Steven I've spent waaaay too much time this morning musing about your plans and selfishly wondering how I could use some of them! I'm nodding, nodding to myself as I read and re-read your descriptions. Alan and Charlie would surely approve.

Unfortunately I have nothing to contribute other than to say that I am somewhat of an "expert" on having boulders in the garden. I didn't import them, they came with our house and I was greatly dismayed when I discovered them (thinking only of how many plants could have gone in their place). I did come to LOVE them, and now miss their presence in my new "digs". Anyway, I found that I most enjoyed the ones that were flat-ish on the top. Water would often collect there and made a charming picture when birds and chipmunks stopped to drink. I also found that being able to step onto the top with both feet came in handy. This must sound ridiculous, a boulder is a boulder, but for me they were more than something to look at. They were an "active" part of the garden that I enjoyed a great deal.

Wonderful plans. I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress. Good luck!
Patti

Steven, you have obviously put a lot of thought and careful planning into this! It sounds wonderful - even the parts that aren't "finalized" yet. I love your idea of a square within a square herb garden. And Patti's suggestion for flat-topped boulders would fit very well. At first I was thinking fountain or birdbath in the centre, but quickly remembered that you will have hot dry conditions in summer. The natural boulder "birdbath" sounds lovely. You could even make a depression in a large boulder for that purpose.

Please, please, please keep posting pics of your progress so we can see!

Balsam

Steven, I love your plans and you have obviously put a lot of thought into it and done quite a lot of research.

For the area on the right where you are planning the herb garden, how about a checkerboard effect instead of the square within the square? I saw that idea in a gardening magazine once and regreted I do not have the right place to do one. But you do. It also seems quite easy to do, basically a series of square flagstones that you place in a checkerboard effect and plant the herbs in between, in the areas where you don't have the flagstone. It's also a sensible way to grow herbs because it provides you with easy access to the herbs to tend to them and harvest.

You said you are going to plant roses along the fence. I hope you mean on both sides. I think it would look stunning to have them interspered on both sides, with companion planting in between.

For your slope, two shrubs I would suggest to help sustain erosion are ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens and blue echium. You could grow some clematis through them to prolong the blooming season (I'm trying to persuade Mrs. Cholmondeley to climb my ceanothus). I know agapanthus are an over planted commodity in climates such as ours, but I love them and they are very good at preventing erosion. I think your slope would be smashing planted here and there with these three, all in shades of blue (it would also visually tie in with your jacaranda), and then drought tolerant perennials and annuals in the middle. Don't forget to add a lot of evergreen material and Winter interest to that slope, unless you want to look at bare ground from the street for a couple of months.

Looking good in the paper!
Eduarda

What a perfect cottage ! I am sure you will enjoy the perfect cottage garden.! Don't forget to add lots of whimsy when you are all planted!

I just love it! Jacarandas are awesome. I really like the idea of the roses, sweet peas and clematis. Sort of a combo of what Diana and Edna have : ) Picket fences sure do help, don't they? How formal is the little patio area going to be? Like your backyard, or more random? That might drive your decision about the design of the little herb bed. I like Eduarda's idea, though. One thing to consider with the herbs is that things like rosemary and oregano get woody and don't look so great but will break shovels when you try to remove them. I have gone to pots for those, as well as the minty ones.

Good work Steven! Another idea for your herb garden is a wagon wheel design. Upright rosemary (I have Tuscan Blue) does very well in a pot. Be sure to use cactus mix in with your potting soil to provide sharp drainage. Trailing rosemary is excellent as a ground cover on arid well draining slopes--it prevents erosion control. I've also seen thyme on slopes. Arbutus (Strawberry tree--the dwarf forms) may do well on your slope as well. You certainly will have a little gem there when all is done. I am excited and happy for you and Brian.
Becky

Well thank you everyone. Your feedback gave me wings in the garden today. Brian and I went to the nursery this morning and came back with a nice haul. I finally made my decision for the rose on the arbor. I chose Iceberg Climber. They do so well in our neck of the woods and I love the pure white color. We also bought 4 five gallon containers of Breath of Heaven. And I couldn't help myself...I came home with half a dozen delphiniums and foxgloves. They went in the back garden. I immediately laid out snail bait.

This afternoon I finally put my Mantis to the test. If you buy just one tool this year, make it a Mantis tiller. Although a heavy-duty tiller would have been easier, this little guy surprised me. It tore into our clay soil just fine. Once I added the soil amendments, it was like tilling butter. I got a depth of at least 10 inches. Between the two of us, we got the beds around the entire perimeter of the inside of the fence dug in 3 hours. I can't wait to get back out there tomorrow.

While I was tilling, I was thinking about this thread. Patti, you have convinced me to bring in some big rocks. They add so much character. I'll be choosing them with an eye to standability and chipmunk friendliness.

Eduarda, it's almost like you are able to peek at my plant list. Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens gives a beautiful show here and it's definitely going in. And, of course, you were the lady that turned me on to echium. Annie's Annuals has a great selection and I have my eye on few of them. I've always loved the look of agapanthas. Brian isn't a fan, but he's going to have to compromise on this one. They do tend to be over-done here, so I'll be judicious with them. I loved your idea of the checkerboard design for the herb garden. There were moments today when I shut the tiller off and just gazed at the space, picturing it in my mind. I'm seriously considering it. You needn't worry about roses. I'll be growing them all over the place.

Debbie, the flagstone paths and little patio will be rustic, not formal at all. And believe me, my experience with mint and woody herbs as taught me to be careful. I loved your comment about my plan for the fence being a cross between Edna and Diana's garden. As a matter of fact, both those ladies have inspired me. As have you.

I'm going on and on, aren't I. Thanks again everyone for the encouragement. Y'all are sweet.

Steven

What a HUGE project....it sounds delightful, exciting and a heck of a lot o f hard work :) Would you consider pics of work in progress, not just completed work. I think that helps some of us see not only your success but where to begin in our own gardens and not be overwhelmed. Good luck, can't wait to see the finished project.

Nice work Steven! I really like Eduarda's plant list for your slope. I would add salvia leucantha to those purples for long bloom time and drought tolerance. Maybe alyogyne (blue hibiscus) for some height and winter bloom.

I see you already tilled your perimeter beds, but . . . . I still want to suggest that you consider making them at least 5 feet instead of 3 feet. 5 feet gives a better width for plant combinations, and allows you to have more flowers and hence longer bloom times.

Steven, I had the same thought as Gotta-, that 3 feet might not be enough.
In my own experience with that exact amount of room next to my 30 foot long fence was that I simply kept digging up more and more lawn and the bed gradually widened and began to undulate . . . here 4 ft, there 5 ft, back to 3ft etc. Being a not-so-tidy type person I rather enjoyed this unplanned way of adding to my garden.
I've made some lovely little beds using 1 or 2 ft., so I know delightful things can be accomplished in 3 ft and you have a wonderful plan in the works, so I'm not suggesting you use my method. I just wanted you to keep in mind that you may be out there digging up the lawn at some point.

I'm excited for you that you have all this new space. I'm guessing you're happily up to your elbows at it this very moment. ENJOY and keep sharing your progress with us!
Patti

Steven, this is for you! :-)

Eduarda

{{gwi:641911}}

Ohmygosh Eduarda, is this plant echium that Steven said you turned him on to??

WOW!

Yes, Patti, echium a.k.a Pride of Madeira, picture taken in my garden last year in April. The smaller flowers behind it, hardly visible on the photo, are the ceanothus. The color of both is very similar and they make a wonderful pair.

Steven, I'm glad you'll be getting some, they're awesome plants.

Eduarda

Steven....oh my gosh! I guess I have really been out of touch this winter? The last I remember you posting pictures you still had tall, skinny trees of some sort in front and if I remember correctly, a chain link fence. No arbor either. Just WONDERFUL!

Also your plans sound so exciting. It will be beautiful. Can't imagine how I missed the transformation, but I have not been stopping in too often (winter blues here...)

Will be sure to stop in and check your progress in the future.
Marylu

Your plans sound heavenly. I've always wondered what part I like best, the planning, installing the hardscapes, readying the beds, planting the plants, nurturing the new ones, enjoying the fully mature garden view from a nearby bench, or sticking my nose inside one of those big, blousey rose blooms and inhaling. It's all good.

Carol

Eduarda: is there something you add to your soil to make your echium that blue? I have one (in a container!) and it's much more on the violet side. I got it at Annie's, though they grow wild here all over the place. (I'm in Steven's neck of the woods)

Amanda 'romando'

Amanda, no, I don't add anything to the soil. The pic alters the colors a bit, but I would say the real color is not too far behind, perhaps a hint of violet more. I have some hydrangeas nearby and the rosey ones also take some hints of purple, while the blue is definitely blue, so I suspect I may have some sort of acidic streak in that part of the garden. Not elsewhere, though - azaleas don't do well here and the couple of rhodies I tried, died, so I wouldn't say the overall soil is acidic. This particular piece seems to be acidic enough though. Pure chance, not planned at all.

Steven mentioned Annie had different types of echium. Maybe the one you have is different from mine and is supposed to be more violet? Whatever it is, they are gorgeous plants and I love mine to pieces, even though it threatens to take over my back garden.

Eduarda

steveningen,

Your home is "sweeeeet" (I mean that in a nice way, not sappy). The fence and the arbor are perfect. My first impression is that whatever you plant on the slope, outside the fence, should be the same on both sides and maybe just one plant - maybe daylilies like Stello D'Oro. I find they grow well on a slope and are tough as nails. Since your house is yellow the bright Stello D'Oros would compliment the house and they repeat bloom all summer. Once established they are pretty drought tolerant. This is just MHO, of course. Whatever you do will be beautiful, I'm sure. You've got the ideal setting for a cottage garden.

eduarda, Your echiums are gorgeous!

bloominganne