Yes, bushes and shrubs are the same thing (unless you are talking politics), but shrubs is a more acceptable horticultural term.

Most of Delaware seems to be a zone 7 so your plant choices are pretty broad - in fact, almost too broad to be practical to give specific suggestions, specially since you did not indicate what your sun or shade conditions are or the type of soil you are dealing with. You would be far better off visiting a good local nursery or garden center (not a Home Depot or Lowe's). Nursery staff are typically much more knowledgeable than box store employees and if you describe your growing conditions, size requirements and preferences for evergreen, flowering, etc., they will give you a bunch of choices.

There are scores of flowers that return year after year - they are referred to as perennials. Again, your choices will be limited only by your specific growing situation and your imagination.

Unless you are looking at dwarf varieties, most trees will grow in excess of 20 feet. Many novice gardeners are unaware of the sizes of established plants that they see - a 20-25' tree with a modest spread is not a big tree by any stretch of the imagination and is certainly suitable for smaller gardens. Or if you really want something smaller and more compact, you may be better off looking for faster growing large shrubs for your privacy screening. Again, your nursery is the best place to get suggestions for these types of plants. Be prepared to tell the staff the amount of sunlight the area gets and the quality of the soil. This will help them pick out plants that will do well under those conditions.

I'd write down the nursery's suggestions, and then come home and google the plants; being a bit newer to the scene, you might want to read up on what [if anything] is said about each suggestion in the forums for Shrubs; Perennials; Mid-Atlantic (which is all sorts of gardening, but they'll know specifics about your area).

Keep in mind not only your soil and available sunlight, but the actual running and square footage you want planted, and don't forget that some of those cute little twiggy sticks in the pots can grow rapidly into lovely, but *big* shrubs once they have a real home. Also consider how much, if any, pruning will be needed to keep the plant looking good.

Do consider a buddleia some place; the effort of the annual prune-back is more than made up for by the many butterflies which will visit it every summer.

Hi. My husband and I live in Michigan and we just moved into our newly built house. There is no landscaping at all...we are starting from scratch. We are starting with the front of the house by the side-walk to the front door. This area is shady w/clay soil and it is blocked from the wind. Any suggestions on what plants would do the best for these conditions. We would like to add a lot of color and would like to have a variety of flowering plants/bushes. Any ideas you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!!

I had a similar problem a couple of years back as far as the privacy tree situation is concerned. I had only 11 feet on the side of my house and 4 ft had to be kept clear for the AC unit and to let the gasman read the meter. I ended up going with an emerald arbovitae as it doesnt get too tall or too wide and it's evergreen.

Hope that helps
JP

A number of gardeners have a 'thing' about gardening out the front. Something about grovelling in ancient slacks and looking 'uncool', I think...

Suggest that whatever is planted near the access path is not likely to spill over and doesn't grow high enough to obscure the doorway.

If you like to snip and shape - a centrepiece topiary - or two, could give you a formal look and provide a framework over the winter as well.

Potted plants you put out over the summer, and supporting annuals could give both a foundation and the colour you're wanting.

A wide and welcoming arch with, perhaps, laburnum, or wisteria, honeysuckle, clematis, roses. Just be sure the arch is wide and high so at least two people can walk up to the door side by side without being swished by plants.

We live in Fl. and have a home being built in Citrus County near Ocala[zone 9a].Will Hydranga grow there?
Please give some ideas of trees that would do well there?
There is a Preserve that is next to the property so we want to put in as many trees as possible as soon as we can to keep the woodsy feel. Plan to plant many roses too and I know they require a minimum of 6 hrs of full sun. Thanks
Also include fruit trees if you can.