Gracie there are others who are much better at this than me. I have only a little knowledge and just a lot of trial and error experiences. But the suggestions of the landscaper sounds pretty good to me. Of course a lot would depend on where you live. I don't seen anything in your post which says what planting zone you live in.
I have red-tipped photinias in my backyard and I enjoy them. They can get fairly large so if you want their size controlled a good pruning in fall usually works pretty well for us.
There are many varieties of Clematis. In the link I am sending there is a lengthy list and most have names you can click on to see the photos of the flowers they produce.
I don't know anything about fringe flower personally but it is a nice looking plant.
Here are a few links you might find helpful.
G.M.

http://www.homeofclematis.net/variety.htm

http://www.signaturelandscapes.com/plants/plant_images/shrubs_large/loropetalum.htm

http://www.cdr3.com/redtip/

Gracie,

It is hard to comment on the plants in general when we don't know your growing zone, type of soil, or how many plants you intend to plant in the area.

Clematis are quite lovely but there are dozens, if not hundreds, of named varieties and some do better in the hot weather than others, so by sure to google the variety you select and research it. If, by chance, the recommended clematis is "Sweet Autumn Clematis", it blooms in August and has gloriously fragrant flowers, but they are small. The showier forms of clematis have large, dramatic flowers in lovely colors and bloom in spring and summer.

Lorapetalum is a lovely plant, but I have seen it grown most successfully where it gets some shade in the late afternoon. I am not 100% sure it is the best choice for a hot location with sunlight reflected off a fence. If I am wrong and someone here has grown it successfully in that type of location in our climate, I hope they will let you know.

Red-tip photinia is a lovely shrub but it becomes a huge monster in just a few years. You need to be sure you plant the shrubs far enough away from the fence and far enough away from each other that they can grow and attain a lovely mature shape without having to be pruned back hard to ugly stubby branches. I wouldn't plant red-tip photinias any closer to one another than 8 to 10 feet. You wouldn't believe how often I see people plant photinias too close together only to have to rip them out (which isn't easy) when they get too large and too hard to manage.

Good luck with your plants.

Dawn

I've grown both red-tip photinia and various hollies, and much prefer the hollies. Hollies come in all sizes and have much less disease problems than the photinias.

I know many people like the photinias. They were the first shrubs I removed when we moved onto this property years ago. They grow too fast for my tastes.

A friend of mine insisted on planting them against his house ten years ago against my recommendation and now I go over twice a year and prune them back just to keep them in check where they fit into the landscape.

randy

Well as you can see I am very new to this forum and not a gardener! Beginners question-#1 How do I know what zone I am in? We live in Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City area. We have clay soil, I do know that! What other info should I post when I ask a question. I do appreciate your wonderful advice!

Gracie,

It is OK. Perhaps, if we are successful, we will help you grow into a gardener. You know, as beautiful as any home is and can be, each home needs a lovingly planted and well-maintained landscape to showcase it to its' best advantage.

If you are in the Oklahoma City area, you are in zone 7. If you have clay soil, the absolute best thing you can do for your plants before they are planted is to amend the soil so that it both holds water well and drains well. To do this, add the following to your soil: peat moss OR compost, composted manure and finely shredded pine bark (or cypress) mulch. You don't have to add tons and tons, but at least 2 to 4 inches as a minimum. Till it into the soil (if you don't have a tiller, perhaps you can rent one or borrow one). Then, rake and level the soil, and plant. You will notice that the improved soil is mounded up somewhat higher than the surrounding grade, and that is a good thing.

Improving the clay even a small bit will help your plants to grow faster and to maintain good health. If you want to go one step further and make the area low-maintenance, cover the prepared soil with a cloth-type landscape fabric mulch. Peg down the ends of the fabric mulch with the landscape staples (U-shaped metal things) or plastic pegs (usually green, they look like large green plastic nails). Cut an "X" shape in the fabric and plant in that spot. When you're done planting, cover the fabric with the mulch of your choice. This extra step will repay you many times over by making that area low-maintenance. The plants will benefit because they won't have grass or weeds competing with them for moisture or nutrition.

Now, about the plants. In order to decide what you want to plant, figure out what you like. I'd rather plant shrubs and vines that have a look to them that I like seeing, and not just a plant that someone recommended.

If you don't know what you like, go to local nurseries or to the Botanic Garden or to the Myriad and look at the plants. When you see one you like, try to find out what it is. (Hopefully the plants are well-labeled.)

BEFORE you buy, research the plant and make sure you understand its' needs. For example, some plants need full sun, some need full shade, others tolerate partial shade/sun and some (especially the holly family shrubs) can grow in either one.

Also make sure you understand what the plants mature height and spread will be. It can be tricky.

The red-tip photinias, as Randy and I have already said, can get very large. I have seen them get 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide in less than a decade. Since most people plant then only a few feet from one another, they begin to crowd each other out. Pruning them works for a while, but after several years of that, you have pruned them back to the point that all you have are huge limbs with lots of stubble covered by leaves. They are also overused, and I like using plants that aren't as commonly used.

Your clay soil may be a faster-draining clay because it has some sand or loam, or it may be a heavy, thick clay that bakes brick hard in summer and holds pools of water in spring. Take the type of clay you have into consideration when choosing your plants.

Last year,I compiled long lists of clay soil-tolerant plants for Emily. I'm going to go to this forum's back pages and find those and bump them up to the top for you. You might find some additional ideas there. You'll know them when you see them as they are titled "A Tree List for Emily....", "A Shrub List for Emily..." etc.

Good luck and keep communicating with us. We'll do our best to help you.

Dawn

Dawn has given some good advice. Please research and visit more than one place and ask lots of questions.

I don't want to knock landscapers because I went to school to be a landscape architect. When i found out most of them mowed lawns for a living, I changed my mind. :-)

Not all of them do this, but is is common with big ones. They find a good sale on certain plants and buy a bunch of them to have on hand. Then guess which plants they recommend when doing a job quote?

A good landscaper looks around at your property, then sits down with you and starts asking questions about how you want to use the property, what your interests are, what your favorite colors are, and things along that line. He draws from you what to do.

I've done a few yards for close friends and had a blast doing it. It's really fun when it's not coming out of your pocket to design and lay out a fun family outdoor area.

randy

Gracie
Are you feeling a little spooked by now? lol
I guess it depends on how serious you want to be about putting in some plants huh?

I am sending a link to my red tipped photinias. I am not totally opposed to how they look with the pruning they get each year. But here is a photo and you can see how mine look for yourself. We prune them because they do tend to get very large. In some areas a large one is a good thing. Mine were planted before we moved here and planted close together to hide a bunch of utility posts in the middle of my yard.
One good thing I can say for them is that they thrive in my horrid clay soil and they don't demand attention at all other a good pruning once a year.
You asked for pictures so here is mine. Just click on the link below. (BTW there is work in progress under those bushes as you can see. We are working on putting in some landscaping rock and ground cover plants but have not gotten very far yet).
G.M.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Red Tipped Photinias

Gracie: Welcome! I'm in OKC too. I'll attach a link to my photobucket site. The main page is up close photos, but the yard folder will give you a little idea of what I grow.

Photinas do get LARGE...I'll be happy to take a picture of the ones in front of my church if you seed to see ones that don't get trimmed very often :)

Here's a few ideas from my yard....

Have you thought about antique roses? I'm using those across my back fence. The antique rose forum can give you all sorts of ideas. I'm growing six or seven. If you are interested I can try to remember the names :) They were new last year, so hopefully they will gain some size and blooms this year. I do have hybrid tea roses, but I keep them up front and clustered together where I can keep my eye on them.

I have tree sized crape myrtles that I really appreciate come summer. I know crape mrytles are almost a landscape institution, but there's a reason for that! I don't have to spend a lot of time trimming them up each year.

I have a couple (or did) Rose of Sharon's. I'm not as excited about those.

I also have a vitex tree (have you ever driven through Nichols Hills on Grand Blvd during the summer?....they are the purple trees/bushes that look similar to butterfly bushes.) I have to trim on my vitex every year, but it does provide beautiful flowers that the butterflies and hummingbirds love.

Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Lisa's yard

You all are amazing! Thank you Dawn, Lisa and Randy and all of you for the advice. I think if we do not get rain this afternoon I will seek out TLC and ask for their advice also on vines and shrubs. Then I am sure I will have more questions for my expert buddies here! Thanks again!

Gracie, In an identical situation I planted herbs. I have rosemary against the house and 3-4 varieties of thyme across a narrow pathway nearer the fence. I also have monarda, blackeyed susan, sage and tarragon. It smells wonderful there. Against the fence my neighbor and I share honeysuckle, trumpet vine and sweet autumn clematis - all of which has to be cut back severely every year. I don't mind, though. I like the way it looks, and the hummingbirds love it.

As for amending the clay, I don't work quite so hard at it. I just layer organic materials on top (mostly wood chips) and let the worms do the work.

Thank you ,okprairie, I will look into your suggestion. I hope to get by TLC today. It sounds beautiful and fragrant!