Hi- I am looking for advice. I have a very tall cedar stump that is going to be carved into a jumping fish. When I finally found a chainsaw carver, instead of the bear peaking out from the overgrown hedge that I had been thinking of, he suggested a jumping fish, as he saw the raggedy strip as a "river" when he drove in. I have been reclaiming the area from the weeds, I live near Seattle, so it is soggy 8 months but then usually severe summer drought. It is clay, sloping down to the tree stump. I do not actually own the pictured driveway or the grape arbor. I get along great with my neighbors, so if the evergreen hedging past the driveway needs to be trimmed or taken down this could happen.
So now I am designing a 'river": so far my thoughts include a swirling blue river, with ?? swoops of ?blue spring bulbs like muscari 'Blue Spike', fall crocus 'Emperor', spring-summer perennials like maybe Blue phlox subulata, Veronica 'Georgia Blue' or 'Blue Reflection', Lithodora 'Grace Ward' or 'White Star'. To bring it into summer all I could think of is Linum perenne 'Sapphire', or maybe a short Lavender like 'Elagance Sky'. Then for a "beach" how about the Stepable Raoulia australis, which is like grey sand, with some spikes of yellow reblooming Bearded Iris (which seem fairly drought tolerant here) growing out of the beach. I could even get carried away with blue or white waves of Ceanothus and a white very tough Clematis I have 'Paul Farges Summer Snow' crashing up against the stump!
Am I nuts??? You all are very thoughtful and clever and might have great suggestions. (I lurk on this forum but so far unable to help anyone).
