Sorry, naycher boi, you must be writing from somewhere warm and south. Johnny-g specified Manitoba, Canada, zone 3. The pagoda dogwood might survive there, but it would be at the extreme edge of its range (it is rated to 3b and it looks like johnny is probably in 3a). Mountain stewartia might not survive north of zone 7, so not even for me in Ohio, much less johnny in Canada. And etc. basically none of your recommendations would apply. You are new here (welcome to the Forum!!

). It takes a little while to get used to the fact that people write in from all around the world. What you do in your climate probably doesn't apply to other climates.
johnny - I have moved sod before as you are suggesting and it has worked. You have to have the ground where it is going well prepared before you cut anything. Add compost, turn it in, rake it smooth and then let the ground settle for a week or so. Then cut your sod and lay it and compact it down to be sure roots are in contact. Water every day that you don't have rain for at least 6 weeks.
Year around flowering in Canada? I don't think so. Have you seen anything flowering in your neighborhood in winter, outside of a heated greenhouse? By careful selection of different plants, you can have something flowering through your growing season, but it will not be the same thing, different plants bloom in different seasons. Perennials that are hardy in zone 3 include iris, tulips, and bleeding heart for spring, daylilies and coneflowers for summer, campanulas bloom for a long season from late spring into fall, sedum and asters for fall. This is just the beginning of a list.
For colorful flowers through the growing season, fill in with some annuals. Things like impatiens (shade) and petunias (part sun to sun) pump out flowers for the whole season.
For your shady areas, many hostas are hardy in zone 3. They usually don't have showy flowers, but are grown for their big foliage, which comes in a range of colors and variegations, from yellows, greens, blues, whites, with different markings.
If what you are looking for is color through the year, be sure to think about things with colorful foliage (fall foliage shrubs), colorful stems - red twig dogwood should be hardy for you and its brilliant red stems are beautiful against snow, and other kinds of winter interest. Hydrangeas hold their dried blossoms through the winter, they are not colorful at that point, but it is still something going on in your garden. Ornamental grasses provide motion and interest in the winter garden. Flame grass, feather grass and others will be hardy for you. Evergreens of course, keep their foliage through the winter.
Be sure to put out bird feeders through the winter. Not only will your feathered friends thank you and be an asset to your garden, but cardinals and blue jays and other birds hopping around looking for dropped seeds on the snow, makes a landscape worthy of a Christmas card.
Think about the hardscape too. I have a patio that I stained terra cotta color. Except for when it is really buried in snow, it provides a big hit of color most of the year.
As imafan said, for any other landscaping advice, we would need to see pictures.