kimberely, I have both. Don't cut either one down at all. They need a great deal of water, if you have sandy soil, i am not sure what your soil is like. You might want to put down a drip hose to make sure they get enough water. My blue fescue really never did very well. It is still alive, it is a cool season grass, which means it loves the cooler weather in the winter. I personally wouldn't plant it in the front of my house, but see if it turns blue this winter and if you like the look of it. I wasn't impressed with the pink muhly grass, but that is just my opinion. I planted red head grass, it is awesome. I also planted silver Miscanthus grass, also awesome, and I water the silver grass constantly in the heat. I also planted Mondo grass, which was a dud. i think a small little bit is still alive, but don't buy it. I gave it 4 years, and it is almost gone. I love grasses, but some grasses really need alot of water, and some are quite drought resistant. Hit or miss.

I'm in zone 7 Oklahoma where it stays hot from late May through October. Mine are only just now kicking in with blooms that are still forming and opening. They are the latest to bloom of all my grasses along with the 'Flamingo' muhly that is sold by High Country Gardens. I imagine gardengal is right, they really do need a long hot period. M. riverchonni is another type that blooms pink, mine bloomed in mid August and the blooms are now wheat colored. High Country Gardens sells these if you need a type that is more suited to a shorter season. They also carry M. 'Flamingo'. I have read there is a Texas ecotype of the Gulf Muhly and also a Florida type, the Texas is supposed to be hardier, maybe it would bloom for you reliably? I am not sure how a person tells which is which when buying them however as I never see them distinguish one from another.

Kitasei has a good point too. I had that experience as well, just as it's getting going, a frost will arrive and BLAM, dead. It's not quite the same, but may I mention Muhlenbergia riverchonii as an alternative, it's much hardier (overwintering for a couple of years in an unprotected pot even).

Probable star jasmine (Trachelospermum) already needs a bigger surface to climb on - you could install additional framework to the left and right of the existing section and fill the whole vertical space just with that one planting. Which would be good because then it would be a uniform backdrop that eliminated being able to seen beyond the bed and into the void beneath the house. And with the dark green climber already there any plantings of purple-leaved or otherwise additionally dark plants might not be the best direction to go in. You might also like to coordinate with the vine when it is in flower, for instance planting something that is yellow at the same time as its white flowers are present. Maybe start by taking a sprig of the vine to some garden centers and holding it up against other plants, seeing what looks good, then building from there. Also what you are able to find for sale in your area at the time you are working on this will determine what you end up using. Unless you order from outside of the area, for home delivery. Otherwise this Clemson page on Loropetalum is pretty good. They also say the 'Darkfire' grows only 5-6 ft. tall but they may just be repeating what commercial sources have been saying (see the Clemson paragraph on size of the species in general). With nursery depictions of the "mature" size talking about what has been seen with examples only 10 years old. Or is being assumed plants of that age will become: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/loropetalum/