Everyone, thank you for your excellent suggestions. I think I now have some good ideas on what to do with my front yard. Gonativegal - thanks so much for listing your plants. I need hardy plants in my area as well. Although I;m listed a zone 5b in Canada, I believe my area compares to a US zone 4. Eduardia - nice to hear from you. I've always admired your garden. Just love those roses particularly the one that looks like a pink/peach double cup rose. Are these David Austen types? Threedogsman - love that look. It may just work for that median I was talking about. Although it faces a south east direction, it does have parts that are shaded and so your ideas could work out for that part of it. Some of the ideas I could also use for my backyard fence which has lots of light shaded areas. herblady I still love the idea of the wildflower garden and will use this idea for the main garden. I can imagine the wildflowers peeking through the ornamental grasses I have in that area.

This year I found a 'maurelii' banana at the local nursery so have a couple along with my musa basjoos in pots and flower beds. I also found a musa zebrina (blood banana) but I really don't think it's liking full sun. Interesting though, there's an impatien plant in the same pot that's doing well in full sun. My cavendish banana from last year is indoors as a houseplant and seems to be doing much better, I guess it didn't really like full sun when it was outside. I bought an 'improved meyer' lemon and so far so good (nice growth). My spindle palm is about to open it's only new leaf of the summer. My bismarck and fan palm from last year are only former versions of themselves (from growing indoors in poor light for the winter) but are back outdoors and doing good. My latest thinking, with this cool summer, is to analyze tropical plants that seem to do good no matter what the summer. The moonflower, morning glory, persian shield, begonias, nicotiana, petunias and even easy-to-grow marigolds seem to be doing fine. I am coming to the conclusion that my mandevilla is growing so slowly that it's not really worth the effort especially in a cool summer. It's only two feet high and not really filling out a trellis. Every gardener can probably relate to planting something, giving it a prime location and hoping it makes a big impact, and then have it just sit there and do nothing. I also have my rubber plant growing outside for the summer and am trying a Wollemi pine - I just had to have it. Part of my thinking for this year was that summer, even when we have nice summers, are so short. Therefore for alot of my plants I started with ones growing in a pot (example morning glory) rather than start from seed. Happy tropical gardening, Glen

I took a few moments to look at your little area. While scale was hard to determine, it looks like you have a fair amount of shade and that you have, or plan to have a lot happening in a small space. Shade is the harder one for the color you desire. My two top recs for the shade would be the sandcherry or the red baron crab. Corylus, Physocarpus, Sambucus, all are going to green out where they don't get enough sun. The Cotinus may be worth a try, for this reason: If you are hesitant to bite on a Emp. I because of exposure and price, try the Grace. The colored Cotinus are not necessarily as winter tough ...in particular wind exposure... as advertised. And if you have a Cotinus, you either need to have perspective (distance), or prune it regular to keep it looking full. What I have learned is this...we'll try to negotiate what is enough sun. The plant will tell you, and you'll learn something. Would your desire for red/purple color be able to be redirected? Rather than use it as a vertical accent behind, a flat carpet in front? I'm thinking specifically of heuchera. Or would other herbaceous perennials be able to provide the color and some height...I'm thinking perhaps hibiscus (shading issues), cimicifuga, eupatorium perhaps? If you have the time, check out Schulte's in St. Michael. Sometimes with the varied demands of the Twin Cities market, and all of the varied little microclimates that develop, not to mention dedicated enthusiasts who think nothing of moving their precious jap. maples into the garage each and every winter, there can be distortions of what is actually "proper" to grow in the area. Err on the side of caution and get a little north and see what's offered, and Schulte's has about as good a selection as you'll find north of 694/494.

I wonder if there is more to it than just ph though? I've had mine change colors in the same day and last week's candy apple red Mr. Lincoln (which turned tomato red with sugar added) is this week's purplish Mr. L for no apparent reason. My Midnight Blues can look just like Ebb TIde or can go almost to a bluish black velvet tone, sometimes purplish black. But both MB and Mr. L can have a velvet quality so I wonder if that has something to do with it? Ebb Tide has started out the morning dark violet and ended up dark burgundy by afternoon. My first Madame IP's blooms were all a gorgeous shade of violet and now they are magenta which I dislike immensely. It is a bit warmer though but expecting a cold front with the thunderstorms tonight. I'm going to start paying closer attention to this!