re: Looking for good shade tree and flowers

Part shade = camellias. They're very slow growing, have surface roots, and like good air circulation. They'll bloom when everything else is dormant.

I also love old fashioned shasta daisies. Very easy to grow, perennial, will flower in partial shade, and drought tolerant. Spreading growth habit, with a rhizome, so they're easy to split & propagate. If you lived near me, I'd happily give you a bunch of them. I keep separating them & putting them in other places in my yard. They're one of a few flowering perennials that will reliably bloom when planted under a shade tree (at least in my climate zone). Shasta daisy info: LINK