As you have heard before, damper is relative...and the more barren areas it grows in nature, have good drainage, usually a slope. And....damp in Arkansas or Oklahoma is a lot different than damp in the NE. I'd suggest well-drained in your area.

I have a large patch of Pycnanthemum muticum that I grew from seed, it spreads but is easy to pull up and put elsewhere, I believe it is deer resistant, but do take care where you put it, my patch borders a walkway and is covered with bees & wasps of all types and sizes, from early summer until it freezes, the stems tend to fall over late in the season. I brush against it all day and it smells wonderful, but though I have never been stung I do worry a bit. You will be amazed by the types and varieties of buzzing going on around you. It should work perfect in morning sun afternoon shade.

Boy, that kitchen is currently wasting a lot of space on just walls. In particular, that fridge wall! So... I'm confused as to why you need two eating areas in the same room. I'd give the Primary dining area 8-12" more, just for expansion. You could put a round table in there that might accommodate a leaf for extra people. Since you don't entertain formally. I 2nd the idea of changing the bench seating area into something more functional. (Read: useful) Maybe just the bench seating along the stove side of the wall, making it easy to slide in and out? The first picture shows the fridge, then the opening to the living room (I think). What would happen if you put floor to ceiling pantries along that whole back wall? And here, I"d suggest nothing deeper than 18", or you'll lose everything you stick in there. Hmm... Out of the bank of pantry cabinets, a fold down or slide out desk cabinet for computers? The kind that would allow a person on either side of it? The stove wall side seating still being the bankette? oooo kids! You could actually make a mudroom type cubby for each kid, but with pantry doors on it for a clutter-less look. Books, backpacks, etc. Lots of ideas there! 18" is as small an upper as I"d ever go. I found 15" and less to be pretty useless. Bigger than 24", you had to stand back too far to open a single door. Drawers: Just get 'em. The only challenging places would be where they're in a corner, so the adjacent cabinets might be in the way or they jam into each other. (Solution: Lazy Susan in corners.) I would also not be really happy if my drawers were up against a wall. Do I read correctly that you're doing an undercounter microwave? I'd put drawers to the right of it, definitely. I have an undercounter MW. I really didn't want it being on the counters or a focal point in the kitchen. Even being almost 5'3", tho, I find I hate bending down to it. Having lived with it, I know I'm going to retrofit my MW cabinet with a big deep drawer and get a GE Space Saver and put it above, next to my stove. When I was moving my cabinets around (about the 10th time) I had my MW sitting on a base cabinet. I can't tell you how happy it made me just to reach in and take out my coffee. I could see when it needed wiping out. Others, of course, will differ, but that's my experience. You've got a lot of potential in this kitchen. It doesn't look as long as I'd originally thought. You have such good door placement and flow you can do a lot. Keep in mind that those drawings look good, but you can cram a lot into a drawing you can't actually cram into real life. Go sparingly. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with. I had no idea I'd have so much to say! Sorry about that. I really like the size of your kitchen.

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. :)