Design ideas needed please

[Lavender2]

@Lavender2 What a cute house !! What is vine growing on top of window? I love the look of vines covering a house, but to worried about damage they might do.

Yeah, that's out of a magazine (see the link)... my house is not that cute. Not sure what that vine is. I wouldn't grow vines on my house unless it was an annual. Looks cool though!

 

[Smart Red]

Another shrub that you might try is a boxwood. I have one variety (out of three) that has never died back or shown any winter kill whatsoever in the many years I've grown them. AND I do know how to start new plants from cuttings.

These are "lighter", softer and looser than most of the other boxwoods I have grown or seen. Of course, I agree that yews are good background shrubs. I use them mostly to the North since they do so well in the shade. The Browni yews that I'm growing now are nice and, since I have more patience than money, they are not difficult to start from cuttings either.