If it were me, I'd plant a large variety of shrubs. I love the spirea, along with Rose of Sharon, Burning Bush, Forsythia, Nandina, maybe some boxwood or holly for evergreens (the holly at my office attracted lots of pollinators this spring), Butterfly Bush...

oh wait. I just re-read the 4ft high part. Well...

Nandina, Boxwood, and Holly still fit. Nanho Blue Butterfly Bush is supposed to stay short. They make a mini burning bush. Ooo! There's an ad on the screen for hydrangea. That might work. Maybe some of the hardier ferns in the shadier spots. Azalea, if your soil is acidic enough. Mahonia might be neat. Carpet or Drift Roses might work too. My mom has had zero disease problems with hers. What about grasses? Talk about dense.

That's all I can think of off hand.

Sharon, have you thought about knockout roses? They are pretty easy and don't require all the fuss that hybrid teas do.

Also, I know your Fairy rose is small, but mine get to be certainly close to four feet.

If you decide you might like to try grass, we could probably get some starts from that "bush" of mine in the front. That started from three blades of grass that someone traded with me. :) It is nicely dense and gives some movement in the landscape.

The house on the corner of Oxford and Hasley has a pyracantha bush.

I've lost both my rose of sharon bushes now, but that is what the former owner had here...with a crepe myrtle in between.

Do Knock-out Roses attract butterflies and bees, Lisa?

I like Itea virginica, either Henry's Garnet or Little Henry. The blooms are a white bottlebrush type, and they also have a nice fall color.

Another recommendation is Abelia. The most commonly found variety is Edward Goucher. It flowers (pink) all summer long and is a butterfly bee attracting shrub. Check out Sooner Plant Farm for different cultivars and photos. Edward Goucher gets 3-4' tall. Some Abelias get much taller and others are shorter, so I would research it to make sure you get one at the mature height you'd like. These are purportedly fail-safe shrubs.

There is always Lilac, too, and what a heavenly scent in spring! Tiger Swallowtails, in particular, love Lilacs.

Susan

They should. My antique roses seems to get a lot of action and the knockouts are more open than a hybrid tea.

While many of the flowering roses developed for their beautiful blossoms have petals that block bees from entering the flower, open flowers like the knockout roses and the prairie rose and the multiflora rose found growing along woodlot margins attract great numbers of honey bees.

(stay away from multiflora roses...I lost a bush to rose rosette disease and multiflora is a vector for it.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Peace Bee Farm

Susan, was that you that posted you hadn't seen many bees this year? I was thinking about that this afternoon. I had quite a bit of buzzing going on in my front beds. I have a few echium vulgare out there and they were buzzing around there. It self seeds around. If I can save some seeds, I'll give you some.

Yes, it was me that said that. I just don't have many bee plants blooming at this time either. I would love some Echium seeds. Is that the one they call Pride of Madeira?

Susan

I'm not sure Susan. (googled it!) No, similar, but different species. I'd love to have some of that too!

Don't really want to do roses or grasses...I liked the Sweetspire idea, but they don't get tall enough (only 1-2').
Abelia Edward Goucher is ok...but it would be the same color as my crape myrtle, AND...it blooms on new wood - I really don't want to have to prune every year.
At this point, I'm inclined to go for a Weigela or a Viburnum...or a Spirea. I just need to find the cultivar I like that's also in stock!
Thanks for the thoughts...hmmm...
Sharon

Not to beat the Abelia idea to death if it's totally unappealing to you, but after hearing good reviews on a new cultivar, Rose Creek, I planted one about 3 years ago. It is in rooty unamended clay soil. It has survived our last few years erratic weather without a hitch. I just measured it and it's 3 1/2 feet tall, and from my investigations before buying it (and despite what the "tag" says) should reach about 4 feet tall. The Linneaus teaching garden in Tulsa has quite a few planted too and recommends it as well. Just a thought or in case someone else is lurking looking for a good all around shrub with little to no maintenance.....Maryl

Here is a link that might be useful: Sooner Plant farm Abelia Rose Creek

Thanks, Maryl...the more the merrier :) That is a really pretty Abelia.

Now I find myself reworking this back fence (in my head)...and I'm thinking Hydrangea quercifolia "Snowflake" ...decisions, decisions!

Sharon

Sharon, I went walking through NH this morning, admiring and eyeing everyone's landscaping choices :)

How moist and shady is that area?

Lisa

If you are up to rescuing plants, Lowes had a bunch of hydrangeas for $5 last night. Not sure if they are still there, but I doubt they had a run of people today :)

Lisa

Oakleaf hydrangea is a nice shrub. The flowers are attractive for a long time. Mine is blooming now and has a fragrance. In fall the leaves are colorful.

What about peony and hydrangea and monarda? I'm not fond of crape myrtle. But these other three could give you some variation in height, color and timing of blooms.