How about Weigela?

Here is a link that might be useful: Weigela

I have a grouping of five Red Prince already in the front--my color scheme in the front is red, yellow and white (I should throw in some orange), back is pastels--blue, pink, purple and white...

Thanks for the suggestion, I love my Weigela!

Keep them coming!!!

How about Wild mock orange, Philadelphus lewisii?

Or if not that, a Lilac (Syringa)?

Here is a link that might be useful: Philadelphus lewisii

I have a Minnestoa Snowflake, which by the way I am hoping it blooms this year. If not, I suppose I will root prune it (I learned that tidbit of info from this website). I hope I don't sound ungrateful, but I would like smaller shrubs with the pastel colors. I have/had a Peacock, Purple Emperor and Adonis Blue buddleia. I don't remember the name of the collection, but it was with the smaller 4'-5' varieties. I'm thinking there will be no replacement for the effect I was going for, and had, but I did want to pick all of you well seasoned gardeners' brains in case I was overlooking something...

I don't think you're ungrateful. But you know I only have so many ideas for Northern gardens!

If you don't get much response here, perhaps ask the same question on your regional forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wisconsin forum

Blushing Knockout rose? It blooms a sweet, soft pink (none of the KOs come in purple (yet)), for an even longer period than buddleia. It may have a lot of cane dieback in winter in z5 but, grown on its own roots, ought to recover and bloom well at 4' or so. In NoVA, it has almost no winter damage and is 6' tall or even taller.

I routinely lost buddleias in z5, but ended up SPing all the rest because the seedlings started to worry me. I'd heard this plant could be ecologically invasive in other areas but I never thought I'd see so many seedlings in a place where the mature plant is only marginally hardy!

Daphne caucasica 'Summer Ice' might be worth trying.

Not sure if any of the peegee hydrangeas stay short enough for your spot, but the flowers on mine turn lovely soft colors.

Hey esh_ga, I had no idea there were regional forums, thanks!

I looked up the knockout roses and they look great!!! No blues or purples, but I could use a pink. I've seen that RadSunny variety and wondered what it was. I've kind of misled everyone, when I think of pastels, I think of the colors blue, purple and pink, but not necessarily pale. I still like vibrant colors.

I don't know, I'll either just get some more buddleia or rethink the whole flower bed...

Thank you eveyone for your help!!!

Will Vitex Agnus-castus work in your zone? White Spires has white blossoms, and several cultivars (including something or other Shoals) are a rich blue. These bloom mid to late summer, and butterflies love them.

LynnT

How about spirea?

Karen

Some lilacs are repeat-blooming.

I believe Caryopteris is hardy for you. If so, you want one of the green leaved ones, not the yellow/gold-leaved ones, I would think. You get summer, blue flowers, not flashy, but nice.

Nikko Blue hydrangea (maybe TOO blue) or one of the other blue flowered hydrangeas that stay smallish might work, if hardy. If your soil is more alkaline, then you could try the Nikko Blue (it stays blue) and use one of the pink -in-alkaline-soil ones for the pink.

A spirea might give you the pink flowers, and can be cut back to the ground in spring if it tends to be too big - that usually keeps it small enough.

Okay guys, I truly appreciate all of your ideas and here are my thoughts on each of them:

Lynn--Vitex Agnus-castus: Great suggestion, but it is only hearty to zone 7, I'm in zone 5.

Karen--Spirea: The only spirea I really like, okay love, is the Vanhoutte and I have two of those in the front yard. They look fabulous in their natural form and if I'm not mistaken, most other varieties of spirea need constant pruning and shaping.

bboy--lilacs are great, can you give me a "for instance" on the repeat bloomers?

dibbit--got the caryopteris 'Dark Knight' for a large garden on a hill that has continual blooms throughout the seasons; the caryopteris being my late summer, early fall specimens. Love it! Love, love, love hydrangeas. So much so I broke my "rule" of not planting the same thing, even if it is a different variety (the only other thing I've used in other places is sedum, can't really have too much of that). I have three Annabelles in the front between four yews and I have a large garden out back with an Aesculus parviflora surrounded by 'Endless Summer' hydrangeas.

I'm still holding a tiny bit of hope out that my buddelia will come back, but definitely not holding my breath. I'm still open to suggestions and looking forward to some followup on the ideas that are potentials that you've already given me.

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to help a fellow gardener...

Start with this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Late Season, others and Dwarf