Feedingly, It has been mentioned that you have English ivy in the mix which begs the question, is there more of it on the other side of the fence? If there is, it's not going to be very practical trying to eliminate it as it will keep coming from the neighbors. Unlike many others, I do not despise English ivy and consider it a lawn alternative for large shade areas. I once had a half-acre lot of which 50% was covered in Hedera helix. Actually, I found it to be the EASIEST ground to maintain as it required no mowing or babying. The only thing I had to do was 2-3 times per summer walk through it and spot spray any stray weeds that popped up. And sever (with hand pruners or a knife) any ivy that was climbing trees, of which there were a dozen or so. On some of the larger trees I let it climb up about 4' height and cut it there... I liked that look and didn't have to bend over to do the work! Where the ivy met my grass, I alternately sprayed a swath of Round-up (looks ugly while the ivy tips die, but residually acts as a growth retardant and slows the next growth wave down.) and then edged the ivy with stabs of a pointed spade. (I only did this about 2 to 3 times per summer.) Some people just let the ivy come into the grass. It only grows about 3' to 4' in before it dissipates, being unable to stand the short mowing. It is not much visible like that. Since my adjoining neighbors also had ivy at the back of their yards, there was nothing for me to maintain at the lot line. I had no ivy next to my house so none to ward off there. All totalled, I don't think I spent more than 3 hours (or barely more) per summer maintaining 1/4 acre of ivy. In your case, it would good not to allow ivy on the fence, but spraying a swath of Round-up a couple of times per season would take care of that. Ultimately, I'm suggesting that a row of flowering trees, with a green waterfall of ivy below would be a relatively easy thing to take care of, if one is not opposed to using Round-up and some pre-emergent herbicide granules. Establishing the space as a shade area would help. I would add that it might be some work to get it to the point of being weed-free, but once there, it would be extremely easy to maintain. If I was going to do this, I would relocate all the plants to be saved (such as Hosta) to another area, temporarily or permanently. Then I would work on weeds and simultaneously plant small trees like crape myrtle. If you don't cure the weeds before trying to develop smaller plantings, it will be futile. I don't think there's amount of weed pulling that will cure the weeds you have. As weeds are killed, it would be important to mulch bare areas to minimize any weed regrowth. Having been around the forum for a while now, I am certain that mentioning Hedera helix in a positive light will bring out all manner of negative comments against it. Many, it seems, would rather face a rabid pit bull than a sprig of ivy. To each his own, but it seemed to me that ignorance about how to properly manage ivy is pervasive. Previously, some argued against it based on another related species -- Hedera canariensis -- to which anyone would know is not the same plant, nor does it have the same characteristics. In spite of my love and adoration for Hedera helix, I know that if one is not knowledgeable or willing to learn proper management techniques, it can seem like an overpowering bull. So I'm not recommending that you go out and get some to install in an area currently devoid of it. I'm suggesting that if it's already there, and already in the adjoining neighbor's yards, learn to manage it and use it to your advantage. In spite of what people say, it has a lot of positive attributes.

Well, we live in a mid-19th c farmhouse with most of its original details intact, so I am somewhat constrained by that. I want a plain, workman-like space for the kitchen essentials, with nothing pretending to be something it isn't. (No faux wear marks or fly-specking details on my cabs for instance - at least none applied at the factory; we're not talking about what will happen naturally if someone leaves the doggone screen door open again! For those I've got my Spic 'n Span bucket ready.) I know this sounds drab and dull, but that's not the case since I have details like 14" tall skirting boards with deeply curved moldings; an open staircase with a second-floor gallery and the underlying (also rigid) balance and symmetry of a full-on Greek Revival building. With such strong elements never out of the picture, I have just had to learn to get out of the way. Since almost all our stuff is passed down from our families, (some period antiques and but mostly just old pieces, approaching legal antique status of their own, but not period, IYKWIM) my "style" of decorating is pretty much "what we found in the attic", combined, now, with what we've inherited from our parents. I can't really imagine what it is like to choose to decorate in a defined "style" or go out intending to purchase stuff to go with a particular style. When I read or see pictures here of what people are working on, I often wonder how you ever decided which one to choose. Seems like a lot of energy is expended working out those details. I just concentrate on 1) What do I need to make this room work for how we want to use it? 2) What do I have that will do the job? 3)(If I have more than one option for #2) Which piece looks best (mostly scale) with the other stuff in the room? 4) What can I/do I have to do with it (or to it) to spiff it up enough so make it presentable, if necessary? (If I can't find a suitable piece for some use, then we usually do without until a solution appears.) In general I find that my old stuff tends to look well with my other old stuff, providing the scale of the piece is right, particularly in the context of it all being old stuff, in an old house. And to some degree, after attending to comfort and practicality/feasability and cleanliness (which can include cleaning up a wood finish or redoing upholstery), I really don't care to do more. The only place where I can fall in with the forum's decorating mania, is color. That really lights my fire! I can spend weeks and months thinking about, testing and generally feeding the decorating part of my brain while contemplating which color to put on my walls. L

There is one thing you most definitely need to know! 'Cherry Bells', Campanula punctata, is very pretty--and VERY invasive. Be really careful where you plant it and/or hover over it and be ready to POUNCE and get rid of it if you find it going everywhere in a couple years. Based on my experience, I'd also be very surprised if it got more than 16" tall--and I think even that is pushing it. (Your Astilbe, if they bloom for you, should be taller than that.) I haven't grown Adenophora lilifolia, but I believe that one can be invasive too, and I'd also be very surprised if it got much more than 24". But individual growing conditions affect things like that, so you never know. The Digitalis mertonensis should be very pretty. Will be interested to see if it gets to three feet for you. Not invasive at least! ;-) You found some very pretty things--but be careful they don't eat you. When you said you were looking for some "tall" things, I assumed you wanted AT LEAST 3', so the things I suggested are that--mostly 3-4'. You probably won't find any of the things I suggested anywhere but a "real" garden center--definitely not places like big box stores. Too bad you can't come to one of our swaps! Kinda long drive, I think! But my "purple fluff" Thalictrum has started to self seed a little bit, so I've given a few of the plants away at our last couple swaps. You might need to look for some of them mail order if you decide you want any of those things. Or, if Billings has a good garden center somewhere, it might be worth a drive if it's not close to you. A yellow columbine I have that's fragrant gets "about" 3' tall if you can find it. It's Aquilegia chrysantha. 'Denver Gold' is one named variety, or you can find it as an unnamed, straight species plant too. The drawback--it self seeds insanely! But it's one I consider "worth it" to put up with pulling the seedlings out. I second the bleeding heart! The Old Fashioned ones are the tallest, Dicentra spectabilis, but they probably won't get up to 3' either--but they ARE very pretty when they bloom! Mine is blooming right now! (But one thing I just thought of, the bleeding hearts usually go dormant over summer when it gets hot.) Skybird

UpScapers not only do I have a difficult time seeing how plastic plants can make a significant reduction on road noise**, I take issue with the claim that it's "green". it's not. plastic provides nothing for birds or pollinators. modern civilization and urban density is taking away more and more habitats and fake plants everywhere would just make that worse. on top of that, once you've grown tired of the fake plant wall, it's plastic that winds up in the landfill. real, actual eco friendly landscaping involves native plants that need little to no watering (with an emphasis on native to help birds and pollinators). (**the vistafolia literature claims to reduce indoor noise. I can see how that would work with things like everyday office noise since the plants are pointed inwards -- similar to what happens when you add carpet and soft furniture to a space. I don't see anywhere claims that it could muffle loud exterior road noise coming from outside the wall.)