You might have guessed what I'd advocate: viburnums. Too many good ones out there; you must have at least a few, and certainly make sure you get good cross-pollination.

My current passion is the native range of the genus, and determining the tolerances of same. V. acerifolium, V. dentatum (and friends), V. molle, and V. rufidulum. I'm getting over my V. nudum insanity, now that I have a passle of pollinators around the yard.

I think my garden/landscape would have to include at least one Japanese Maple, lilac, forsythia, hydrangea & hibiscus. Of course, shade trees are a must too.

As for plants...clematis, daylilies, coneflowers, cranesbill geraniums, heuchera and phlox are plants I can't live without.

Trees - Serviceberry; Magnolia; Japanese Maples
Shrubs - Viburnum judii and tomentosum plicatum; Ninebark, boxwood, Weigela, Oakleaf Hydrangea
Conifers - Many!
Plants - Heuchera, ornamental grasses, clematis, daylilies, coneflowers, balloon flowers, Hosta, peonies, Lady's Mantle, Sedum, bleeding heart, Hakone grass
Annuals - Zinnia

Trees - Japanese Maples, doublefile Viburnum, cherry (both sour and sweet), ninebark
Shrubs - oakleaf hydrangea, mountain laurel, cotoneaster, leucothoe
Perennials - heuchera, peony, baptisia, ornamental grasses, dwarf iris, bergenia, hosta
Herbs - oregano, lavender, tarragon, chives, thyme, sage--lots of sage!, basil
Annuals - sweet alyssum, tomatoes, sweet peppers, fuschia

Tree - Bur Oak, Magnolia, Dogwood
Shrub - Beauty Berry, bit of a challenge, but worth it!
Perennial - Coneflowers, Salvia, Hyssop, Viola
Herb - Lavender, Oregano, Lemon Verbena, Basil, Melissa
Annuals - Too numerous to mention!

Hmmm...

A lot of my "must haves" seem to come from my childhood, things my mother and grandfather grew in in our yard when I was growing up: lilacs, roses, sweet alyssum, petunias, lilies, tulips, daffodils. Old favorites, but that doesn't mean they aren't BEAUTIFUL. I did, however, learn from them that you should grow mint in a container!

I also love daisies, black-eyed Susans, coleus, caladium, Japanese maple, hosta, dusty miller, daylilies and pansies.

I grow culinary stuff in containers because my yard is all clay and I just have to have tomatoes (my husband is allergic so they are mine all mine!!), rosemary, the aforementioned mint, basil and chives. Not that I wouldn't plant more, but that's what is minimally necessary. :)

And it just wouldn't seem like summer without pots of geraniums (the annual kind) on my porch and deck.

Sigh...I hate winter.

narrow and dwarf conifers is sort of my passion including taxus, picea, thuja, juniperus, chamaecyparis, and pinus. Some of the smaller growing acers including a. palmatums along with an assortment of carpinus for trees. Weigela, hydrangea, and viburnums along with some shrub type cornus are my favorite shrubs, and diervilla for dry shady soil.

Yikes! Tough to choose.

I don't do much with shrubs or trees, but I'd have to include lilacs and Rose of Sharon. I have several trained as trees, and while the 8 million seedlings are a pain, I just love the flowers.

Peonies, and my roses. I like those big, blousy, over the top flowers. Paperwhites and hyacinths and my orchids when they bloom.

For years I only grew vegetables and herbs, and herbs remain among my favorite of all plants. The basils, lavender, lemon verbena and the scented geraniums, especially Lemon Rober. It always makes me think of my grandmother when I smell it. And the mints; applemint, pineapple mint and chocolate mint. I experiment with other herbs, but those are the ones I must always have.

The one annual I discovered last year that I will never be without again is night blooming phlox, Matthiola longipetala It's small and weedy looking, and the small, floppy, star-shaped flowers aren't even open in the day. But at night, they have such a sweet-scent they perfume the entire yard!

i'm new to gardening,but i love the butterfly bushes and my japenese dwarf red maple.i had it for about 7 yrs and just moved it to our new house. right now i'm planting anything i can get my hands on to see if i'm going to like it.If anyone lives in the madison area and wants to do some trading let me know. i haven't had good experience w/ getting things shipped in the mail. good luck gardening.jeanne i'm also experimenting w/ ponds.

My passion is Hydrangeas.Anyone interested in the Hydrangeas?
Meijers has one called Lady in Red and it's just beautiful. The stems are red and the bright green leaves are veined in red and it is just lovely and the price is right.$12.00.I had a friend tell me she saw the same plant in KY.for $40.00. Go figure.I also bought one last fall called All Summer Beauty and the name suites it perfectly. Every bloom was different colors on every stem.And the colors changed all through the year.It's a beauty.
Bushwacker,Do you live near the Bluestone Perennial Nursery?
It's in Madison Ohio and they have a wonderful plant sale in June every year.75% off anything you can fit in your flat.Just wondering.I try to go every year and take a friend with me or 2.If your just starting out gardening that's the place to buy all your perennials.You won't be disappointed.A flat of whatever you can fit in is $25.00 and there is a special blg for certain kinds of plants that are $58.00 a flat.It's about a 5/6 hr drive for me.If your already in the Madison area it should be pretty close for you.(Closer then it is for me)LOL,Have fun

i missed it this year. we had a yard sale and my husband said he'd sell everything for a dime if i left,so i didn't.we just bought our first house and my husband wants grass and i want flower gardens. well guess who won????me.i guess blue stone even had there hospital section open this year.$.50 for a 3 pack or $5.00 a flat and most of the flowers looked good. they had stopped doing it cause people would say they got the plants from the hosp. and they didn't. talk to ya later. ps there is a little nursery on rt.20 that sells large leaf hostas for$8 a gallon and many other types of plants and srubs cheap. email me if you want the location. jeanne