I absolutely love how you planned these both out . My first instinct is the first bed . I don't have a reason for you , I just like it ! But I will be honest and say I am a big fan of symmetry and would love the second ad well. The second I would choose if your oasis is a focal point of your garden. It makes me think of one that would have a bird bath or statue in the center. The first if it is just one of many beds , seems like it flows well. You've done great either way . :)

I think I like the symmetrical one best. I think if you put the taller Lavender Crush in the center it the bed will look better from more angles...the roses will be easier to view.

What's surrounding this bed? Lawn?

Thanks all!

lilyfinch - oh I would love to put a bird bath in it, especially until everything gets fuller it's going to need some decorations :) haha thanks! I rather love planning, it's more of a compulsion really

rosylady - yes the garden is surrounded by lawn, there's nothing else really near it, there's a white fence behind it, but it is about 10-15 feet away

I'm wondering if you ever go behind "the oasis" or just look at it from the front? If you only see it frontally, I think either one will be very nice. But if you see it from other angles on a regular basis, you might want to consider putting some smaller plants around the back side too, to kind of taper it off in back? Just a thought.

Hi KS, that's a good thing to consider, I usually see it from the front or from the bottom left corner. Only time I see it from the back it when I use the weed whacker along the fence :)

I'm always a fan of symmetry, but I admit that first design is really nice too - it's got a 'flow' to it that works. Is Lavender Crush a pillar-able climber? If so, you could put it on a pretty obelisk and put the birdbath in front of it, behind Munstead Wood.

MW is really thorny though, you'd definitely want a way to bird bath that didn't mean going through the rose. Hmm...

What's winter like in your zone? Could imaging how the bed will look in the dormant season help decide?

All of the above comments are valid; personally I couldn't say which design I like better. It might be helpful to see a photo of the actual setting.However one purely practical, even rather cynical consideration does come to mind: just how much moving around of established plants would Plan A require? Roses are very gracious about being moved,it's true. But over the years I have often found myself going to the trouble of moving a given rose, thinking "O, I just don't like it there; that colour isn't what I wanted" or something similar. Then I go through all the hard labour of re-planting it, re-establishing it,changing the soil in the old spot and replacing it with a new rose...only to find that the new rose I picked is extremely similar to the one I had there originally! My point being that, in the long run, both designs are good and there might not be all that much difference in the final effect to warrant your choosing the one that requires more work.

I like the idea of pillaring L. Crush, too. Get a nice vertical element into the scheme...

I'm just seriously so impressed that you are creating a plan before planting. I've pretty much planted things willy nilly with no real attention to color, symmetry, overall look or anything. As a result, I'm not sure my garden is as lovely as a whole as it's contents are.

ac - Thank you for the thoughts!! :) I love the idea of putting LC on a pillar or obelisk or some sort. To answer your question - I live in zone 5b/6a (right on the border on every map), so in my zone winter pretty much destroys all foliage that isn't evergreen lol. I included a photo of the area as it is currently, (fyi I promise it looks nicer in person haha, something about the camera makes it look significantly move slanted than it really is and more grungy).

View from Back Deck (90% of where I view it from - don't mind the fallen tree on the edge of the woods, we're saving it get it removed)

View from directly in front of Oasis (I promise there's a good reason I had landscape fabric down, it's a long story haha! Removing the fabric in spring and laying down a thick layer of grass clippings, getting some tan stones to make an edge around the circle as it's a nightmare to edge now). Hard to see the young Hibiscus (hardy) behind the LC on either side, and hard to see the UV Salvia and CC Ajuga.

View from behind the Oasis (with my back to the white fence, looking at my house), while it's lovely, I am never behind it except for mowing/weed whacking. Hopefully the hardy hibiscus will grow nice and tall and create kind of a wall from this angle:

bart - You bring up a good point, to answer your question: Option 1 would require moving Lavender crush, 1 Ajuga, 1 UV Saliva (I don't have the Lilies, crocus or Munstead Wood planted yet). So I suppose 3 plants isn't really that much movement lol, Option 2 would require moving only Lavender Crush (currently, if you use picture 2 as a reference it is planted where I would put Munstead Wood).

ljsemar - thank you! I had some bad results ensue when I didn't plan so now I'm a bit more careful, I'm also still a beginner so it helps me to try to make a visual, and I'm sure your gardens are lovely!

Kali,

One's as nice as the other. I cannot decide. Either way, the bed will pop!

The symmetrical bed will help maintain the visual roundness of the bed. The asymmetrical bed will look kidney, egg shaped to the observer, the roundness of the bed, even if perfectly grass edged in a round shape will not look so. This is fine!

However, whatever direction south is, the Hibiscus need to be planted at the north end of your oasis. You don't want the Hibiscus casting their shadows on the rest of the bed, but on the grass just north of them (I assume the bed is surrounded by lawn).

KS suggested placing some shorter plants on the oasis perimeter in front of the Hibiscus. I agree. A shade tolerant shrub like Spirea Little Princess, or Goldmound could be planted under the Hibiscus canopy near the bed's edge since Spireas are very shade adaptable. They also can be clipped into nice mounded forms to just about any size you like.

I would redesign with only one Hibiscus, unless it is your desire to have it dominate the bed. That is fine, if you do! Hibiscus has a long summertime blooming season with plenty of color.

If you chose the first bed design, let the Hibiscus nearest Lavender Crush grow taller, and the other Hibiscus prune shorter by a foot to a foot and a half, and encourage it to grow broader and the taller one narrower. Hibiscus are very adaptable to shaping as you want. Blue Satin is an outstanding Hibiscus, great choice!

Moses

Thank you Moses! You and KS have a good idea about the smaller plants behind the Hibiscus, I love the Little Princess Spirea, gorgeous! Luckily the Hibiscus are already in the north, just happened to get lucky with that!

Kali,

If I could grow Hibiscus (limited space), and only one Hibiscus, it would be Blue Satin.

Great! Now send us photos when you are all done.

Moses

Thanks Moses! I’ll be sure to include lots of photos when it’s finished. I fell in love with Blue satin, they cost a ton at HD but I feel they were worth it :) last season they struggled (I planted them in late July) but this season I think they’re going to come back strong

Kali,

Hibiscus (Rose of Sharon), have been a staple of American gardens for a long time. It was customary for farm houses to have a Hibiscus hedge on either side of the walk that led from the road to the farm house.

In my old city neighborhood the garden behind mine once contained a generic cream colored/red centered Hibiscus that measured 12' x 15'. Who knows how old it was. It was taken out about 25 years ago. I still can remember the hundreds of bees and bumblebees that worked it all summer long. My current neighbor has the most productive vegetable garden you ever saw in its spot, which he attributes to Chief Osceola stabling his many horses in our neighborhood long, long ago.

Moses

Moses - I never knew that hibiscus had that history! Wow it sounds absolutely gorgeous, it’s a shame it’s gone

I like option two. Don't know why I just do. Everyone gave great advice so I'll skip that.