Pacific Northwest Gardening: New front yard garden, 3 by 8zoner

8zoner wrote:
Hi all,
Checking in with my progress. So I have added some purple siberian iris between the triangle of my blueberry bushes and some very young monarda \'blue stocking\' in the back toward the alley.

Now I\'m worried about year round interest as I mentioned before. I have a sad rhodo, a box and a young Choisya sundance that will provide evergreen interest close to house, but need something in the longer border portion. Something that doesn\'t get too big.

Also, I\'m thinking I might like to alternate some easy care roses like knockouts or rugosa with tall ornamental grasses along the ditch. I might even plant these off my property to steal more room. There is about an 18\" flattish spot before the slope continues down into the ditch. How do you think this would look? Any recommendations? This might give some structure, but not necessarily enough winter interest.

I have included a few extra shots to give some perspective of lot (excuse the ongoing lawn repairs - damn chafer beetle!). Across the alley from me is a natural ravine.

Still in pots, I have epimedium, catmint, bleeding heart, angelina sedum, creeping campanula, european ginger, echinacea more lithidora, a dwarf barberry and a few other bits. I\'m not married to any of these for this border as I have other gardens to fix up as well. Obviously I\'ve been mainly working on the shadier end and the sunny end needs some help. So far down there is three new winter heather, the little Genie magnolia, a tiny blue star juniper and some tiny lithidora starts.

I\'d like to get the big holes figured out as I have lots of things that can be divided and planted into the little vacancies.

Help!