Have you thought about Hollyhocks?? I don't know if you are a fan but they would go great along a back fence like that one.

Thank you Adam, for this suggestion ~ too bad I didn't check this thread before heading out to the nursery to see *Shenandoah Switch Grass* & the *Maiden Grass* they had ~ I fell for the Shenandoah for the red tinged foliage & all the specs I needed. The head nursery-man took me to see the Grass landscape they created w/ different grown varieties, they carried on a reg basis. It was absolutely mesmerizing even in this day of oppressive heat.

Needless to say I came home w/ 3 3gal pots of thick upright clumps w/ whispy blooms! I wish to split each in 2 ~ I wonder if it can be done w/o killing the entire clump? TIA for any experiences shared!

BTW Adam ~ I googled Hollyhock & led me to a Saginaw-Hollyhock collector ... I drooled!

Oh dear, poor Hostas! I am not sure that the Chelone would like that much sun either.

I have several clumps of Panicum 'Shenandoah' (this is a cultivar of Panicum virgatum, our native switchgrass). It is a beautiful grass. Doesn't grow too tall, stays nice and upright, and has those reddish highlights. I also love the pretty, delicate flower panicles. I think it would be okay to carefully divide the grasses when you plant. Keep them well-watered to get established.

The only thing about ornamental grasses, is that you cut them down in the Spring and there's a period where they don't do much screening before they grow up again.

Have you considered more shrubs along the fence? Please be careful with Porcelain berry - in our area, it is considered very invasive and is on the Mass. prohibited plant list. There are many nice vines that aren't invasive.

I am in love with Hollyhocks ditas, They can be gorgeous. At times they can self seed all over the place but if you control it you will be fine. Great flowers. I'll have to post a picture of mine I started by seed this year. Believe it or not I started them early enough I am already getting a few blooms and tons of buds! So exciting!

Guess what terrene ~ I promptly set the pots of *Shenandoah Switch Grass*in in the site ~ they are so beautiful that I'm not wasting them along the fence line ~ they are going along the outer curve of the pie! What's more I ran back to the nursery & picked up 2 more pots! They are simply perfect where I set them.

I went back to see their Japanese-garden inspired setting w/ their SSGs & KO Roses in between ~ the roses & grass were like perfect mates!

I'll deal w/ the fence w/ tall perennials bloomers eg: Purple Cones & the like as I wait for the Hydra paniculata babies to mature (my paniculatas are huge a few are 10ftX10ft ~ should take care of the N & E fences.

About Porcelain Berry - in googling, I found the *PCA Fact Sheet* & printed to take to the other nursery that suggested the vine to me ~ also posted in an old thread in IA gardening Forum ~ *easy to grow plants* gets me checking out for more info! I've fallen victim & had to destroy beautiful plants - some were even part of mixed seed pockets we pick up! DNR has illegal as well as invasive plant list we can check from.

I'll suggest that hollyhocks may not be the best choice in a front yard. They are tall and beautiful, but I've never heard of a garden environment where they don't get rust, bug holes and defoliate. Some one please correct me if I'm wrong. There's just no way to cover up these flaws if they are front and center. Put them along a garage or back of the house wall and enjoy them to your heart's content

Thanks for your input idabean ~ the Hollyhock site I visited in Saginaw (I suppose MI) was either on his side or back yards or both ~ quite a beautiful collection he had! However I feel that the heights + the attention required won't work for the corner-back-site I'm redoing. I can't wait to finally get all the Hosta clumps dug up & start prep'ing the site for the 5 SSGrass & the 4 young H paniculatas ~ get the roots all established before Winter! It's going to be a lot of work ahead!

AdamKR ~ I'll look forward to viewing your Hollyhock pix!

Updating on my newly created (still in progress) I fondly named *Shenandoah Country* sunny bed. I have just added a couple more pix to the album I posted above.

I'm so much more pleased now w/ my choices of Shenandoah Swichgrass & Oso Easy (Mango Salsa) roses for the outer periphery of the bed. I have decided in mid-Mar to plant 3 Hydrangeas I've successfully grown in pots (1rooted from a Kyushu branch & 2 seedling-volunteers of Tardiva). They will eventually work well as screens along the fence! I'm adding 3 *Yellow Submarine* roses behind Shenandoahs (at safe distance) around the dead stump. I'm sure it'll be crowded there oneday (sigh) but will be pretty for a few years!!!

Wonder if you might check out the added pix in the orig link I posted above ~ appreciate your thoughts!!! TIA

ditas,
The turtle head (Chelone) prefer full sun. So I would leave them where they are because trying to move them will not be easy.