Thanks for the suggestion, reyes. I assume you mean the sand Cherries instead of the miscanthus, correct? I definitely like the color contrast these would provide, but am hesitant for the same reason I'm considering relocating the forsythia...that being very little contrast/variation in the foliage shape itself, which was one reason I thought an ornamental grass could be nice. Thoughts? Also...is it possible to prune the cherries so they remain as a shrub...I'm not familiar with them at all. Thanks!!

Thanks for all the responses. Just wanted to update in case anyone is wondering...My decision was made for me when I was able to get six 'Honey Maid' hollies that I had had my eye on for $4 each. We planted them as a short hedge in Site "A", because this site is more protected, and I thought would be more suitable for them, in addition to being more effective as a year-round screen because they are evergreen. The 'Limelights' went in Site "B". I think the fun is in seeing how they will do! According to my research, oaks are more deeply rooted than some other trees, so there is not as much concern about underplanting. In my neighborhood, which is unofficially named "Oakwood", you can see many old oaks with shrubs/trees planted underneath. I am very concientious about making sure things stay watered while being established, and we are going to put grass clippings and shredded oak leaves on as mulch on both areas this fall. In the spring we'll put hardwood mulch over these borders, to help hold in moisture. Thanks again for everyones input. Nora

Is it a heated garage? Did you water it while dormant? Sorry @luis_pr for the delay in replying. The garage is not heated (the coldest I observed inside the garage was -12 C/10 F while it was -22 C/-8 F outside) and the only water it got was from 'clumps' of snow that I would put on it every once and awhile through the winter. So here it was on May 17: And today, about 6 weeks later: I can tell you that it looks lots larger than it actually is, but clearly it is producing flowers (on strictly new wood).

I might just build a bed around the hydrangeas using cardboard with mulch on top. It will eventually smother the grass. Might take some time but I think that would be least labor-intensive. You could take a pick-axe and with the flat blade skim the grass off the top. You would have to be careful close to the shrubs to prevent going too deeply and damagint the roots. Even if you remove the grass I would still put down cardboard (or a thick layer of newspapers - but who reads newspapers anymore, sadly?) and put the mulch on top of that. :) Dee P.S. Looking at your pictures again I might bring that mulched area onto the other side of the fence. I'm not sure just bringing it to the fence would do as much good as extending it a bit further.