Hi,

You should look at the ieta little henry shrub -- it only gets about 2'and gets pretty white spiral flowers and leaves change color in the spring. I've been able to find them at home depot.

Nancy

- Purple Smoke Bush - Cotinus coggygria
- Carpet rose bush
- Sambucus Black Beauty & Black Lace
- Peony although they only flower in the Spring they are low maintenance and the leaves are a pretty small bush.
- Clematis Rooguchi - This grows as bush and blooms all summer.

I like colorful bushes that give color vs flowers because they are fleeting.

Helleborus, all of them. Thousands of cultivars, all of them my favorites even though I only have 6. Along with being deer proof, you have an ideal plant for the Mid-Atlantic.

Hamamelis vernalis. The fragrant ones will blow your mind. Sweet smelling small yellow flowers in February. A fragrance you can smell a hundred feet away.

Callicarpa americana. Not as showy as its Asian cousin (C. dichotoma), but so dainty it more than makes up for it. Also, the purple on the berries lasts long after the ones on dichotoma have faded.

I have also developed a fondness for Viburnum triloba. A fairly coarse shrub, the panicles of white flowers appear very different when viewed by moonlight. (Those who have it should make a trip outdoors to see it by the light of the moon). The edible red berries hang on just about all winter because they have to ferment or something for the birds to eat them. The red leaves in the fall are not bad either. Humans can eat the berries, (mom made "cranberry" sauce at T-giving with them) you need lots of sugar, and don't smell your hands after you pick them.

Sedum are great plants for low care, full sun gardens.
No need to fertilize, the tall ones cut down at the end of the year, does not require too much water once established
So many to pick from - Sedum Angelina is a good pick.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Perennial

Fothergilla gardenii for it's 3 season interest of lovely bottlebrush flowers in spring, good looking foliage all summer, and blazing fall colors

Hydrangea quercifolia ditto but add winter peeling bark - best 4 season plant