink flowers. I'd never seen that variety before. They would have made a good subsitute, with larger leaves. I can never find good sedums at the local nurseries though, and I don't have time or inclination to mail order. Someday if I ever get a house of my own again I definately want a little sedum patch! BTW, I think these "what to plant where" posts are an important part of landscaping, expecially in a small yard like mine. Tiny, micro yard landscaping is a bit like landscaping a japanese garden. Every plant has a specific role and function in the unified whole, and it takes a lot of work to balance color, form, leaf shape, bloom times, etc. to acheive a harmonious whole. I even threw in "something edible" as a function for some of my plants. I can't think it out on paper, I have to experiment. Some areas of my garden look just right, others need some work but sadly I'll never get to them. They look good enough for the average joe. I love these plants like thyme that do double duty, or others that are multiple seasons. You really have to select plants that are versatile in this situation. I took some pics and hopefully will be able to post eventually when I have the time to process them.

Check out my list. I would be happy to share some of my seeds for postage.

Zone 5 will not work for asian persimmons (like Fuyu), but american varieties would work (but I would avoid getting such a fruit unless you've had the opportunity to try it first. Mulberries would be a good choice (low maintenance, no spray, sweet and tasty) Jujube's might be a good choice, but the exposure of the site might make survival likely, but fruiting a chance. On the plus side, they are low maintenance, from what I've read they can take less moisture once established. (all trees will require a period of getting established) also, consider nuts. Walnuts and Hazelnuts might make good choices as well (though you will fight wildlife for much of the harvest) Blueberries will likely work (as you have acidic soil being in New England) as would serviceberries (which might be a better option in the long run) Pears are pretty easy in New England (as the tree in my grandmother's yard will attest). ~Chills

You can top an American persimmon and keep the height in check. American persimmons are astringent so birds and other wildlife don't generally bother them until they ripen. This is not the case with some Oriental persimmons. I use American persimmons for deer specifically because they are native to my area and low maintenance. You can't do much maintenance on hundreds of trees scattered across a couple hundred acres. Astringency helps me because flying and climbing animals don't much bother the persimmons. The don't get fully ripe until the fall on the ground. At that point deer have an equal chance as other wildlife. Most critters in the woods eat persimmon when they are ripe. So if you are living with wildlife in the area, they will keep the persimmons cleaned up pretty well from the ground. There are also some oriental persimmons as well as crosses between American and Oriental that are astringent. For a situation like yours, they may be a fit. If you use Lotus rootstock instead of Virginia they tend to be smaller trees. Many of the Oriental persimmons ripen on the tree and do not fall. If you use an astringent variety, they will be largely protected from animal use until they ripen. At that point you will need to compete with climbing animals. In a landscape setting you would not have the fruit on the ground issues if you don't have wildlife around to clean them up. My personal experience is with American persimmons for wildlife. I just throw Oriental out as an option for you. Others can help with specific varieties. I don't know if they are as maintenance free as American. Thanks, Jack