I think what you're mostly lacking is scale. Unfortunately scale takes either time or money. :-) If you want any trees in front, I'd do that first - well, this fall, anyway. Shrubs would be a main consideration, too. Though do check and see how big they get and plant for their mature size! It'll take a few years for your plants to mature, but it's worth the wait. If it were me, I'd put something tall at that corner to soften that edge; maybe a juniper? Though that close to the house, I'd check and make sure their roots won't become a problem. Other than that a twining vine on a trellis might be a good choice.

Just a comment on the north facing situation. It's the back of my house that faces due north. I'm in zone 6, which for me means very hot summers and winters with bitter cold, and cycles of snow - ice - thaw that can be plant killers. Throw in prairie winds out of the west and it's no fun right now. But my absolute favorite planting bed is a 9' x 20' border snugged up against the back of the house beside my back patio. I understand what you mean about the intense light in summer, but there may be a trick to it that will help you decide about what you will plant. I've watched how the shade line moves back toward the house as we move from spring up to the summer solstice (about June 21). At that point the shade line is about as close as it will get to the house itself. For me, there's a 3 ft band that is always in the shade. I don't plant that close to the house, but I do plant near that 3 ft mark. Those plants have access to growing some of their roots toward the shade. Plus the plants nearest the house are shaded through the days of the spring when the tilt of the earth thingy is moving that shade line. Anything closer to the house also gets the reprieve from the sun soonest as the shade line moves back in the other direction further and further from the house. In other words around the spring equinox (about March 21) the house shades an area extending beyond the bed and the patio. At that point everything is in complete shade and the plants are coaxed up from the ground by the warming earth and gentle ambient light. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths poke up a little later here because they are kept cooler in the shade. Right at the sweet spot (about 5 ft from the house in my situation) a gorgeously robust clematis is beginning to need a little more space. It usually blooms long and then blooms again in the fall. So far I mostly have shade plants in this entire bed in spite of the fact that I know the afternoon light is coming. Kept watered, and tended, and mulched, I have been amazed at how well these shade prefering plants do. But ... I think it helps that as the earth's tilt again shifts the light southward, the shade in this area slowly begins to give its reprieve to these plants. I once used this bed for vegies ... just to see how that would go ... and the things that really love light to do well and are harvested in Aug and later, didn't produce much once they were tucked under the growing edge of the shade. Your situation is different, so you'll have to watch the light. On a sunny day in January the north side of my house is gloomy and significantly colder. The south side is the brighter warmer side. Anyway, my point is that you can work with this exposure and expect good results. There are all kinds of ways to create shade protection. A stepping stone in just the right spot is incredibly effective for keeping the ground moist and cool near a plant. I sometimes use that technique in addition to plenty of mulch. I love my north side beds and was actually planning to add hydrangia to my little playground in back. Wellspring

Hi, Dee Thought I would suggest Arborvitae, Emerald (Smargd). It is a tall, columnar evergreen that I use alot in my designs where I want tall and narrow. They will get to about 10-12 feet tall and three feet wide here. I have them at each corner and each angle of my house, and on either side of my front door. I grow them in full sun to almost total shade here and they do well. If anything, the shade makes them a bit narrower, which is fine with me. You were talking about depth of your beds. I find it easier to design the plantings first and then just make the beds a depth that will accomodate the mature size of the shrubbery. Be sure to leave a good two feet of empty space along the wall of the house for window washing and other maintenance. You mentioned purple foliage. I find it shows best, especially against a dark background when it has something chartreuse planted behind it. If you want to use alot of deciduous plants, you might want to consider doing a low edging around the beds, or part of the beds, with boxwood. This gives a parterre look, which I have really come to enjoy over the years. It can be low maintenance if you choose the right box. Go for low and SLOW growing varieties. I use alot of korean box (which may or may not be good as far north as you are) for this purpose. I only have to shear once a year. Be aware that boxwoods can have hungry roots. I root prune mine every year or two with a spade to keep them in bounds and away from other plantings. I can get one gallon boxwoods here for about $8 each. Of course, we don't grow Green Velvet and some of the other beautiful ones like it here in the south. One other thought. If you will get a pad of graph paper and a tape measure and go to the house, you can measure and draw out the area to scale. Just use one little box for one square foot. Then draw away (in pencil). When you are done, you'll know exactly how many plants you will need for the project. It's a low tech way, but it works. Being able to visualize things in your mind really helps. It sounds like you have that ability. Good luck! I am sure it will turn out beautifully.

North side: open shade in the middle of the bed...few hours of sun on each end of the bed...in the morning on one end, and in the afternoon on the other end. * Dwarf Pampass grass * Sweet Flag * Tassle Fern * Autumn Fern * Big Blue Liriope * Hostas (various, do great in the shade on a North wall) * Cleyera (fabulous glossy leaves. new growth is red, turning to green as it matures) * Lamium (Golden Anniversary, White Nancy...both varieties provide bright spots in the shade but they won't appreciate damp shade...leaves get mushy) * Ivy * Gumpo Azalea (stays compact. can't kill it. I can't, anyway.) * Camellia Japonica (Marie Bracey var.) * Vinca Minor (spreads like crazy and some people don't care for it. Personally, I like that it spreads so fast, and it has pretty lavender flowers..just cut it back when it starts to creep too far) On the South side of the house: * Nandina Domestica (mine have required virtually no care and look beautiful. I have 5 of them planted and right now they are a brilliant red. There are dwarf varieties available which stay compact and still provide that red color in the winter) * Soft Touch Holly ( stays compact and mine have been maintenance-free, with the exception of occassional watering during periods of drought last summer. very slow growers and great as a filler plant) * Blue Shore Juniper ( compact and very pretty color..have been maintenance-free and have looked magnificent all winter) I did have Wintercreeper growing on this side of the house, too, but it got some sort of borer insects and never did do well, despite application of a treatment for the bugs. I dug it up a few days ago and tossed it. I have roses growing in front of the house, by our front door, and they face due west....so I'd wager that they'd do well for you, too, in that position. I cut ours back too hard last Fall and I thought I'd killed one of them because it started oozing and didn't look well at all. Nope...it's growing like mad at the moment. Our electric lines are the only lines that don't run under ground, here. It would be a good idea to find out where yours are located because while digging a bed for my Sago Palm last year I cut into our cable line....looked just like a pine tree root. *blush* They came out and fixed it for free, but the guy said if I did it again he'd take my Sago away. LOL. Anyway, all the plants I've listed provide interest year round, with the exception of the Hostas, which die back once freezing weather sets in. They will come back, though, when it warms up again. Everything is just now in its second year...ie., it all got planted last year. We only purchased our home 2 years ago and I didn't get around to landscaping the property until last Spring. BTW, if I can figure out how to upload my pictures of the plants I've listed, I'll post them. I took pics. last fall of all my beds but they're in a file on our computer, not hosted. Good Luck and I apologize for the novella.