Pacific Northwest Gardening: New front yard garden, 1 by 8zoner

8zoner wrote:
Hi there,
Looking for some input on my new front yard garden. The bed runs along the northwest side of our city lot. I started it because of the constant weeds spreading from the ditch beside us - especially buttercup. But I can\'t complain too much because on the other side of the alley is a gorgeous wild ravine.

This bed has full shade, part shade and sun. The biggest thing in there so far is the massive mophead hydrangea that must be 30 years old. Still puts on a great show. There\'s used to be a nice red rhodo, but now it\'s just a stick due to a misunderstanding about pruning between my and my DH. LOL. I suppose it will bounce back. There is also a lot of an unknown white astilbe that was growing here when we bought. I have divided it a few times, it grows like crazy.

Lots of blank spots to fill. Here\'s what\'s been planted or so far: boxwood, 4 blueberry bushes (hard to see), a baby Genie magnolia, spirea, some alyssum starts, yellow leaved speedwell, heather and a small yellow-leaved choisya among the astilbe. And transplanted from other parts in the yard: jack frost brunnera, hosta Francis Williams, pink astilbe, centaurea, and a tiny blue star juniper and lithidora Grace Ward down at the sunny end. I\'ve got a heuchera and a white bleeding heart there waiting to go in the ground somewhere.

I\'ve started just plunking things. Feedback about what else to do here would be great. I\'d like some bigger plants to fill some of the holes and in the \"back\" - as viewed from the house, yard--along the alley. I\'ve been thinking carpet roses, or ornamental grasses, but not sure if that will give me enough year-round interest.

Back behind the hydrangea there is a lovely pink honeysuckle growing on the fence with ferns and volunteer foxglove below it, and a big blue hosta.

Any input appreciated.