Another shade tree or a shrub line??

6 hours of direct morning sun, then after 3pm more of indirect sun

Mock orange - heavenly fragrance.

love it that's a def for my list

I love the foliage more than the flowers...atleast that is how I've been planning things as of late, who knows that might change in another 2 or 3 years. Last year I picked up several sm. shrubs: Red Leafed Contorted Filbert, Variegated Weigela, 3 different Physocarpus, and 2 different Smokebushes. I also picked up Black Lace Sambuca, it came back this year and is not in the most ideal spot for it! Itea, JM's, Mock Orange, Amelanchier, some of the native Ilex (holly) there are some dwarf non picky ones. 7 Sons is nice to, and of course my new found love of Viburnum. The smaller growing "swamp azaeles" might be nice. And to thrown in some all season, don't forget some of the med/dwarf conifers!

That's pretty much my front 2 beds, and alongside my house...lol. Not that I'm biased or anything :-)

Forgot to add, didn't want to suggest until I saw them come back this year: Carnival Weigela, and My Monet Weigela. I love Wine and Roses too!

Not sure the cultivar of Mock Orange I have, but I think it's a double flowering variety

Physocarpus 'Coppertina' is on my All-Star list.

I'd never heard of that one, Vic, but your pictures in PlantFiles are very nice. I'll put it on the wish list, thanks.

It's a real winner, Don. I have some shots of it in the Spring Blooms threads.

P. 'Coppertina' and P. 'Diablo' planted near, next to or around one of the hardy Hibiscus, like 'Fireball' or 'Copper King' (think that's the name of it) is a really awesome display. It was set up like that at the garden center I worked at last year...at the feet was some Carex cultivar, Bronze something or another (in these parts that Carex is treated like an annual)...

Would be neat to have the grouping in a corner, or middle of a bed...and go from there.

Or Summer Wine, which I prefer to Diablo because of its smaller size and tighter habit. Yes, 'Kopper King' has fantastic dark foliage and huge pink blooms. The cool thing about Coppertina is that it retains the two-tone effect throughout the season, so by planting a lighter foliage (or bloom as well) plant AND a darker, you get contrasting and complementing colors. Choose the right foliage texture, and you can get that contrast as well.

Here's KK foliage.

Here I mixed Summer Wine with Spirea thunbergii 'Ogon'. Coppertina would have been better but wasn't out yet. I may still get one in there somewhere.

So pretty, now I'm back to being confused. lol

Hee hee - many choices. I envy your blank slate though.

I envy the blank slate and space! I think of how many shrubs I could fit into that space, mixed in with underplantings of hosta, epimidiums, arasaime...I always spell the last 2 wrong.

I wouldn't be so much confused Jen, as I would be overwhelmed by actually making the decision. lol.

Yep, def overwhelmed!

Jen here are some of the pics of 3 of my "new" shrubs I puchased last year.

First up is the full on view of the variegated Weigela that I bought...

Here is a close up of the same shrub...

This is the flowering bud on a "hope to open soon" Caylcanthus...I purchased this shrub late in the season, after it had already bloomed...I'm thrilled to say that it is LOADED with buds...

Here is the pic of my Mock Orange loaded with buds...again, another late season purchase. When I picked this up, there were only 2 or 3 flowers left on it...I believe the cultivar is 'Velvet White.' I will have to check on that though, it's supposed to be a double flowered Mock Orange....

Thom - the coreopsis I got from you at the RU came up strong as did the Solomon's seal. Thank you again!

You are very much welcome! Both of those guys can survive just about anything...and once the Solomon's Seal finds it's home, it will grow like mad. Zagreb will grow great too, it just takes a season or so to really establish itself!