Sorry to leave you to deal with our crazy Chinese friend all by yourself. I think you're quite right not to block the windows and as such to go with perennials. The problem with that is that for a good portion of the year you will have empty dirt or dead foliage, as you point out, but on the other hand perennials are interesting to watch up close because they are changing every day and maybe attracting bees. Nonetheless I'm not sure I would put the garden there, but rather outside the main sidewalk. But since the bed is there, you might as well try it, and you can always change it. Plants can be moved. If you are new to this I agree with leaving the grass where it is for now, not expanding the beds. See first what your gardening personality is. I think you'll find your planned planting amazingly sparse at first, and will have a lot of weeding to do before it grows in. So maybe be sure to mulch when you plant, but even so, you will have to be vigilant. Regarding your focal point shrubs, something tall and rangy like a hydrangea might make the doorway seem cramped - for that reason I'd tend to put the height near the outside corners, not near the door necessarily. Near the door I'd go with something narrow and ideally pretty up close. There is a narrow shrub I love called Ilex crenata "Mariesii" or else there is a columnar golden yew. Tall pots with clipped boxwood might also be fun, but the obviously need to be clipped. Just some thoughts; good luck. KarinL

You realize that this thread is going on 10 years old?? And the other thread you resurrected is 8 years old. The conversations have died down. You have a pretty plant. How about starting a thread?

A plant list, hmmmm, maybe next week when I'm not as busy. Kristin, the magenta dahlia is Formby Royale. It's my favorite, the color is always perfect and they have long, strong stems. I hope I never lose it one winter. Moonphase, the bed is about 50 feet long and 9 feet wide. I actually started by placing some small trees and dwarf conifers for winter interest. Then I made of list of whatever plants I had in dark purple, rose pink, light and dark violet. Then I place them starting with biggest, then favorites, and then fillers. Then rearrange the plan 10 times. Hopefully this will stop the 10 times of rearranging when they are in the ground :-) Weeds? In early summer I try to mulch everything once with finely ground wood chips. I never get it all done. That really takes care of most weeds. The second way I deal with them is by being tolerant of them. I always have weeds popping up later, and I do "spot weeding" if things get out of hand. (like spot cleaning) But mostly I just don't have time to keep my gardens immaculate, and a few weeds here and there are part of my gardening style. ShaSha - I buy lots of seed started plants in tiny 4-packs, 4 for $1. (delphiniums, lobelia, hibiscus, etc) Then I grow them out in my working garden, so that after a year I will know what color they are, and can place them accordingly. Memo - what am I working on this year? Too much!! Peony bed to line the front driveway. I actually prepared the bed and moved the peonies last fall from my working garden. But I still need to give the bed edges - brick mow-strip on the lawn side and low stone wall on the driveway side. And of course I need to plant all around the peonies . . . circular veggie garden I prepared the soil last year by adding and tilling truckloads of manure. Now I'm laying out paths with the same fieldstone and going to plant it up. It's more than a veggie garden, it will also be a cutting garden and tree nursery and propagation bed. I'm moving some of my working garden to here. barn bed Flowers to be seen from a bit of distance. Yellows and whites, golds and oranges. I've got a plan, just need to find time to implement it. front bed Last fall I finally decided on the shape of the front beds and laid a brick edge for mowing. ( a tedious, laborious job that took a really long time and one that I need to repeat for the peony bed, heavy sigh ...) Now I need to completely rearrange that bed, and plant it up. I don't have a plan yet, for some reason the front of the house stumps me. Too many projects. . . and then I need to maintain them all! Next winter I should post photos of these new flower beds.

Your gardens are gorgeous - so calming and peaceful and the statuary just adds to it - loved looking at your pictures. I have a fair amount of statuary also but it is mostly animals. I like them peaking around and out from under plants - makes the gardens come alive. Thanks for sharing ....... Lynne