The purple flowers at the top of the fence are from Clematis Etoile Violette, a viticella clem that is very easy to grow. It is a very dark purple which is set off well by the very pale pink of the New Dawn rose. The picture was taken June 14, 2007. The bluer purple flowers at the bottom in the shade created by the rose are Zwanenberg Blue Spiderwort (Tradescantia). I just realized that I didn't show you any of the hybrid daylilies that are in the niddle portions of the long narrow bed. Didn't want you to think that there are only the orange ditch daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva) that are shown in the 1st picture! The fulvas (spreading not clumping dls) are in the northwest corner in almost total shade due to the northern exposure and an overhead tree. These started blooming this year on June 10th. The dozen hybrid daylilies in this narrow bed are all new plants and eventually I'll have to move about half of them somewhere else when they grow too crowded. So don't be too concerned about overcrowding your bulbs - most all of us overcrowd something sometimes and then have to move things around. LOL I also wanted to mention that I tried to stagger the daylily bloom (mostly July bloom) in between the early June blooming Asiatic lilies & the late July blooming Orienpets, but tried to keep most things in the same red/yellow/cream color scheme because there is bound to be some overlap. The only exception was the New Dawn rose which is at the far south end near the fence - because that's the only space I have that is big enough. She can put out 20 foot long canes which I wrap around the corner walls on both sides. She has one main flush in early June and some scattered later bloom as does the clematis. The rebloom clashes a bit with the daylilies strong colors, but not enough to matter much. I am just mentioning all this to give you an idea of the progression that goes on in the bed through the season, even though it is a very narrow bed. I still have one cream-colored daylily , copper colored helenium, Orange Perfection phlox (not really orange in color) in bloom, along with some bronze-colored mums that are just starting & some rebloom on the spiderworts and clemmies. Oh, and I forgot to mention some blue berries on the Variegated Porcelain vine which is on the wall between two of the clems. Here are some of the daylilies. With various dls blooming at slightly different times, I get some nice punches of color over a period of about 6 weeks. Not boring waiting and watching for each to show its stuff. Francois Verhaert Larry Grace Royal Frosting Ruby Spider

You haven't said whether there is anything there at present, so I am assuming not. As you are planting in a long narrow strip, you will need some shrubs for the "back bone" of your garden--somethings that will provide some interest while your perennials are growing and before they bloom. I also imagine that this is a side of your home--generally side plantings require some height to offset the long and narrow aspect of the space. A mix of evergreen and deciduous shrubs is also desireable so that you continue to have some interest in winter. You don't have to do this all at once, but you should consider purchasing a few shrubs each year. Look for an upright/columnar evergreen, maybe some boxwood, hydranga should do well with this exposure, as long as it is well watered, and will give you blooms as well. There are also some roses that will do ok with this amount of sun. Rose of Sharon (not a rose) is a lovely arching shrub with beautiful blooms; magnolia is another possibility. For perennials, look at coneflower, monarda, as well as those listed above.

I load a hand spreader and go to town. I have put down 3 applications so far, started in the middle of March when it was a little warmer here. I've done 3 applications here so far. The rain tends to weaken it over time. It is safe for pets etc. I bought a big bag for $8 and I still have enough left for at least one more application. NO rabbit damage here even though I see rabbits every day in my yard.BTW, I have a lot of garden space to treat Sherry

for best yellow color.. they are tricky to site... more sun.. means more yellow... but too much sun .. and they can burn later in the summer ... if it were mine.. i would probably remove the ground cover.. under the canopy of the leaves.. as i would be wondering.. if it was stealing water .. right where the roots are ... not to mention.. it would be a great place for slugs to hide ... win-win on removal ... i wouldnt be surprised.. if by next year.. you wont see the bare spot at all ... thx for the pic .. ken