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I am just thinking about what I have that grows anywere. It even self-seeds in the gravel driveway. Check out the lamiums. They are groundcovers, many cultivars. Mine stay evergreen and can get about 12 inches or so tall. Blooms lavenders, purples, pinks and white. The leaves are wonderful without the blooms. I have them in shade; in sun, in semi-shade and some are planted where there was a gravel layer (foundation mulch!). So far no insect or disease problems. Bluestone has a bunch. I think your garden looks spectacular...even with the holes. I would never have noticed any bare spots in looking.

Have you tried the perennial salvia splendens...Blue Hill would be a nice color there.

Good luck, but don't worry too much. We should all have such lovely gardens.

glenda

My pink dianthus have tolerated both cold wet and hot dry situations. I'm scattering it all over the yard this summer when it seeds. I'll save some for you if you want to try it. The variety I have came from Park Seeds, I think. Pinks Maiden. It's a low grower. Blooms on and off all summer with dark green foliage instead of the blue found in other Pinks.

GGG, your garden is amazing! Is your fence weathered cedar or is that a stain? I am trying to decide what to do to mine. You also gave me a very timely idea. I was just in my garage looking for the garden sprayer (rose slug---ugh!!!) and found a box that hadn't been unpacked from my move. In it was a cute little birdhouse that my son made with his Pop Pop (my Dad). It didn't have a hook on top for hanging and I was pondering what to do with it. I have one fence post that is missing a post cap. I'm going to put it on there now that I see how adorable yours looks!

I like the suggestion of dianthus. Mine are blooming like crazy right now. Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)? It isn't evergreen, but it does turn a nice bronze color in the fall. The blue would be a nice contrast, I think. It spreads but is not hard to pull.

Lisa

I like the idea of pinks! I just haven't been successful with them is why I didn't think of them. I may have to try Bath's Pink again.

I do have some dianthus (bath's pink) right around the corner from this area and they don't bloom all summer (but I like the foliage color, which is really why I planted them).
Token, diathus is a good idea. I have some with green foliage here (WS) but I don't think they bloom all summer either. Which I would really like in that spot. I had orange hummingbird mint for a awhile, I loved it there. I think one is coming back but the rest croaked. It is the oddest spot.
Salvia splendens is an excellent idea for around the pot! Why didn't I think of that? Thanks!!!

The Lamiums are lovely, but will not cut it here in the heat in full sun. Today it's in the high 80's with high humidity and things are already pouting. Hopefully it cools off a bit again.

Lisa thanks for your comments. The garden has been in for many years but it's finally maturing (as I plant more and more things) - the fence is purple paint. Needs to be freshened up again (I only got a bit of painting done this year so far). It matches our house, which is purple.

Shasta, specifically leucanthemum 'Broadway Lights'.

Up until last fall, mine (three years old) were in a full sun (all day) dry bed and I decided to move it to the path along my rain garden as switched to salvia greggii in my xeric bed. I divided the three clumps into at least nine clumps.

We had torrential winter rains and the shasta loved it -- perfect, evergreen clumps of gorgeous foliage. Now--we've had no significant rain for a month and I've not irrigated it. It looks fabulous with just some accidental watering as I try to keep some annual seeds to germinate behind it. They are now hit by harsh sun off and on with partial shade as the sun moves east-west across my garden.

The blooms start out pale yellow and go to creamy white and won't mess up a color scheme of any kind. Deadhead as soon as the blooms decline -- all the way to the basal foliage.

I doubt mine were ever taller than 15", though the stats say 18-24,

This should be easy to find, since it's a PW plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: broadway lights

Broadway Lights is very low in my yard too. I bought three pots last year at Lowe's. They stayed about 12" tall all summer. They're not that tall now either while my other Shastas are getting huge.

If you have space, why not plant some Montauk Daisies with the broadway lights. They both stay short and will give you white blooms from June through late September. The Montauks bloom in the fall if cut back in early June. I plan to make cuttings of all mine in a few more weeks.

How about Scabiosa "Butterfly Blue" or Armeria-- aka Sea Thrift...Smiles Becky

GGG, have you thought about a dwarf loropetalum there (Purple Pixie)? Would be nicely ever-purple and contrast well with the yellow flowers and the lime-ish foliage behind. I have several in different conditions and they seem to be quite tough.

mayland, I have 3 purple pixie in the back. Two have come back after this winter and one is dead. They had a hard time and I thought they were dead! I think it's the soil they are in, but that had me worried. I'm glad yours are doing better.

The shasta would do nicely there. I tried montalk daisies once. They died and fried in the summer? Perhaps here better under a bit of shade? I like the idea of the other daisy thought, I love daisies and don't have any on this side of the garden....I am wary of some here because they either don't bloom long or don't manage well. Becky is my mainstay, but I will call my friend at Lowes to see if they have that variety or can get them. He manages the garden department (which is very helpful!)

Would a narrow columnar shrub, like an Irish Juniper or even a columnar boxwood be an idea? The boxwood is a slow grower and stays very narrow, can be trimmed to stay that way. They are a little on the expensive side though. There are some upright junipers that are of a blue or gray color too. Of course some may out grow that space, but perhaps a nursery could suggest a narrow upright shrub that stays relatively small.

Here's a little guy I planted last year. It's a "Gold Cone Juniper". In Spring the tips of its foliage are yellow. Right now it's about 2' tall and I think should reach five or six?
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Well, I looked it up just now and info says it grows up to 10'. Sorry, Gold Cone Juniper might not work for you. :)

Lots of great ideas. I was thinking about something that is tolerant and polite about it's growing habits, here anyways!! lol. Silver Mound artemesia. It's kinda common, but the grey-green foliage might make a nice foil for the yellows and acid greens. 8D)

Nancy.

midnightsmum, i was actually thinking I do not have silver in there (I have it elsewhere) however artemisia does poorly here. I could, if need be divide more lambs ears and throw them in there. Or somewhere else in that bed. You are correct about needing more of the silver foliage though.

GGG,

Your Dianthus will rebloom if you shear off the spent flowers - deadhead them. I give mine a "haircut" three times during the summer and have blooms all the way until the first frost.

Maybe pink Thrift? I got three pots of it yesterday. Likes full sun. Has grass-like variegated leaves and pink pompom blooms on one ft tall stems.

Sweet Allysum does well in places like that and fills in nicely. Also, it would cascade over the side. It smells heavenly sweet too. It comes in white, pink, purple, Red-violet and strawberry. Would be pretty mixed with Thrift plants.

Marguerite Daisies? Very dainty leaves and flowers. About one to two feet tall. Comes in several colors - I've seen pink, yellow, purple and white. I love the medium pink.

sweet pictures...I love your layering. I know you said evergreen maybe...but what about a pot with good soil..and annuals..or even the evergreen, or just green houseplants..

Another idea maybe...a gazing ball, or a concrete sphere...and forget the bad soil there, and change up the textures with something smooth and round, a place to rest the eye... is there room for a tiny tiny backless bench..concrete maybe? A resting place to the eye and the tushe :)

I think lamb's ears would be lovely, and a little taller, which imho I think would work in that space - hey, and they'd be free!!

Nancy.