I would see the final mature size of your crepe myrtles at each corner. They look too close to your house. I love crepe myrtle but often see big ones that were planted too close when little

The main flaw in your plan is having the azaleas in the back, west-facing yard. Azaleas need all-day dappled shade, or morning-sun-only in hot climates. They will fry against the west wall of your home. The dwarf nandina is a better choice for your backyard as, once established, it is drought resistant as well as heat tolerant. Here is a modified version of your plan showing which areas are subject to the most heat. The north (lt. blue) is the obviously cool, shady side of the house. The east (green) area gets morning sun, but is shaded by the house in the afternoon when the air temp is highest. The yellow-beige area gets sun all day unless there is shade not shown in your layout. The red area gets late day sun, and plants that are in the shade until then are suddenly hit with both direct radiation and high air temp. It's very harsh. The area near your entrance is a combination in that it's shaded during the afternoon, but also exposed to reflected heat from the driveway during much of the day.

Loropetalum is not a small shrub with the pink flowered form growing to 5 ft. tall and 6 ft. wide. It should stay in the front yard with plants that prefer a moist, well drained soil, like the azaleas. In general, be wary of the term dwarf. It just means smaller than normal. If the normal plant is 15 ft. tall the dwarf form can still get 6 ft, so always refer to the mature size when spacing plants.

Whatever you do take the time to dig in compost and other organic matter to all planting areas. The azaleas will benefit from adding peat or aluminum sulfate to the turned soil, or even just a fertilizer for acid-loving plants. Here is a LINK to lowering soil pH.

Wonderful advice so far! Wow.

Would hydrangea paniculata limelight work better in the west facing flowerbeds, instead of the Azaleas?

I would not think that any hydrangea would be suitable for afternoon/evening sun here in Texas.

Hydrangea paniculata is a sun lover, but grows 8 to 10 ft. tall and wide, meaning it should be planted a minimum of 4 ft from the side of your house. Little Lime is a "dwarf" version of Limelight that grows up to 5 ft tall and wide, and should be planted a minimum of 3 ft away from your house. Though H. paniculata will grow in zones 3 through 9, remember that western exposure is the harshest. No one can give you a guarantee of success. At some point you are going to have to "try out" plants to see how they work with this particular situation.

Mindshift - can you keep it pruned down to 4 feet?

H. paniculata cultivars can be trimmed back to keep their size smaller, but they will still get as wide as an untrimmed plant. These can be trimmed anytime after blooming to remove damaged or unsightly blooms and branches. To keep them shorter it's better to wait until winter to cut stems back to 1/2 their height. However, let the plants grow for a couple of years before you do this and wait another two years before you do this again. I recommend you do a search for "how to grow _____" as each site will have slightly different info that can clue you in to a plants needs and habits.

Has anyone grown Hydrangea paniculata in Texas or even seen it growing successfully in Texas? When I see blogs showing it growing beautifully in Maine and Michigon it makes me wonder how well it would do in hot dry Texas. Even its name has water in it. Zones indicate the cold tolerance, but not the heat and drought tolerance. There's a big difference in zone 7 in the rainy areas of the US compared to Texas.

When I was first landscaping my yard I drove around neighborhoods and shopping centers to see what was growing well. Also visited the botanical gardens. That's what they're for. Also noticed what was actually planted out at plant nurseries, not what they had for sale. If I didn't see something I was interested in growing vigorously in those locations I figured there was a good reason why.

What about Indian hawthorn for a sunny hot area? The link indicates they'd be a good choice for north Texas. Or maybe plant an evergreen like a dwarf holly (whatever variety does well in your area) and underplant with a colorful annuals for spring and summer color.

Wishing you all the best in finding the right plants for your location! It might help to know the general area in which you live.

Roselee- We are in the Notth Dallas area, Collin County.

Thank you. Knowing that should help people living in that area to advise you. I live in San Antonio. Perhaps someone from that area knows of a good home owned plant nursery that will advise and/or can supply recommended plants.

Wishing you the best.