May I make a suggestion? Notice in the photo of the arbor swing how the backdrop is tall shrubs? Now imagine a fence behind it. To me, it loses some charm that way. My suggestion is actually prompted in part by the angle of your photo. Also I recall you were looking for ways to increase privacy between you and your neighbor where the fence changes to split rail. Why not position the arbor swing at an angle in front of your magnolia bush? So in your first photo, the swing would be facing the photographer straight on, place at about a 120-dgree angle out from the fence. Then contine your roses, etc. along the fence if there is room. Be sure to allow enough room behind the swing for the magnolia bush -- I confess I have no idea of its mature size, so maybe this is not a good placement, but I thought it would relate to the patio, fence, and lawn tree better than squishing it up against the fence. DO consider either relocating or "dressing" your fountain up with more plants. It looks a bit naked and utilitarian showing so starkly against the fence. (Maybe things just haven't grown to fill in yet?) Just as with furnishing a room, there is a tendency among gardeners to put everything around the edges or floating in the middle of an empty space. Look at home decorating magazines where you'll see beds coming into the room at an angle and sofas arranged in small conversation areas -away from the walls- to break up a big room. That's kind of the idea here. I'm ignoring the trampoline because it won't be there forever. Right? Wrong? So that's my bright idea for the day. In any case, please show us a photo once it's installed. How nice of your father to build the swing for you! Hope he has fun with the project.

Do the planters have a bottom or are they just decorative with the earth down below? If they're just planters, you might not be able to get a perennial to winter over in the planters--perennials usually need the protection of the ground to wintering. If the plants can get to the earth (and the planters are really just decorative four sides with no bottom), I'd plant climbing roses. Like the following two perhaps: http://www.ljplus.ru/img2/pycaky/Climbing-Roses.jpg http://www.plantsplus.com.au/cmsimages/2.climbing_rose_2.jpg Or any others you like. I find roses very easy to grow. I was always afraid of them--thinking they were difficult. Then I moved onto property with rose bushes. They took care of themselves. So I got daring and bought some new ones. They're doing great too!

I'd put in some Clematis. Try several different kinds to spread out the blooming season. Finish up with Sweet Autumn Clematis (I love that. Smells wonderful). Moonflower vine is another vigorous sun lover but I think it's an annual. I lived in a house in Washington, D.C. that had an amazing Wisteria vine growing up the front. It was wonderful when it bloomed, except that it attracted an amazing number of bees. The rest of the year it was a pain. That stuff grows faster than Kudzu and is just as invasive. It doesn't get the bad press because it's prettier.:)

Hi Flora & Woodyoak, Thank you for your comments & suggestions. It helps me to plan correctly for next year. This year, we planted a morning glory. ItÂs blue flowers compensate for its lack of fragrance. It has reached the top of the arbor. At the sunny side of the arbor where the New Dawn is, my wife had the brilliant idea of fixing small pots of cascading geranium (Pelargoniums), which gives the impression of a climbing rose! Our New Dawn is slightly fragrant. I planted it because of itÂs blush rose color and itÂs vigor. No one has been attacked by the thorns yet! My ideal rose would have been Zephirine drouhin, but for some reason ours, refuses to flower. I like the idea of sweet peas. I am going to give it a try next year. I am not sure of sweet autumn clematis on the arbor. It would be smothered! I thought they were best to cover fences. I dismissed Rubromarginata for the same reason. I thought of Betty Corning but it seems to be slightly fragrant. I am not sure of honeysuckles. I have an orange one, but the flowering season is short (4 days) and sparse. I might be convinced if you know of any with a reasonable flowering time and disease resistant My nursery has John Clayton, Goldflame and Major Wheeler. What do you recommend?