Since I posted I have come up with quite a few money saving ideas! :) And would you know it, the lychnis I have is part of it. I think I could work them right in to the landscaping. I am glad you think so, too. I am also thinking of substituting the barberry I was thinking of buying with my Burning Bushes I have. I am thinking the common privet I have as well. I really like the look of kolkwitzia - do you know if I can keep pruning it to keep it rather small? Thank you for your suggestion, Minnamouse!

I'm trying to get perennials going, especially gypsophilia paniculata, but it hasn't bloomed yet, tried some crushed drywall (chalky) to lower the ph a little. Coreopsis went double on me, loved that, but hard to train right, cut it back. I have grown annual salvia 2 years now but want to go perennial where I used that, blue crystal this year and sangria last year, also a freebie yellow coneflower looks nice, meadow sage is good, haven't had time to mulch it yet and can't get that bed watered much. Some Color Parade lilies. Trying to get some delphs and white foxglove going. Crazy daisy should bloom next year. And catmint, not doing much this year but hangin' in there. Annual alyssum is very drought tolerant. White, pink and purple phlox. I stuck in some Rudbeckia Prairie Sun, very striking but not where it is, supposed to self-seed. I want something medium height or tallish with purple bells. What might that be? Failed twice trying to get campanula? ladybells going from seed, will give it one more shot. Russian sage I love but it gets too big, should try to find the smaller variety. Finally, clematis. Have two kinds going well now; one too young yet, one won't bloom, and one isn't happy where I put it. Many of the plants people in warmer zones are using doubt will grow in my zone.

Oldhamii is tough, but those are extreme conditions, and it's hard to say how it will do. If it's stressed it's going to start losing leaves. It will not lift your wall like a tree root, but, since this is a stacked, not mortared, wall it may infiltrate the joints over time and cause some displacement. In a fire the above-ground growth will burn up, and the plant may die depending on how severe the fire is and what happens to the root structure. Interesting situation...feel free to provide a status report in the future.

Yeah thanks guys. I do any work outside early or late after sun goes down. I came home with some Purple Fountain grass, said grows 1-3 ft, to go with the cordgrass and muhly I already planted. I also came home with more Coreopsis, and one Gaillardia (50% off! last one). I have planted already 3 coreopsis (dwarf) and some portulaca that keeps popping up in the yard. I know I will have to weed eventually but I'm afraid to pull anything that is growing at the moment! I think I will pull up weeds and remaining lawngrass after my other plants are established. I will water them till they are established and occasionally if they need it but my regular St. Augustine needs to be watered at least 2x a week or it starts to die back. I also took some seeds from a very pretty beach sunflower that I found at the park ( the seeds only, just a little bit :), I also have some other Gaillardia (indian blanket) in the back that I started from seed and when they get bigger they'll go out front too. I also found a patch of beach sunflower out back that I'll attempt to propagate further. Seeds just take so long to get going I had to buy some already grown plants. Gosh it's so much work though :) Let's hope it works! I'll update after I get it all in.