Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula'

I love this tree. The form, the color, the texture it provides in the landscape. In my opinion, weeping trees are hard to use in a landscape. Many people try, and many fail. The Hinoki False Cypress 'Pendula' is an easy one to start with, especially since it is not a complete weeper, it still has a mostly upright form, and the branching is usually very even and balanced. This is rare in an evergreen weeper.
From observation, a good deal of the better known evergreen weepers are not symmetrical as they grow, their form is not balanced, and therefore I think they look awkward in a formal landscape, even as a focal plant.
By focal plant, I mean the specialty plant that is sometime planted in a rather plain and formal setting that is meant to draw attention, spark interest and spice up the entire display.
In theory, a weeping plant would be a good choice for such a setting, because they are such an oddity in nature, but they are sometimes a little too odd for me.
Take the weeping beech 'Purple Fountain' - sure the reddish purple foliage is desirable, and the idea of a beautiful weeping purple mass in the landscape sounds amazing, but the form of the juvenile nursery stock Purple Fountain is terrible. I bought one for a community garden project once because their garden theme was the Wizard of Oz and all I could think of was those trees that thew apples at Dorothy, and how they resemble the Purple Fountain beech a bit, ugly and a bit scary. Sure enough, when planted, everyone at the community garden said it did remind them of the angry apple trees.
I knew it would stay looking that way for a while too, since beech trees in general are not fast growers. But even the more mature Purple Fountains I've seen do not impress me much. The form is all over the place, with no definite leader, and from the top down, it just looks like a chaotic blob of weeping purple branches. If you have never see one, google Fagus 'Purple Fountain'.

So back to the Hinoki False Cypress 'Pendula' (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula)' - this is one of the few weeping trees I would recommend. It can add interest to any garden (if the garden is in the right spot to cater to the likes of the Hinoki), the form is more balanced than most weepers, and the color is a very pretty bluish green. I recently bought one (10' balled and burlaped) and planted it in a semi shade spot in a protected courtyard area at an apartment complex. It looks stunning, even in an immature state, and is the focal point of the entire shady bed. Pictures to come soon.
As for care, these weeping beauties do need some protection from northwest winter exposure, and they do grow better with a bit of shade from the afternoon sun. They don't like wind in general, it dries them out to much, and they do like to be watered regularly, especially when newly planted.
They are suggested for growing, up to zone 4 (thats in the north, that is why I say up), as long as there is high moisture in the air so that they don't dry out too much. Although slow growers, if left to themselves, they will eventually grow up to 30-45' tall. Wow! I would love to see one that big!
So if you have a spot you think a weeping tree will work, check the Hinoki False Cypress out, I don't think you will be disappointed.
Do be prepared though for lots of questions from neighbors or passersby asking if the tree is sick or dying. When I planted mine in the courtyard at the apartment complex, a woman who had never seen a weeping tree just kept telling me how sad she felt for the poor sick tree, she thought it needed more water. Thankfully she refrained from watering it herself and so my extremely healthy Hinoki was saved from too much water, and is now the beauty of the grounds!

'Dragon's Blood' Sedum

I've worked with 'Dragon's Blood' Sedum a lot in IL, because this particular creeping sedum has an excellent red color and is hardy beyond some of the others I have worked with. Even when it looks mostly dead, just keep it in it's place, and the following spring it may surprise you with an unexpected shoot of new life. I've used it in rock gardens, in full hot sun, but I've also had it do well in a partial shade garden with hosta and hydrangeas, I just made sure to plant it on the edge so that it was not shaded by other plants.
Only draw back I could find in the part shade was that it did not spread as quickly and it was not as deep of a red, and I don't remember it flowering either. So I guess that is a few draw backs, but it still grew and was pretty.
In addition to loving the color, hardiness, and versatility of this sedum, I also like that it's new, long shoots easily root themselves around, so that if I decide to move some of it, it has it's own root system. Love it!
Now, if you have never worked with any of the ground cover sedums, be warned, they can be addicting. They are tough, beautiful and add amazing texture to your garden, especially rock gardens. Some of my other favorites include 'Blue Spruce', 'Angelina' (like a blue spruce but yellow/green), 'Fulda's Glow' a very pretty golden one with rosy blush, and 'Voodoo' another nice red one. Oh, I also like a variety that goes by just the species, Sedum platycladus.
If you are at all interested in these, www.bluestoneperennials.com carries most of these varieties and I've found their selection, service and prices to be exceptional as far as online sights for ordering from. I've never had a problem with any of the plants I've ordered thru them.
You can also find a number of varieties, even more than I've mentioned at your local garden centers. Got a rocky spot in your yard you don't know what to do with, make it into a rock garden with some fantastic sedums! Happy Gardening!!!