Well that's that and I will be very interested to see how this patch fares. The part where the rocks are doesn't look so different, except that now it's interplanted with sempervivums, and all of the part that is covered with bark and hosta used to be daylilies....the big double one that may be called Fulvia? In any case it's time to move on.... Oh dear, I can see that I would have done better to have taken all of the pictures from the same angle and distance, but...consistency has never been my strong point....

I thought I would add my personal bias...I hate creeping fig--mainly because it's such a monster. I would remove it before it's too late and replace it with another vine. Annie's should be able to sell you something. Maybe Rhodochiton, or certain Passifloras would work, depending on your tastes. Passiflora loefgrenii is a really nice plant and I think should grow in part sun/light shade. Apparently they have to grow it in full shade in Florida because of the heat and it blooms fine. I'm not sure whether the P. loefgrenii x caerulea hybrid can take that much shade. It has a reputation as a very vigorous grower (perhaps too vigorous). It's flowers are not as nice as the P. loefgrenii hybrid in my opinion, but the leaves might be nicer looking. P. loefgrenii leaves sometimes look a bit ratty, although it might look great in your climate. P. antioquiensis might be another choice, but you would have to find a source--probably Grassy Knoll exotics has it. It might not bloom for a year, or two...If you are looking for a vine that is truly stunning, that would be one. It's a spectacular plant, and few people have the appropriate (nearly) frost free/mild summer climate that the plant needs. It grows really well in Garden Grove (near Los Alamitos, I'm told). Elizabeth at Grassy Knoll would be a great person to ask for advice choosing a vine. They have many Passifloras (over 100) as well as some other vines and I would recommend both them and Annie's highly. There are two Passiflora antioquiensis hybrids that are really nice, Passiflora x exoniensis (antioquiensis x tripartita var. mollissima) and P. 'Mission Dolores' (P. parritae x antioquiensis). Both probably like more sun than P. antioquiensis and are more vigorous growers. Both are available (in theory) at both Annie's and Grassy Knoll. My bias would be to go with Grassy Knoll but either should be fine. Another plant that Annie's sells that might work is Tropaeolum peregrinum. I grew one of these from Annie's against a North-facing fence in Sunnyvale (Sunset zone 15) that didn't get much sun. It grew great but only for one year. I think it should be a perennial in Venice. Neither Rhodochiton nor Tropaeolum peregrinum are big vines, but they should grow significantly and bloom well in their first year. Here is a link that might be useful:

According to the Sunset Western Garden Book, creeping fig is very agressive and can be a problem--best to pull it off every few years so you can still use the garage--also not recommended for south-facing walls (page 351 of 2001 edition)--might not be the best choice. It's very delicate and beautiful when young but gets heavier and coarser over time. I've got Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) on my concrete walls. It's the plant that gave the name to the "Ivy League" colleges. It loses its leaves for a few weeks in winter (leaves turn red first--brilliant color). You would only need 1 plant. I pull it all off every 2 or 3 years to the ground (it comes off with a gentle tug) and it all grows back quickly. It gets very lush and looks good. Real ivy (genus Hedera) can be a pest--it spreads all over and rats like to nest in it. If you want a small, fairly clean tree what about dwarf Citrus? Evergreen, good screen, and the smell of citrus blossoms is just heavenly. Plus the fruit. 12-15' size you are looking more at a medium shrub rather than a tree. Most things sold as trees will get much much taller and at 1' away from the fence you don't have much room. Look also at Prunus caroliniana 'Brite and Tite', Nandina...I think this forum's FAQ has a list of 'narrow screen' plants you might want to check out.

Thanks for the suggestions! We don't like grasses in the yard, especially after helping our neighbor get rid of some really, really invasive grass that Urban Gardener planted in their yard this past year. We have a lot of shrubs in the area already, and are looking for something more low-lying (less than 2"-8" tall) to fill in. I've never really had a thing for mondo grasses, but we all have our loves :) Between the three spreaders/clumpers above (veronica, epimediums, partridgeberry) we should be able to work something out to cover at least 60-70% of the area in question, which would mean 60-70% less weeding, and something to keep the ferns company during the winter when many of the other things have died back. I don't mind spending $$, I'm totally fine with that, but ... I don't want something that is a tiny 6" clump at full size, else we will be seriously spending a thousand dollars buying 200+ plants to fill the bed. Are the three aforementioned species relatively safe to plant near perrenials that die back down to the ground every year and re-sprout, or will they choke those out? If it is not safe, what kind of spacing should I be trying to maintain between these and other plants? (i.e. would the average spread diameter + 6" buffer be adequate?) I am normally really wary of non-native species, seems like most of the common ones are too invasive for my liking, which is why I had to ask. Search was turning up a ton of results, but I couldn't seem to refine it enough to find meaty info. Thanks again for the advice! BTW - Epimedium warleyense and versicolor flowers both look amazing! (see pics halfway down page)