..with the plain red brick wall at the back, and the plain green grass to the front, I wouldn't want a whole mix of different plants in between, but one single plant repeated as a hedge... something like 5 x Iceberg roses, or pink/red roses might be nice... or a double row - 7 back and 5 front - of Lavender 'Hidcote'... something along those lines.... whatever gives a swathe of one colour, en masse....

My first thought would be to look up. Is the area of your bed under the house's eaves? If so you will need to deal with the lack of moisture in the bed, either by providing extra water, or by planting things that tolerate a dry setting. My second though is that I would want the bed deeper than 32". I like having multiple layers of plants front to back in a bed, and 32" doesn't really allow for more than 2 layers at most.

However, if you can't or don't want to enlarge the bed, I would follow Marlorena's suggestion of one single plant repeated as a hedge, either a low shrub such as she suggested, or a billowy, long-blooming perennial such as guara or one of the long-blooming thread-leafed Coreopsis or even something like Salvia 'Black and Blue' (which isn't hardy here, but I am not sure whether it is for you or not) or even a tall grass with variegated foliage and fun blossoms.

You could also consider some shrubs--Weigela "Wine & Roses" would be a nice contrast. Or some Ninebark "Little Devil" or "Summer Wine" would add a nice contrast to the brick. I know you don't want anything too tall, but that is a LOT of blank brick wall, so a moderate amount of height might help balance out all that blank space.

Both my Weigela and my ninebark are considerably wider than 32"; another argument for making the bed deeper.

That's a lot of sun. Are you looking for plants that won't need a lot of nursing and watering?

What about smaller spirea bushes? I had a similar strip with all-day sun, and the my spirea (Anthony Waterer) stayed green and lovely all summer, bloomed twice, and had beautiful fall color. Tough as nails, those bushes. There are so many colors and sizes, too.

In a similar bed at this house, I planted a row of tall grass clumps (Karl Foerster grass). They're nothing exciting, but I do like the sound and sight of them waving in the breeze, and they give some easy, low maintenance height to a plain garage wall. Around the bottom you could plant Nepeta and some spring bulbs.

I like to plant no-fuss plants in the sun, then fuss more about my shade gardens, but to each his/her own. ;)

http://www.greatgardenplantsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/CALKF1Q-4.jpg

...or how about a butterfly garden? Plant some milkweed and butterfly-friendly flowers, and watch your yard fill up with butterflies. We had milkweed planted behind the spirea in the bed at our old house, and the kids loved it. Me, too.

Since you have sun all day how about feather reed grass , variegated or plain green and some sedum? You can't get more carefree than that. Maybe some daylilies, although no stella d oro's, too over done.

Sherry

I like daylily's but they are only 2' tall and only bloom for about one month in the spring/summer. That brick is going to be radiating a lot of heat in the summertime, you need plants that can handle it. I think a white or yellow florabunda rose would look good there, Julia Child blooms from spring to fall and is about 4' tall. Get four of them and plant them 3' apart.

Livin' Easy would also work if you like apricot colored roses...

Without seeing how that little strip fits into the rest of the house, it's hard to make any suggestions at all. But I'm quite fond of Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' and that grass might look handsome there.

i would put in 3 trellises ... with things like morning glory or clematis ...

and then some shorter things ...

no matter what you do .. down low.. the brick wall will swallow it all up ...

BTW ... in any garden of mine... that given space.. would be left blank so i could walk thru the back of the garden bed out in the lawn ...

ken

The daylily statement above about height is wrong. Daylily scape height ranges from around 12" to around 5' to 6', of course the taller scaped daylilies generally have taller foliage. Daylilies also have different bloom times and a lot of them rebloom well. I have them blooming in my yard from May through September.

Sherry

I like kens suggestions....the op wants color :)

Thank you everyone for you suggestions and great advice. I apologize for only posting the two photos which don’t provide the perspective needed to accurately depict my needs. The brick wall goes up to the eaves, and as you’re looking at the bed from in front of it, on the right are steps leading to a deck. And, of course, on the left is just the corner of the house. Since this is a south facing wall, and the roofline at this location is rather high, the winds and rain generally provide enough moisture all the way to the brick.

I really can’t, and don’t want to expand the planter, but my first priority is color. Attracting butterflies and hummers would be great. In addition, I don’t want to add any trellises, etc. I understand the need to get some plants in there to provide some height, but I’m afraid they would also get wide and of course there’s not enough width in that bed.

I will look carefully at everyone’s suggestions and see what would work best. Keep the ideas coming since they are wonderfully helpful. Thank you!

Asiatic lilies or Oriental lilies have small footprints while adding height and color.

Note: Asiatic/Oriental lilies are potentially dangerous for cats.

Ingesting (cleaning themselves) the pollen after brushing against the flowers can give cats a painful death, in about a week, apparently without very prompt treatment. Indoor lilies are perhaps even more of a risk with cats that jump up on tables, etc..

How about these? Fiesta Time Hollyhock,a compact Hollyhock, or Little Grapette Daylily

http://www.perennials.com/plants/hemerocallis-little-grapette.html http://www.perennials.com/plants/alcea-rosea-fiesta-time.html

I have to agree with deepening the bed and trellises! The very first thought that popped in my head was that that brick wall needed something colorful against it! GardenHo's pics show some beautiful ideas!

But, since that's not what you want, we need to think of other things! :) Personally I'm not a big fan of grasses, but the height they give might work nicely here, although I'm not sure of their widths, so that might be a consideration.

Have you thought of perhaps some tall narrow evergreens, like ilex Sky Pencil, along the back, then some narrow perennials in front of them for color? And maybe you can squeeze in some low edgers around the stones, like iberis or creeping phlox or even annual alyssum, all of which would hang nicely over the stonework.

Some good ideas above, too!

Dee

P.S. LOL Ken, I like your idea about "the path" too.! My kind of thinking....!

Hey, I was kind of thinking of this post this morning while I was driving to work, and I had a light bulb idea. If you're not a very experience gardener, you'd need help with it---but it would be so spectacular, it might be worth it. Blossoms in the spring, nice looking foliage, not a big space-grabber, and AMAZING to look at. Here's my idea......ESPALIER an apple or pear tree against that wall!!!! Here's a picture:

Nice pic, Kristen! I thought of espalier as well, but figured if the OP didn't want a trellis she wouldn't want this either - but the photo sure is persuasive!

:)

Now I wish I had a brick wall!!

Please reconsider your position on not enlarging the bed. Anything bigger than a zinnia will suffer with constant competition and intrusion from the grass.

It wouldn't be that difficult. Remove the edging material. Lay a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard over the whole bed- two feet out from present edge to kill the grass/ and covering the present bed to keep weeks dow n

In a month you have dead grass to turn under and add to the organic matter.

You have a so many choices about planting: that row of yellow roses is pretty; the clems are out of this world;. Who are you doing this for ? Yourself, the neighbors, the bees or the earth? You could find some environmentally consructive and attractive.

I know its a perennial forum but have you considered sunflowers? They could add height without much width and the color palette keeps growing.

I do agree with laceyvail on two counts... Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' would look good there and we do need a larger visual perspective.

tj

@gardenho..thank you for sharing such great ideas and photos! After seeing those and reading some of the other suggestions the idea of using a couple of trellis's seems like the way to go!! I really love Clematis and I'm envision two trellis's for that area with a couple of bright and vibrant Clematis. What do you suggest to plant to help shade the roots? In addition, I would like to add some perennials in that bed that would attract butterflies and hummer's, yet wouldn't get too tall or wide.

With that said, what variety of Clematis is recommended? I'd like to get one's that are easily available. Also, some suggestions for other plants to complement the Clematis would be appreciated.

I've been checking Home Depot's site and found some nice trellis there that are in stock at my local store. Any other suggestions for metal trellis and where to purchase? I'm looking at one that go to 72" and up.

@Kristen...I love your idea as well, but that looks like more than I can handle with my limited gardening skills...but it does look fabulous!!

Thanks again for everyone's suggestions and keep them coming!! :-)

Planting something in front of the clematis that is not green will take away from the beauty of the clematis. How about a dwarf Euonymus. I'm thinking of Emerald Gaiety. It has shiny green leaves splashed with white. It grows 24 inches tall. The foliage turns pinkish in the fall.

I've seen photos of a 3 sided box in front of clematis too. It looks like the clematis is growing out of a planter but the box is just staked into the ground. It might be an idea if you have a handy person around to build it for you.

Oooh!! I am glad you decided that you like the idea of clematis!! I've turned into a real clematis addict over the last decade or so, and am always happy to enable others. I don't think that you will regret this decision.

Clematis need consistent moisture, not soggy, but also not dry, so mulch and regular watering during dry spells will do that for you. Depending on which clematis you buy, it may look better with something low to mid-sized planted in front of it as some clematis get bare legs (drop lower leaves) and it will give you flowers when the clematis aren't blooming. If you decide to plant something with your clematis, be sure it has relatively shallow roots so it doesn't compete with the clematis. Some of the plants I have near my clematis include Deutzia 'Chardonnay Pearls', annual (but self-seeding) candytuft, perennial Geraniums like 'Rozanne', Dianthus (aka pinks, but which aren't necesarrily pink in color), Scabiosa (pincushion flower), Coreopsis (aka tickseed). I find it easier to use plants that don't need frequent dividing since I don't want to damage the clematis.

In general, the type 3 prune (summer blooming) clematis are the easiest to grow since pruning is simple (during the winter whack them off near the ground leaving 1-2 buds per stem.) They tend to be vigorous growers and don't get clematis wilt like the early large-flowered hybrids (type 2 prune) sometimes do.

C. Jackmanii (AKA Jackman's clematis) is a quite common type 3 with lovely deep purple flowers that is vigorous and forgiving. My mother had one for years (and it's probably still at her former home) and the only care it got was what I gave it when I went on an annual spring or summer visit as she is not a gardener. If you find any other type 3 plants and you like the color, I would expect them to be fine also with the exception of sweet autumn clematis (C. ternifolia) which in your zone may be a pest that seeds around your yard and the neighborhood.

Ville de Lyon (a favorite!)

Viola (dark) and Betty Corning (light bells)

Often type 2 prune plants (light prune after first bloom) are easier to find since they are late spring blooming and so easier for nurseries to sell. HF Young is a lovely lavender-blue type 2 that is common that has been quite vigorous and easy for me, so if you find that, I'd recommend it. Mine is covered with flowers for about 3 weeks in late May to early June, but my growing season is too short for rebloom.

Piilu is another type 2 that has a reputation for being easy and healthy, though I am not sure how the pink flowers would look against the brick wall. If you do end up planting clematis, don't put two clematis of different pruning groups on the same trellis since it's difficult to separate the vines.

Here's a link on Planting and Growing Clematis from Brushwood Nursery, a large and reputable online order source for clematis. Since I live in an area with only a few nurseries that might carry only a very few varieties of clematis, I mostly order mine online. After the first growing season, if you want to fertilize (I don't, but I have really great soil and add compost to the surface most years), most clematis growers use either rose or tomato food which is balanced to promote flowers and roots.

@NHBabs..thank you so much for the great information and recommendations. I did check out the link your provided and there is great information there as well. However, it appears that some of the recommendations you provided are out of stock at that nursery. Are there other recommendations for reputable online stores? Thanks again!

So glad you reconsidered :)

Please be sure to post pics of your arrangement. Have fun!

Hummingbird Farm in ME, Silver Star Vinery in WA are two places I have ordered from and been pleased with the plant quality. Also, Brushwood has a plant finder. You can scroll down, highlight under the Pruning category the type 3 and the type 2 or 3 and then hit the search button at the bottom. You will get a long list of easy to grow clematis that are available now. My list was mostly to whet your appetite rather than suggesting that those specific plants would best. I honestly have never had issues with type 3 prune clematis other than needing to protect them from munching mammals like voles (but that applies to half the plants in my garden) so choose any that appeal to you and fit your size requirements.

Here's the clematis I purchased: 'Venosa Violacea' clematis & 'Ville de Lyon' clematis (I hope the deer stay away from these)

Now I just need to figure out what else to place in that bed to make it colorful and vibrant. My main issue that I mentioned above is the deer. I need something that can add color but also not be a favorite food for the deer.

Any suggestions on what to consider are appreciated. Thanks!

Ornamental grasses have been suggested and the deer stay away from them. Calamagrostis ''Karl Foerster' was mentioned in particular. Helictotrichon would also work well.

Coreopsis, Lavender and Nepeta are not attractive to deer either.

Wonderful clematis choices. Deer have left my salvia 'Caradonna' alone so far. They don't seem interested in my Siberian irises either.

Great choices - two of my favorite Clematis and two of the first I got also. You've started down a slippery slope!

Roses are classic with Clematis though they would need to be ones that could be maintained at the depth of the bed (or as said above, you could widen the bed.) Iberis or annual (but self-seeding) Alyssum would provide green and white close to the ground. Salvia 'Black and Blue' would do well there in the mid-size range.

Hi everyone..here's where I stand so far. I purchased two trellises for my clematis to climb. I'll be adding some heavy test fishing line between the metal sections for the clematis to grab. I've added two Scabiosa (Butterfly Blue) in front of each clematis to help shade the clematis roots. The clematis are still rather small but they are growing :-) Between the two clematis I've added two Tickseed (Jethro Tull). I may need more (of another perennial) in that area though...thoughts?? Now my other dilema is what to put on either end of the planter. I'm thinking about making it a butterfly/hummingbird area and was thinking about maybe Bee Balm and Cardinal Flower. This is an area where any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to look and comment.

How about penstemon "Dark Towers". It has dark foliage, does well with heat and humidity, has pink flowers, about "40" tall and the butterflies and such love it.

Sherry

@sherry thank you for the suggestion. Is this an all summer bloomer? Articles about it are not that specific. Some say May-June and others say late spring/summer.

Midsummer is bloom time for me. What I like about this plant is the color contrast for the brick wall and a color different from the the green of the rest of the foliage. In a way, the foliage color is the most important, not the flowers, the flowers are sort of a bonus.

Sherry

Bee balm doesn't play well with others, liking to send out runners and overwhelm better behaved plants. It's fine in some situations, but I wouldn't put it your bed as it will take work to keep it under control.

I think you need a tall plant between the trellises. I am suggesting a fall blooming daylily called Autumn Minaret. The flower scapes are 5' tall on a mature specimen. Mine blooms at the end of August and September and has yellow flowers. Last year my largest minaret had 3 dozen scapes and over 800 flowers, was the first time I counted scapes and flowers. Hope you get some more suggestions other than mine!

Sherry

Looking good!

How about maybe a wrought iron medallion of some sort centred between the trellis?

I know you want summer color but have have you thought about spring blooms? For color, you could put creeping phlox or candytuft (white) on the corners, and maybe the center too? They are very colorful and can be cut back neatly after bloom.

For fall color I would suggest asters...you could place in back corners.

You coul have all season color :)

My beds are all 36 inches wide or less, and I have plenty of perennials and annuals in them. It really can be done. :)

Perennials I have had in them for 3+ years (counting this year):

Penstemon mexicali

Veronica Sunny Border Blue

Day lilies

Hydrangea Mini Penny

Scabiosa

Foxglove

Gaura lindheirmeri

Salvia Heatwave

Dahlias

Asiatic lilies (they spread but can be moved)

Garden phlox

Columbine

Balloon flower

Coreopsis

Dianthus

Blanketflower

Spiderwort (in shadier conditions)

Newer ones Perennials (1-2 years):

Gladiolus

Shasta Daisy

Penstemon Red Husker

Canterbury Bells

Now, I am not sure how these would work with your sun/shade and the brick wall...but, I have had no issues with these guys in my 24-36 inch wide boxes. It looks like you have a plan, but I wanted to throw these out. :)