flowering almond..

dwarf lilac palidan

star magnolia

daphne

blue beards mist.. i am blanking ..... Caryopteris .... see link ...

oak leaf hydrenga ....

wegalia

a thousand dwarf/min conifers ...

well.. thats a minds walk around my z5 garden

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Dwarf Mt. laurel (Kalmia), fothergilla, itea, spiraea, dwarf weigela, clethra, potentilla, shrub dogwood, Sorbaria (false spiraea), dwarf butterfly bush.......etc, etc.

Go visit your best local retail nursery or garden center and see what choices they offer. There may be many others suitable for your zone I am just not thinking of at the moment :-)

Buy what pops out at you when you are at the nursery. Doesn't matter if it is common or not - EXCEPT that less usual ones may turn out to be harder to grow. Plants you see all over your area have shown that they can survive the production, transportation, sales yard and general environmental (after being planted in their final positions) conditions involved. Novelties, on the other hand may croak after you buy them and plant them at your place. For instance, I tried a perennial phlox that Home Depot has been carrying more than one year in a row and had it evaporate after I planted it here. I even asked a friend who specializes in making and keeping perennial plantings for other people about it before purchasing, he said you had to "keep it moving". Mine moved on its own, into oblivion. So even though the production and distribution system finds the plant amenable it apparently may not be a garden stalwart at all, at least in this area - don't know that I've ever seen it on another property here.

lol .. the only thing common.. would be whatever is already in your yard ...

so .. as bboy notes.. get something else ...

shopping when they are actually in bloom at the nursery .. is a great way to 'see' what available. ..

ken

Hi,

Thanks for all the good advice. I've now got a list of bushes to look for. I'm going to schedule a trip to go to a nursery a few miles away and have a look see. Its an expensive place, but probably well worth the trip.