Hi trilliumgreen, Well, here's some late interest in your thread. First let me introduce myself. I have no training in landscape architecture or design. But I like to see gardens, I like plants and I spent a lot of time looking at pictures of gardens in books when I was too ill to read during a couple of extended medical treatments. I live on the wet side of the mountains from you. I feel I'm somewhat out of my league posting here, but have some thoughts. Is your garden for grownups, or is it for children too? I ask this because gardens can be magical places for children. You mention the wildflowers near your home; do you see your home environment also as a place for nature? You might think of your garden also as a habitat for birds, butterflies and insects (but not the marmots). For example, for a climber you could consider honeysuckle, as hummingbirds like its flowers. I've seen some very nice gardens in the Denver area, and there are books written by Colorado authors that might be an inspiration for gardening in your dry climate. Perhaps your library could help you with these. "Plant-Driven Design, creating gardens that honor plants, place and spirit" by Scott Ogden & Laren Springer Odgen and "Cutting Edge Gardening in the Itermountain West" by Marcia Tatroe are a couple of these. Both books include quite a few photos with low growing plants in gravel or pavers. Both include plant lists, including some trees. One of the places where I've seen the golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) was in the Portland Chinese garden; I can see why you are interested in growing it. Tatroe lists it as "xeric", so it should be fine for you. Have you seen Cynthia Kriebe's garden in Ellensburg? Garden photographer Mark Turner likes it so well that he has posted over 100 photos from 4 visits. He names the plants, which is very helpful. The western larch, a deciduous conifer, is in this garden - I think it's a fairly fast grower. I think gardens with a serene and spacious feeling can work well in semi-rural settings because these blend well with the surrounding countryside. For me, using low plants (even in gravel) with tall conifers and upright-growing deciduous trees is a starting point. Best wishes - you should be able to create a garden that brings you and your family great pleasure. -m

Hi Mary and all, I've got a LOT of plants growing along the north side of the house. Some are very low water and some aren't (though I try to keep them generally grouped to make watering easier). Here's a quick list of what I've got planted that is thriving (not just surviving, but looking great): These all get a lot of bright indirect light all year and just a touch of morning sun in summer only: Agave americana Squid agave (Agave bracteosa) Aloe saponaria Aloe brevifolia Datura meteloides Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) Callisia fragrans(like a fun, more-durable spider plant) Giant (or "white") bird of paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) Spider plants (Chlorophytum in the ground year round) Honeysuckle vine (Lonicera)a great suggestion from Judy B Slimjim bean (Phaseolus filiformis great delicate foliage and tons of small snail-vine-looking blooms) Pencil cactus (not really a cactus but a nice succulent, Euphorbia tirucalli plus tons of coleus and begonia 'Dragon Wings red' in pots. I'm sure other folks will share what they've got thriving on the north sides of their houses, but those are some plants off the top of my head that have done really, really well planted not far from the foundation of the north side of the house. Just keep in mind that I don't have any large trees nearby so it's pretty bright even without direct sunlight. Let us know what you select, and how it works out. Take care, Grant

To add height, you could always build a "raised bed" under window with cement pavers or blocks. The downside: cost and labor, but there is a a couple benefits. 1: it would give you a little more height to be closer to the 3' with shorter plants. 2: you can fill it with soil more suitable for growing plants than the hard clay we typically see on the front range (particularly in a residential neighborhood and right up against the house no less) 3. Since your yard is more "xeric," which also often means they prefer a lot more sun as well, the different soil type and a different watering regimen would allow you to create what is known in "xeriscaping" as an oasis zone of plants that prefer richer, wetter soil, which many of the shade tolerant/shade preferring plants do. Of course 2 and 3 can also be accomplished without building a raised bed, but from a landscaping perspective the hardscape of a decorative wall would give a definitive transition between the xeric yard and the mesic bed. Just some thoughts :).

Amanda, I know three things about Buddleias. First, their roots get eaten by nematodes and they will kill the plant in a few years. This is a major problem here in Florida. I have repeatedly tried to grow Buddleias; they grow well the first year or two and then die out rather quickly. I have no idea if they are a problem in California. I suspect not. Second, they have to be deadheaded if you want them to bloom well. So, regardless if this plant is sterile or not make sure you cut off the dead flowers right after blooming. Third, they hate wet feet. If their roots are in water for even a day or so they will tend to die. Again, I don't imagine this is a problem where you live since the plants are in the ground. I believe they respond well to pruning, so you can probably cut them back quite a bit, give them a bit of fertilizer (organic if possible) and make sure they get enough water and light and they should do well. Don't know what kind you have, but they produce large blooms that are very fragrant and attractive to many different pollinators, including, of course, butterflies and also hummingbirds.