ooops, I didn`t mean to cause a discussion. Just for complete information: I took the pic myself. They change the plants twice a year, and I always mean to count the amount of plants per square meter (or feet or something) and never get around to do it. I watch and admire tthis particular bed for three years now, since we moved to this area. About the soil: yes, they really go out of their way when preparing the bed. Last season they even changed the top soil, so everything was fluffy and perfect for planting. masses and colors: sure that I get a different result when playing around in 4 puny window boxes, using summer annuals. It`s just that I loved this light color scheme. The two from the previous years werent bad: one with orange, yellow something, the other pink, purple .... But this year`s just looked so ... light and freshly laundered and happy (well, positiv somehow). So this pic is just my source of inspiration and a way to have more fun when planing my next year`s planting. I will dig up more pics with other planting schemes of this bed, just some more eye candy for flower lovers... Well, enjoy your present summer flowers, bye, Lin

Sharon, lovely color scheme. Here's some info on the grasses based on my zone 5 experience. Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' is a very nice grass for me with a much different look (softer, rounder & wider and less formal) which works well with the more stately upright feather reed grasses (Calamagrostis). I have 2 Overdam (a shorter variegated calamagrostis, but Karl is wonderful) with my 4 Hameln. Both types of grass look especially nice with sedums (contrasting foliage & the stiffness (formality) of one with the movement of the other). I have had no problem with either self-seeding, but have been able to split the pennisetums to make more. The Calamagrostis are cold weather grasses and the pennisetums are warm weather grasses so they are on a different schedule with Overdam starting to flower before much is happening with the pennisetums, which is a very slow starter. This difference in timing is actually an advantage in the garden. Another difference is in color. While the calamagrostis flowers have a purplish cast to start, the pennisetum is always beige(ish). Both glisten and glow in the sunlight, but there is no pink tone to this pennisetum that I have ever noticed, if that matters to your color scheme. I also wanted to mention that your garden doesn't seem to have many early bloomers. And of course, most early bloomers are somewhat on the small size for this type of garden anyway. My suggestion would be for you to plant the area with clumps of daffodils. Daffs work really well around clumps of grasses (give the grasses room to spread then ring them with clumps of 5 or 7 bulbs). You can do the same around the daylilies and monarda won't be bothered by them either, they'll both just spread and entertwine together in this case. Plant some big bold golden ones (large cup or long trumpets will work) and a few with red edges and the daffs will make quite an impact in a few seasons. Then quietly disappear in the mass of foliage until next year.

The beds bordering the walkway at the front of the house have a restricted color scheme: fox red - "Hot Cocoa" Rose, dwarf oriental Lillies, Sedum "Dragon's Blood". deep purple - Salvia "May Night", violets, old homestead Iris. white - Heather, itea "Little Henry", "Green Ice" miniature rose, everbearing Strawberries, Nandina, Lamb's Ear and rabbit eye blueberry (which also counts as a purple) yellow/chartruese - pale yellowmini rose, dill, and Sedum "Angelina". powdery blue violet- Nepeta "Walker's Low", Scabiosa "Butterfly Blue" The shrubs were chosen not just for their spring colors, but also for their red fall foliage. It probably sounds like alot of clashing colors but they work nicely together, mainly because the white/silver and chartruese give the eye something soothing between the orange-red and purple. I also have Aguja "burgandy Glow" between the red roses and the porch; the foilage contrast between them is superb. They haven't bloomed yet, but if I remember, the color leans toward cobalt (i.e.purple-ish) shade of the spectrum, which is in keeping with the other "cool" purples. The overall color scheme of the rest of the yard is courtesy Binney & Smith's Crayola Crayons, Spilled Box Version. ;^)

Kato: You're right about the foliage thing - after all, most perennials only bloom a few weeks at best. The rest of the time we're looking at foliage. maggiecola: I gotcha covered! And rooms are great! In addition to the different garden "themes", they give a nice, intimate feeling. I have an odd-shaped property - very long and narrow. I've been able to divide it into rooms with pergolas, screens, a shed, and a small picketed fenced area. Also, using different ground covers - grass, pavers, wood chips, etc. will break up a space visually. So... I ended up with the "front garden" where all the warm colors are, then a "woodland walk" filled with native wildflowers and foliage plants, next comes the "patio room" where all my hostas and astilbes (and friends) hang out (they say it looks and feels like a living room). Then there's the "pond area" full of tropicals in containers and other odd plants, the "lawn area" with mixed borders, then finally the rose garden complete with picket fence and brick walkways. All this is on an area approx. 30' x 200'!! Yep, they're packed in tight! But it fits all my interests and it's fun to experiment. pipersville - I, too used to hate the "weird foliage plants" but I'm now hooked as well.