I think you've got room for two focal points in that bed. One towards the road where everyone passing will see and one towards the steps -- when you get up close.

My first thought is to use the peonies in the front as the focal point -- they're big and splashy. :) They'd also give structure and height to the middle of that area.

Purple coneflower is another that has long-lasting blooms and definite height. Rainbow knock-out would also be beautiful as a focal point and structural plant.

You've got quite a few plants -- are you sure they'll all fit? If not, I would choose plants with a variety of shapes and textures -- like Russian Sage, Delphinium, Iris, and Shasta Daisy. (airy, spiky, grassy and tall, and rounded)

Butterfly bushes get big but you can trim them back so no big deal with that idea..Everything sounds good.. I like the knockouts also...

Is the rock work your own? You may wish to look into raising the far corner so that the water doesn't drain onto the driveway, but rather into the bed or the lawn.

The bed looks to be a nice depth and size. However, several of the plants you have listed can get quite large and tall. In addition to the layout of the bed in isolation, you may want to consider the desired effect of the plantings on the overall composition of the entire yard and the house. Your porch looks like it leads out onto a landing which seems quite narrow in comparison to the width of the steps. Taller plants near the top may obscure the landing completely, making the most legible access point to be the narrow strait between the old and new beds.

Also consider the effect the plants will have when you are pulling out of the driveway. Keep in mind that you would like to be able to see along the sidewalk as you are backing out, as the bed goes all the way to the corner. If the driveway is narrow (or if your cars are large), you also may want to keep the planting restrained near the edges so as not to spill out onto the driveway.

- Audric

A lot of hard work, to be sure. Just me, but I'd find the upper right hand corner problematic - it almost becomes a step-around situation and with my RA, chronic skinned ankles on the corner rocks. Could that corner be softened and curved in more in line with the landing?

duluthinbloomz, the upper RH corner is actually curved due to the shape of the walk, but it's hard to tell in the photo. I had to put a huge rock there because I ran out of rocks and it was all that was left, but I actually would like to move that to another location and use it for ornamental purposes. Honestly, we rarely walk that way anyway because we use the service entry on the side of the house. I think it will be okay, though, for visitors once I have fixed that issue.

Audric, you're right avout the RH corner, as I said I ran out of rocks. :( Right now I am in search of more. The work is hodge podge, but what's free is free--heh! I do need to build up the corner edging a bit, but my yard actually slopes downward from the house to the street. Thanks for reminding me that I need to see when I get to the bottom of the driveway--I didn't think about that, but we do have a ton of kids on this street. I am not sure what to anchor the top RH corner with, and thought about an ornamental tree because you can see around it, of course, as a narrow trunk doesn't hide everything as a shrub does. I don't want to hide my front door, or obscure the view of who is coming up my driveway, either.

get creative--Yes, I do have a lot of plants, but they don't all have to go in this bed, of course. :) This is just what I have accumulated or what I want to move to a sunnier location.

Thanks for the input so far!

Post script: We actually had some really hard rainstorms last night and I didn't get any soil run-off into the driveway, so I hope that is a good sign.

I'm kinda nervous about what to put where at this point.

I think that's a very nice shaped bed.

It is hard to select and arrange plantings for a bed that is seen from all sides. I'm just redoing one that didn't work out when I did it first two years ago.

I think what you need to do first is define what you want this bed to do for you, and what you want it to look like in winter. If you're sticking with those plants, then you've got a cottage (read "riotous") look, and basically bare space with some sticks in winter.

From what angle, and what distance, does it matter how this bed looks? Do you sit on those steps and observe the progress of your plants, or do you just glance at it in passing as you drive in - or is this for the neighbours? Or do you look down at it? You know you don't want to screen much at face level, what about at the second floor?

My gut feeling is that the plants you have represent the jewelry for the outfit, but that you have neither the outfit itself nor the shoes yet - that would be something like an evergreen of some sort, or the tree you mentioned.

You could do everything here from a little knot garden to a sweep of various colours of junipers and other low conifers, to a perennial/deciduous only summer garden. But you would need to define the objective first.

KarinL

Well, I don't really care for conifers. I have 2 boxwoods (as seen in the picture) that I only keep for winter interest. I thought about a Rhododendron, as it is one of the few evergreen plants that I truly love. Really, when I garden, it's all about me, me, me. :) Of course I don't want to do something that will send the neighbors packing, but to answer the question, yep--it's really for me. :) I do want something that I can enjoy from the porch, and I get a full view of this from my living room picture window (at all times--we have 2 leaded glass panels on either side of the main window that do not have window treatments, so we can always see the front yard and we don't cover our pretty glass). Yes, we can also look down on it, but chances are we really won't, since the bedroom blinds are nearly always closed.

So yeah, I probably need something for winter interest, but I am terrible at giving thought to winter and not much a fan of anything with pine needles. My mom had some pretty hollies, but don't those genreally have to be planted in m/f groups to grow berries? Would a holly look stupid in front of my house? I prefer the rhodie idea, as I think those are more fitting for my home (b. 1912, arts and crafts influence), but is there too much sun is the question I have to deliberate now.

Thanks for all the input, everyone. This is my second house, and I learned a lot from my screw ups with the landscape of my first house, but this house is much "cooler" and I am being a lot more careful this time.

I can totally understand the "me, me, me" concept of gardening and if that is your overriding premise, then you can plant whatever you want, public opinion be damned :-)) However, for a greater season of interest, I'd encourage you to broaden your perspective a bit and investigate evergreens that will provide some presence and structure to your planting area throughout the year, as Karin suggests. I'd agree that a rhody seems unsuitable - most hardy enough for you will grow too large and not appreciate blazing sun and the list of other broadleaf evergreens hardy for your climate is limited. Not all hollies are grown for their berries - varieties of Japanese holly, Ilex crenata, have softly rounded rather than spiky leaves and come in a wide range of sizes and growth habits. And do consider the possibility of dwarf conifers - many of these offer very attractive and non-needled foliage as well as a huge variety of shapes and colors. Visit a couple of better retail nurseries in your area to see what they have available - that may increase your inspiration. One other thought is to include a dwarf Japanese maple, perhaps a weeping laceleaf variety, as a focal point. While not evergreen, it can provide some needed structure and an attractive winter form.

Great project and approach. Go for the rhododendron, also boxwood (boring, but structure and winter interest), do build up the rest of the stones as referenced. Also, I love the porch-- make sure what you plant won't grow so big as to obstruct the view one day. Also, don't add too much variety -- less is more in that type of space. And, can you carry through some daylilies from the background to tie areas together? Here's a link to more fun gardening. Good luck! What fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: other gardening ideas

Yes, I am going to divide those daylilies when they finish blooming. I looked at Lowes today and I liked the scotch heather. I bought some. It is low growing and gets flowers and the needles do not hurt.

I am going for the ornamental tree as the other anchor.

And if I don't like how things look, I can always move them, right? :)