IÂm back and I sorry it took me a while, but work got in the way of life again linrose, your thoughts are pretty much along mine. I have been thinking about this for a while now, and pondered some of the suggestions you all made (thanks again). What I want to achieve is a relatively carefree garden with mostly perennials of either a long flowering period, or ornamental qualities such as colorful foliage, and, if possible, not fussy about needing to be divided every two or three years. I started with one focal point per segment idea, but realized the shape of the flower bed would accommodate two instead. The plant list I have "narrowed" down so far to this:  Salvia ÂMaynight or ÂBlue Hill  Echinacea ÂPixie Meadowbrite  Perovskia ÂBlue Spire  Sedum ÂMatrona  Caryopteris ÂSummer Sorbet  Carnation  silver leaved very fragrant  Heuchera  variety tbd  Aster ÂMalba  Stachys ÂHummelo  Liatris ÂKobold  Peony  not sure which variety yet  Coreopsis ÂMoonbeam  Veronica ÂSunny Border Blue or other short variety  Alchemilla mollis  Lavender  variety tbd  Allium ÂGlobemaster or similar It still has too many different plants, but I am working on that. I am trying to plant in large drifts or groups and have some symmetry within each segment of my garden as well as between the segments. I am trying to figure out how to post pictures, but so far it refuses to budge argh it's frustrating

Reviewing this thread... Tracy, on the platycodon, that comes in pink/blue/white right? If I remember right, that plant had no pests for me, and stayed in one place for quite awhile, not needing to be divided. The staking was the only drawback and if I remember right, didn't someone tell me there is a dwarf version, that doesn't need staking? I did want to mention that it is the campanula family and if you have trouble with groundhogs, woodchucks, these are one of their favorite foods. All of you in areas that don't have the Lily Leaf Beetle are SO lucky. I would grow a whole yard of them if I didn't have them. With peonies in part sun, I am so surprised they bloom there. Wondered if anyone wanted to recommend particular varieties that are their favorites? Also, do I remember right, that Tree Peonies take more shade than herbaceous? I would think a peony is very well behaved. Hardly ever needs dividing, pest free right? Does it need fertilizing? Again, it needs staking right? I put a tomato cage around the only one I have, but it was too small to need it this year. I've had that Silver Mound Artemesia at the edge of a bed and it was very well behaved, didn't reseed or travel, increased slowly. Nice silver accent and very neat. A number of people have recommended grasses. I love grasses, but early on discovered two issues to be careful with. Some grasses are very big reseeders, especially in the warmer zones. Some are runners which would scare me to death in my yard. So I chose to add a clump grass..pennisetum, not known to reseed here in my zone. I have had one in the same location for 7 years that has not reseeded even one little seedling, has been carefree, about 1.5ft high x 2 ft wide. Has been slow to develop that 'dead in the middle' problem. I really enjoy that grass. The only drawback to remember with even the clump grasses, is they are hard to move, so be sure you really like it where you put it. [g] We attempted to dig it up to divide it about 4 years ago, and gave up. I think we will need an ax to get it out of there. Luckily it is in a place that I can keep it for life..lol. Lychnis...tiffy, were you talking about coronaria? I have that plant in a front yard bed and it has been a heavy reseeder for me. Not sure if it is staying. I didn't know it was a butterfly or hummingbird attractor. I will have to keep a look out for them. Oregano...is that a perennial plant or an annual? I have seen some amazing oregano that are very decorative. I do use herbs in pots in the veggie garden area. Which type do you have tiffy? Veronicastrum...is Culver's Root, right? Does that stay in place and/or reseed? How tall does it get and what do you plant it with? Hellebores...jennie...I just added two plants last year and they have been very welcome. Very easy so far, and long bloom time in the spring. Tootswisc....thanks for that link to the Perennial Plant of the Year site. I will have to go back and check it out more. I added the Carl Forester Grass as a link below. :-) Here is a link that might be useful: Carl Forester Grass..Perennial Plant of Year

I just saw Sester among the early christmas plants at the nursery. it is meant to be a pot plant or living xmas tree, I'm sure.this nursery would never carry it in its regular inventory. I also saw a "Hoops" blue spruce, highly recommended for it's blueness, but don't know that I have a place to put it... and gave up my week long struggle deciding whether I really had a space for a half price metasequoia "gold rush" the only place right now would be too close to powerlines, and the impending hurricane winds and some recent GW comments reminded it me it would foolish to put a beautiful expensive tree in harm's way. Having given up that dream, St. Mary's Broom may still be left at the same nursery. Dee- and others with conifer fright- screw up your courage. I have had arborvitae "smaarg" in my garden for 10 years and it is a perfect height, lovely shape, great color. Two anchor corners of the bed. I have had chamycypress obtusa in the center, also for ten years, and its lacy fronds make everything look better. I think I could have used something smaller, and this year is the first year I lightly pruned the tips a couple of inches. And it is highly unlikely that anything labeled "dwarf" will ever dwarf anything in your garden, even in 20 years, unless the perennials themselves are 5 inches high. At that height, weeds dwarf them more quickly and persistently than a dwarf conifer. It took me nearly ten years in this garden to add conifers; I think I understand the feeling of insecurity. In my case, moving into another plant group was an outcome of my maturing gardening skills and sensibility that paralleled the maturation of the garden. The garden NEEDED the solidity, gravity and permanence of conifers. A deciduous shrub, a big grass, or a big pot just wouldn't work. There were places where the garden needed to be "held down" and anchored. Keep us posted, especially if you get some conifers into your Edens. Marie/idabean

My garden soil is rocky clay & I've just lasagna layered right over it planting these plants (without repeating what others have listed) -golden creeping Jenny - Lysimachia -lungwort - Pulmonaria -shasta daisy, older cultivars -forget me not (biennial) -wild sweet William -Heuchera 'Firefly' -hardy wild ginger - Asarum -hardy bigroot - Geranium macrorrhizum -Dusky Cranesbill (mourning widow) - Geranium phaeum -other hardy geraniums - think it's G. x oxon... bloomed all summer - cut it back several times thinking it was done & it bloomed again) -Darmera peltata - Indian rhubarb -hardy ferns esp varieties native in your area -hardy fuchsia -Meconopsis Cambrica - Welsh Poppy -bee balm - Monarda (flops in shade, but still blooms for me & looks great next to daisy for later summer/fall color, so they can flop together near hydrangea, rhodendron, & crocosmia 'Lucifer') -Japanese anemone for fall color! -Brunnera - species, not the fancy white leaved types -monkey flower - Mimulus -Bergenia -sweet flag - Acorus (grows in heavy clay soils) -Carex 'Ice Dance' - variegated grass -Columbine -Ligularia -Astilbe - loves rich soil, so do give it compost/manures, etc. -Persicaria virginiana 'Variegata' (Tovara virginiana 'Variegata') -Vinca major (larger leaves than the minor) -sweet woodruff -Carex, brown (not sure the variety I have) -daylily (though less blooms in shade) -Miller's crimson Japanese primrose -English primrose 'wanda' - fast growing spreader, divide every few years to keep it happy (I just take chunks out to give to other gardeners & call it good) -Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae - Robb's Spurge -plants native to your area should also do well (I have red huckleberry, fringecup (Tellima), piggyback plant, Indian plum, low oregon grape, red currant, & various ferns doing well on the far right side in the pic below. Mid July pic of garden planted in late March on clay soil (my manure makers: chicken, duck & rabbit coops in the background) Most of what you see was winter sown, divisions my other gardens, or from plant swaps & just took off in our prepared soil. Composted manure + bedding is awesome! Be sure to remind her to use mulch to help the plants not dry out in summer.