Aggie, the journey can indeed be frustrating and paved with failures. but each failure is a learning experience. What people with experience can do is help you identify the lesson, and maybe also help you to differentiate the possible from the impossible, but don't let anyone rob you of the journey or of giving it a try. At the risk of repeating myself, you are asking a lot of yourself to get both your foundation planting and your flower gardening out of one spot. If colour and seasonal variation are really important things for you, I really would suggest you consider adding a bed somewhere to give yourself more opportunity in better growing conditions - and that is tough to do nicely if you don't make a new bed out of the same stone. But maybe you can do that. The other thing that is a bit uphill for you is that you can only get so much uniqueness when your plantings are in the same PLACE as everyone else's. I suspect in your old neighbourhood, there was variety in WHERE in the yard people put their plants, as well as variety in what plants they had. If I drive through the neighbourhood, everyone's plants are probably at the foundation, and if only the details vary, the overall impression is still very similar. So your bed at the foundation is working against your desire to do something original on two counts. But it can be done... if you haven't already asked in the conifers forum, ask there for some suggestions for specialty conifers that would do well in these conditions. You do need evergreen plants - the bones, so to speak - and they can be broadleaf or needled evergreens. If you want a lot of variety in your flowering plants, you might enjoy having repeats of some interesting evergreens... I keep thinking of Chamaecyparis 'Wissel's Saguaro' but that might just be because I like it a lot. No idea if it works in your conditions. Even boxwoods would look good as consistent, repeated forms to offset the variety. If, on the other hand, you want consistency in the flowers (all purple petunias or peach roses), then go for variety in the conifers. Who knows, you might develop a talent for topiary :-) Some of my favourite yards are amazing topiary confections. I don't have the patience or the discipline for it though. Then you can do amazing things with quite ordinary plants. Pruning makes all the difference between green blobs and interesting shapes. Broadleaf evergreens will also offer some options for you; try asking for advice at a couple of nurseries - not big box stores. I don't know if the Ilex family would work or not, but if so, Ilex 'Mariesii' is a lovely plant - varies in form, can have some fun with it. Whitecap is right that people like me from outside your area may not be much use for specific plant recommendations, but we can help with form, and process. I've linked below to a site that explains the principles of landscape design in a way that I like. It doesn't all translate to the design of a single bed, but you can maybe play with some of the ideas. Karin L Here is a link that might be useful: Principles of landscape design

One or two mentioned not liking green flowers. Generally, I don't either like I've seen a greenish zinnia and echinacea. But I always thought Bells of Ireland were kind of nice for a change but haven't felt a strong urge to try to grow any. There is a peony I really like at Klem's that is white with a green center. I also rather like artemesia if it isn't overdone and ferns, but the latter two aren't really flowers. Here's for you people who don't like marigolds, Dusty Miller and geraniums lol. They're all there. I was kind of proud of this, and picked up that dracena or whatever it is at Lowe's. The marigolds I had grown from seeds I'd saved and they have been prettier as the summer goes along or I had them too crowded. I have new pots for there and not sure what to put in them, not what's in these for sure. But I'm thinking of LLB and wonder what might go well with those, if anything. I was perplexed by that blue patch in the upper left-hand corner, but figured out what it is, my neighbor's blue steps.

I received a surprise today from Chris (grolikecrazy)! Thank you. :) The plain letter envelope had holes in it- looks like it was damaged in transit. There was no bubble wrap or other padding inside of it to cushion the seeds. Seeds sent to me with no bubbles almost always do get destroyed like this, because the PO runs mail through some hard metal rollers unless it's in a bubble mailer marked FRAGILE in big red letters. :( The Dianthus barbatus seeds were about 75% destroyed and the Red Noodle Yard Long Bean seeds were completely dust. Thank you grolikecrazy, for kindly sending to me. I can still sow the few Dianthus seeds that made it, and hopefully get some plants! Excited about that. :) I'm sorry this happened, Chris. You were so kind to send seeds to me. I'm very glad you were thinking of me, and some of the Dianthus seeds do appear to be usable. It made my day to receive this, even if it is just a few seeds. : ) Thanks, Grovespirit Wondering why the surprises I mailed out haven't shown up here yet. I do hope they didn't get lost in the mail.

Here I am again after coming in a few minutes ago. We could have worse vices, yes. I didn't realize the Dowdeswell Delphs were the NZ types. My good gardening friend, and far more experienced than I at growing perennials, grows these. I saw them a couple of weeks ago at her garden, and I've never seen such lovely delphs. I can't get her to take photos, so I can't share any pics, darn. I would be interested in the shorter ones you mentioned because of our awful wind. I expect to stake anything like that out here, but it gets to you after a while. If you hear anything more about the shorter ones, please let us know. As a cheap substitute for tall flowers like foxglove and delphiniums, I use double hollyhocks. They are quite lovely in all sorts of pastels, reseeding readily. I also gather seed and throw it out starting in late autumn. They are in all stages of growth and blooming, which means when half of them are blown down, there are more coming along. I never tie them up, and of course, they are the type of plant that really breaks good when they blow down. There's no saving them then. Jim, those marigolds are really stunning. I think I'll try them next year. I didn't realize that they were slug food in some areas. Definitely not here, though. I grow a lot of calendula or pot marigold, not a true marigold like you grow, more by accident than anything. They look good for about three weeks max, then go to seed. and do they produce seed. I really don't like them very well, and they are the darn blister beetles' favorite food. I like your train track scene, very green and beckoning--makes me want to walk along the tracks in that cool green grass. Well, back to viewing the hired goats eat brush out back. DianePoor woman's delphiniums. Diane