Please help with your ideas!

[jd4th]

Hello everyone. First time posting so I'll jump right in. Last year I redid my entire front yard with new trees,plants and shrubs. One of said plants is a Purple BeautyBerry. It looks amazing when in bloom but when it's not it's just a bunch of sticks. Nestled in amongst the others it looks like my front yard has a missing tooth. I'm looking for something either in front of or behind the Purple Beautyberry that will provide something to look at in the meantime. I've toyed with bulbs in front, ornamental grass in back, ground cover in front or even a trellis in back with a climber. I just don't know what I should be doing. I guess whatever I do plant should bloom in the spring and last for a little while until the Purple Beautyberry gets going. Please have a look at the photos. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm open to anything. Thanks!

[img]https://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p490/joed4th/DSC01883.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p490/joed4th/DSC01881.jpg[/img]

[applestar]

What kind of sun exposure? Spring bulbs sound ideal for what you said you want. You could plant the entire front of the bed with them.

Bleeding hearts and aquilegias, virginia bluebells would be other possibilities that go dormant in the summer, but would depend on the amount of sun.

[jd4th]

Wow. Didn't think I'd get a response that quick. Thanks for the input. My front yard faces North / Slight Northeast. It's always sunny in the front seeing as how I have no trees for shade. So planting something in front is a better option than something behind?

[applestar]

Response is entirely dependent on who is online and when, really. Some members will have input, others will read but not comment. So it's pretty unpredictable.

I did look up the care info since last night, and I found out that this shrub may die back to the ground in northern climates, requiring pruning last years branches. So especially with that in mind, I think you'll want to keep the back area clear for easier access and maintenance. You also have to remember that all of your shrubs are going to grow and fill the space.

As long as you plant in the front, you can always widen the border in the front as needed and plant more.

Remember to leave a mulched or stepping stone access between the front planting and the shrub so you can get in there to trim any winter-killed branches. What I would do is wait until new growth starts, then cut off anything that has died. If the branches seem alive pretty far up, I believe you will still need to prune them down pretty short (probably no more than 18") to allow for new shoots to grow, flower and fruit this year. You don't want to leave weak long branches because then sturdy new shoots will grow from the tips and end up weighing them down.

[applestar]

Oops north facing, I think you'd do best with daffodils, jonquils, and grape hyacinths for spring bulbs. All of the perennials I mentioned will do well~handle shaded locations.