I like Chaenomeles/Flowering Quince. Cameo & Toyo Nishiki are varieties that grow to about 6 ft.; Jet Trails & Texas Scarlet stay at about 2 ft. They just finished blooming. They have small thorns so deer leave them alone. Mine are near the road-salt doesn't bother them either. Their crabapple sized fruit is ok for jam or baked products; not good fresh.

Hello!

I think the plums you were looking at were probably Italian Prune Plums. They're kind of a dusty blue black, right? With yellow or reddish yellow flesh? You can plant almost any fruit tree (check the zones and don't plant apples near Black Walnut trees) just make sure you get a dwarf or semi dwarf size, and then wrap them with chicken wire to protect them from deer until they get big enough to be left alone.

As for shrubs, you should probably consider whatever is deer proof. In my neck of the woods the deer eat both azalea and rhodies. If you have full sun, lilacs are always wonderful and pretty much full proof around here. In shadier areas, forsythia is a true work horse (there's a reason every old house around here has the common trio of forsythia, peonies and lilacs. I think they were all planted when the houses were built and have persisted ever since!). High Bush Cranberries, flowering Quince, some particularly thorny and tough roses like Rugosa roses, Mock Orange - are all great. I would take a tour of other houses and yards around your neighborhood and see what seems to be growing well. Ask your neighbors about their gardens, or go to a local plant nursery (not a big box store) and ask there. Poking around locally is always the best way to get information.

Good luck!