I'm pretty sure the first two are chokecherry, Prunus virginiana. It has denser racemes of flowers than black cherry. The last one is some kind of honeysuckle, I think. I'd need to get out my shrub field guide and have the plant handy to be sure. Third and fourth look vaguely familiar, but not sure what.

Oh, and as to ground covers. I'd look at nice rich woodlands around me to see how they look and what grows in the understory. In my experience, you don't see a real "groundcover," in the sense of low, lawn-like, dense green stuff, in a real woods. The only thing, in my experience, that really produces an extensive dense green area is ferns. Some things like mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), wild ginger (Asarum ...), foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) will form expanding green clumps. Understory shrubs, maybe Rhododendron maximum, or just more small saplings, fill the area. But look at local woodland nature preserves, if you've got any in that area, for an idea what it would look like.

Ah, I see you've added labels to your pictures now. I must disagree with your conclusion that the third plant is Symphoricarpos alba, however. The pictures of Symphoricarpos alba that I've seen all have bell-like, slightly closed, pink flowers. But I'm darned if I know what it is.

Interesting that the middle one is a Ceanothus -- I only know the diminutive Ceanothus americanus, New Jersey Tea.

Here is a picture of both symphoricarpos occidentalis and alba -- the pictures are VERY close although perhaps alba flowers droop a bit? I have to find another book and research it some more.

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: some images of both at the bottom

I'm inclined to think it's a member of the Lonicera genus, a bush honeysuckle, not Symphoricarpos, for a few reasons. The Lonicera flower, like yours, seems to have longer, more flaring lobes, and look less pink, than the Symphoricarpos. The Symphoricarpos, in addition to having a tighter, bell-like, structure seems to have a fleshier flower (although I'm inferring that from pictures). Also Symphoricarpos seems to have a larger and more prominent ovary at the base of the flower. Check out the link below for comparison -- I think it looks quite like yours. Of course you can wait till later in the season to see what the berries are like. If they're red, it's not snowberry.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bush honeysuckle

well this is a good quandry. I looked up both genus on a native Ontario database. The flowers do look more like the picture you sent but the list of those native to Ontario show white/cream or yellow flowers (depending on the cultivar). My neighbour has the same bush but pink flowers. The Symphoricarpos on the Ontario site says pink or white. I think Ill put could be either on the website, and wait until the berries come out to get more info. I went out again tonight and most of the buds are still closed so can't really get a better picture. I'll repost when the berries show (if their are any!).

Sharon