My friends and I laugh because if you live in Idaho it seems you must have in your yard: at least one blue spruce (if your yard is big enough), a peony - or two - or two dozen, a Rose of Sharon, a lilac and a Catalpa tree.
The blue spruce will probably get a yellow jacket nest in it. Oh well, that probably isn't the first place you'll find a yellow jacket nest.
The Catalpa tree will drop HUGE leaves in the fall and have those annoying large seed pods but otherwise they are quite pretty - if pruned properly. They also grow quickly. Just don't grow it too close to your house as it can drop branches.
The Rose of Sharon will grow quickly and help screen whatever you want to keep hidden. You'll know it is time to plant when a certain bush bursts out with yellow flowers. It is an indicator plant. It tells you when the soil is warming up. I wish I could remember the name. Any nursery will have it.
Roses do well here. You can plant lots of varieties.
As for trees, any poplar does well although you'll want to spray for aphids in some years. They also tend to grow fast. You can get cottonwood volunteers from ANYONE because around here the stuff grows as prolific as bamboo. The problem with cottonwoods is they will drop branches (and sometimes whole trees) so don't have them TOO close to the house. Steer clear of silver maples. They are notoriously dangerous. If you have a wet area, you can consider a weeping willow. Some nurseries will tell you quaking aspen won't do well here but we've had great success with it. Late in the summer, when most nurseries have sales because they are about to close for winter, you can find aspen seedlings for $1 each (little 3 to 5 gallon containers). Even if half of them take off you'll be thrilled by next summer.
You may consider fruit trees - standard or semi-dwarf varieties. There are some spectacular cherry and crabapple trees in this valley. Standard apples and pears do okay here, too. Peaches and apricots are only marginal and a lot depends on the season. We get walnut volunteers. Chestnut does well, too.
Plant grapes and cane berries, too. You'll be thrilled with the table grapes you can get. Save room for a seasonal planting bed, too. You can get all sorts of wonderful tomatoes and beans grown in your own yard.
If you have a shady spot, hosta and ferns do really well here. They are a seasonal plant that come back again and again. Speaking of seasonals, we've naturalized our daffodils, tulips and irises. We even have grape hiacynth that pop up every year and the sunflowers volunteer themselves. Don't bother with geraniums. They're seasonal here and unless you're willing to start them from seed, really expensive. You may splurge with a seasonal fuscia, though.
Good nurseries: Greenwood (is that the name?) on Hill Road. Greenhurst in Nampa - it is like going to plant nursery heaven. Plus Cloverdale on Cloverdale and Natures on Ustick near Cole in Boise. There are also tons of littler nurseries around. As you drive, look for their signs when they have sales. There is a good fruit tree nursery in Sand Hollow (west of here and in the sticks). You can try the various FreeCycle groups for dig-your-own tree volunteers and lilac starts.
