OK, I'll take a shot. Don't know anything about your soil conditions, so I'll guess the soil is OK.

The area around the barrel seems quite small from the photo, maybe planting around the barrel would not be a good idea, if the growing plants get too crowded. Why not move the troublesome barrel to somewhere that the moisture retention would be a plus, such as a VERY sunny area or under a roof somewhere (maybe the small porch by the door in the picture). Placing it under an overhang would put YOU in charge of the watering, and then you would only water as needed.

In place of the barrel, why not use annuals such as impatiens or petunias. Put hostas over by the clematis along with cosmos, daisies, salvia etc.

I took the liberty of adding a lattice frame in front of what appears to be an air conditioner. Maybe add a slowgrowing vine or euonymus to add more interest to the lattice.

Is that big black rectagular thing on a stick a mailbox??? It's pretty big LOL. Can you train a vine (morning glory comes to mind, even though you are pulling it out) up the stand?

Here are a couple of ideas for you. Hope they inspire you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Look in the THS exteriors album for pictures of your garden

Homemaker - What software did you use for these? It is so lifelike. I have a blank yard to deal with and this may be the answer. Thanks - Carol

Have you ever posted something, then forgot to look up the reply?
It's been a while, so this is what I did.
The first thing was repairing the sump pump hose behind the barrell. It spewed water all over the place, creating a soggy mess. I then emptied the barrell, knocked the bottom out of it, allowing for more drainage. Should have done that all along!

I tried some ferns and hosta by the barrell - no go. This area gets full sun which made short work of the plants (they are now doing fine in my hosta bed, however). Instead, I planted "Becky" Shasta daisies and pansies in front of the barrell. Inside the barrell I planted a Johnson's Blue geranium. I thought something cascading down the barrell would be pretty. It's about to sprout new foliage after being cut way down. There is PLENTY of room for more daisies and campanulas where the shastas are.

In the area beside the patio I planted more salvias and a lamb's ear. The salvias are doing awesome! In fact, yesterday I had to cut down all the old growth because it was getting too floppy. In between the salvias I planted white flowering annuals. The Lamb's Ear ("Silver Carpet") did a little too well. It grew so big that it overtook the salvias. I tried digging it up and moving it over a bit, but it died shortly after. I'm thinking of getting another hardy geranium to fill this spot or just make the whole area salvia friendly.

The large black "box" is actually a grill. We have decided to keep it where it is in hopes of repairing it. Beneath it I've planted summer flowering bulbs with pale purple flowers. I can't recall the name right now. I've also planted more salvias since they seem to do so well here.

It took perusing through a lot of gardening idea books to finally get an ideas of what I want to do. Besides, I can't bear to move the barrell now that it shades a nice cool spot for our garden mascot - a frog so named "Jeremy Fisher" by my son.

Right now everything has been cut back so nothing is blooming. When the blooms start getting ready to hustle again, I'll post the results of my hard work.

Heather