I would bookend the porch with a large flowering shrub, and bookend the steps with a 3' evergreen shrub. I think it would be most important to reshape the bed as shown: grass borders the drive nearly to the steps; the bed is a little deeper front-to-back (in scale with the large house); and the curve at the front of the bed is a longer arch to blend more smoothly with the woods. (Hopefully, you'll arrange and set the rocks more artistically.) A partial plant list might be dwarf yaupon holly, panicle hydrangea (ignore that in the picture looks like "big leaf,) daylilies such as Stella, and groundcover ... whatever is low and works best there ... maybe blue rug juniper. A street, shade or flowering tree, or trees, at the foreground (out of view of this picture) would help if the front yard has a vacant, empty feel.

primgal....thanks, unfortunately, I need a screen about 10 ft tall at least. I already have a fence that is 6ft tall and it doesn't help at all. The Emerald Green Arborvitae only grows to 15ft x 4ft approximately, which is perfect for what I need. It is also a fairly slow grower. gardengal....I have had that book out of the library before. Nice suggestion. I will have to get it out and read it again, it's been awhile. Very reassuring observations you have made. Thanks. mxk3, large maples here too..not much fun. lol sandl...you are saying take account of the mature size when planting? Thank you donna! So happy to hear that you actually have the Emerald Arborvitae. How close to it are you planting? If something growing in front of it shades it, will it cause it to brown out or lose lower branches? I've had that happen to some boxwood. I have a potted one from the store that is about 6ft tall in the container that I want to plant. I have read so many great things about them and the one I have is pretty attractive green with a nice shape to it and a little bit of gold tips. I think I might want to add a few more. What made you decide to add more of the same shrub instead of getting something different? What happened that you decided to move it? My DS who is my official mover, still doesn't understand why plants have to be moved. :-) Thanks Cameron...I think I have seen some photos of your garden on another post. You seem to have a lot of room. I have tight quarters, so it is hard for me to give everything it's proper space. I just need to figure out if having this shrub in a small border like mine, is going to work and allow the shrub to get what it needs and have room for the other shrubs and perennials in the bed. Thanks so much for all your help. :-) pm2

It is nice to read this thread and realize I'm not the only one who moves stuff around a lot! I have mixed borders of perennials, annuals, and grasses that have kind of a backbone of a few shrubs and small trees. The shrubbery is very carefully placed for spacing, sunlight, privacy, and wind-screen. I usually plan for a long time what I'm going to plant and where to put them because they just seem more permanent. Even then I end up moving stuff!! This past spring I decided the Miss Kim lilac needed to move six feet over and that I was digging out a 45 year old Burning Bush and replacing it with a Serviceberry, etc. As for perennials and grasses, they usually get planted somewhere but then I'll end up moving them around based on how they grow. Then some get too big and need to be divided and then you have to decide where divisions are going. I've already got lots of trasplanting planned for next Spring. :) PS to Wonbyhermits, that is a lovely plan - does it work well (well, aside from the poor Gardenias)?

I realise the last post was a year ago - but what the heck... Just recently half-finished a major renovation of an old house (circa 1934) in Observatory, Johannesburg, and am now starting to get stuck into the landscaping. This is my third garden of sizeable proportions in the area - except that this time I decided to wipe the slate clean. Oh boy. Got the tree fellers in and ripped out all the old fruit trees, a very old Loquot and a couple of Australian Black Wattles (fiendish water thirsty weeds - good riddance) Anyhow - the terrain is terraced (located on the south side of the koppie) - but not too steep - so the ground is pretty well drained. Soil needs a lot of conditioning as it is mostly shale. Right now I've levelled the terrace closest to the house and in so doing got rid of most of the kikuyu lawn - easier said than done - noxious beast!!!! The big plan is to plant up an entire Highveld-like Savannah. But with a formal twist! And so to that end I've planted 9 Combretum Erythrophyllum trees like little soldiers and underplanted these with Sanseverias, asparagus, aloes (on the north side of the trees) - A. Chaubaudii/A. Forsteri + stunning new A. hybrids, Helichrysum Petiolare, Dierama Pendula, Grass aloes, crassulas, and GRASSES - oh several varieties - I cannot remember them all. One thing we in Johannesburg see a lot of is grasses - and I think that's why we don't pay too much attention. Pity we cannot buy most of these stunning varieties in the nurseries - but right now with the move towards indigenous landscaping, I feel it's about to change. Some of the large estate developments are showing the way with stunning results. Anyway - I'm grass hunting this Saturday, I've got access to a few lots past Fourways where I'll be digging up those yummy specimens for relocation to my backyard...... Piet Oudolf, eat your heart out!!!! Ha, I even rescued some beautiful grasses (it's now winter - so dried out and dormant!) off the top of a compost heap at my favourite indigenous nursery (with their permission of course) - yep - I think I'm totally hooked on grass. ha ha ha. Oh, and in-between the savannah I'm planning gravel footpaths and formal squares of different hedges, each at differing heights, to tame the wild and stand as silent sentinels of the bushveld. The real reason they're there is to pander to my obsession with pruning things - I figured it was better than punching walls - so I cut things. It keeps me calm. And the shrink agrees. On order is two large Aloe bainsii and 10 Cussonias to guard the pool. And more grasses.