Any hydrangea, if you have full sun i love limelight so much! Its just wonderful. I also have pinky winky and i like it too. Or pee gee . How bout some knockout roses if you dont want to do any rose maintenence?
On the fence id plant some morning glories or a sweeet autumn clematis, it grows very fast and smells amazing.
Another shrub i like is my rubyspice clethra. It only blooms about a month but smells soo good. There is a new lilac called boomerang lilac that promises to rebloom throughout the summer, i plan on adding that to my garden. Hope that helps!

Great suggestions, lilyfinch! I've been eyeing hydrangeas but for some reason, was only thinking of the plant for my backyard. hahaha
I've got seeds for morning glories and have been trying to decide which clematis would go best in our yard. You just added another contender to the list!
I've never heard of a clethra before. It's gorgeous! I'm excited to read up on it.

Thank you for your suggestions :)

lavenders, delphiniums, lambs ears, ornamental grasses, -- so many.

Thanks ianna. I love lavenders an lambs ears! Since the area has no shade until the trees mature, do you have any full-sun grasses that you could recommend?

You could do some taller burgundy leaved Weigela's in back like Fine Wine and Roses and maybe a Black Lace Elderberry on one focal side. Leave some space between them and maybe a little forward but between the spaces do some Hydrangea that are smaller. From there you would decide on your perennials. Lavender is definitely a good choice and being evergreen will give some winter interest. I would decide on the background plants first and the rest will be decided based on that.
Draw up a plan on paper and it will help you fill in spots.
Cher

Hang on a minute - can we go back to the original statement for a moment? Have I understood correctly that this planting area is only 2 feet wide and goes around the edge of a 20 x 13 plot (presumably of grass or paving or something? If so putting in potentially sizeable shrubs might not be the best idea. My first suggestion would be to try to make the border as wide as you can to avoid having to massacre your plantings every year to keep them withing bounds. If you can't exceed 2 feet then your bed would only really suit things like ianna's suggestions.

Hmm you may be right on the total of 2 feet. It sounded to me like she had the whole big area and wanted to use the last 2 foot as a border since she asked about shrub and large perennials. If she is talking the sum total of 2 feet width I sure wouldn't want anything at all that is tall.
Cher

Some of my favorites are Russian sage, buddleia bush, rudbeckia & phlox. I also love Rose of Sharon but it doesn't survive the winters here. Russian sage has the added benefit of keeping rabbits away! Marg

Another question - are you in Nevada, with (I am assuming) a lot of sun and not much water? Hydrangeas like a bit of water. I would be going for drought-tolerant plants like sedums, Russian sage, achillea, lambs-ears, etc.

Okay, I guess posting pictures will help. Please excuse the poor quality. This camera has about had it. Also the yard is currently a mess. We get all seasons here in Reno (snow, heat, wind, etc.)

If you can see the little girl schnauzer, that's about the area that is 2' on average.
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The area in front of the fireplace. You can see the bare Black Elderberry (not black lace) and a rhododendron that's not doing too well. Hellebore and bleeding heart are planted here as well. The area is more than 2'.
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Boy schnauzer helping me take another angle.
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I know a little something about instant impact. First, I would recommend planting as many first year blooming perennials as possible. Rudbeckia hirta is what comes to mind first, even though it can be considered an annual. It blooms early from wintersown seed. Never heard of wintersowing? There's a forum here on GardenWeb. You can start tomorrow.

Echinacea, black eyed susans, queen Anne's lace, butterfly bushes, all these grow quickly and can fill a space in no time. Zinnias, salvias, cleome, cosmos, they can all be used as space fillers. Just plant in clumps, 3-5 plants in each area alternating all the way around. Toss in some hardy hibiscus and you've got an instant garden this year.

Your zone 5 location might prove a bit challenging at first, but you can pick and choose your shrubs for late summer planting using the larger perennials as a guide for final size requirements. I would stick to things that are evergreen or have some early spring blooms. But get some color in there first.

I did it with a much larger space using wintersowing. I have a thread on my blog about it. I'll give you the link. It couldn't be easier, although your timing will be different than mine. Last year I was already planting out this time of year, but the weather hasn't been as cooperative as last year.

Wintersowing a cottage garden.

Seed racks should be available now. Just google any plant you have questions about, or ask over in the wintersowing forum about when to sow. Hardy perennials can be sown now. Annuals are sown later. Direct sow some poppy seeds and larkspur now for early blooms. Next fall, tuck in some daffodils, muscari, hyacinth bulbs. This spring, plant some lily bulbs, gladiolas, etc. They'll all make an impact. Fill that space now, and edit as you find shrubs that you like.

Thank you so much token28001! I really enjoyed looking at your blog and seeing what you've done. I must not be too bad off since I have done a portion of what you've suggested. ;)

flora and chohio, I was thinking of taller plants for the 2' area because the depth was so shallow. I thought it might fake the eye into thinking there was more depth. if I was wrong in thinking that, I would defer to your expertise. Like I said, I'm a newbie and while I know I can always move things that don't work, I also know I have a higher chance of messing up a transplant, killing plants in the process.

themayocynic the area is going to be lovely. You've already put a lot of work in there. I can't speak for your area not being sure what works but am working this spring on a similar amount of space in my yard with a path dividing it. The area back by the house could easily accomodate more small shrubs and some perennials interspersed between. My area that I am working with I am putting either my Hydrangea Forever & Ever or Weigela Dark Horse, neither get over about 3 feet and interspersing perennials also. I'm just not sure what you can use down there. Also not sure if Lavender works there but is a lovely evergreen if it does and can easily be interspersed with other perennials mentioned here, yet give some winter interest. I hope I get to see the finished product.
Cher

What I think you need here is some varying heights and lots of colour. I would put in some pretty standard plants, I think. Some delphs, peonys, lilies, daylilies, siberian iris, bearded iris. These plants would be the backbone of the garden. Then you could add various other perennials that you like...and would grow in your zone.

Gardening is NOT instant. It will take a year or three for it all to fill in and look full. In the mean time you could fill in with colourful annuals....

I would move or remove the rhodo from that location. It looks like it is planted to close to the house. Either move it out into the bed more or move it to some place where it has more room to grow. In your zone it may need some shade.....so keep that in mind. Honestly in that small of an area, I wouldn't be using shrubs at all. Also I have found that rhodo leaves dry out in winter in the cooler zones....so they need to be wrapped in burlap for the winter. Here in my zone 2, I wrap them well in burlap and put a wood box around them for the winter...the box prevents them from getting crushed by the snow. You probably don't have to go that far...but wrapping still wouldn't hurt them.

Don't be afraid of messing up, moving plants. That is how you will learn. If a plant doesn't make it, oh well. There is always something new to try next year. I don't think zone 5 is much of a challenge...there are many plants that will grow there.

In my eyes, to make it cottagey, I would have plants spilling over the picket fence as well as onto your gravel path. This would make it more a relaxed garden and not so formal.

Sierra

The first thing I would do is to scoot that entrance path over to the right to line up with the rectangular bed in the middle, it just looks off kilter. Then I would plant two identical plants on either side of that entrance path that will be evergreen for you and either in a ball shape or tall spire shape, planting them in those square planters would look great. Then in the center bed I would place, and plant something low like Lamb's Ears (Stachys). Then directly behind that, against the side fence and lined up with the entrance path and center bed, I would put a larger focal point, like a painted bench, with matching plants on either side of the bench. Then you can fill in the rest of the beds with all the great recommendations you've recieved and plants that you know will do great.


I've linked to a pic I worked on of your garden.

Here is a link that might be useful: Your Garden Makeover :)

Everyone here is awesome for your help and advice!
sierra, we were thinking of moving the rhodo again because of how it looks now. We transplanted it last year to that place and it was the first time it bloomed since we brought it home 4 years ago. If it survives, I'll trying the burlap and box idea since we can get pretty heavy snow in Reno. Got the peonies and lilies, but can always stand for a bit more ;)

Wow! bhnash, that looks great! I'll definitely line up the entrance when the weather is a little warmer. Those two planting boxes were supposed to look like the makeover you did, but DH never got around to bringing the drip to those boxes like I kept asking. Maybe this will inspire him :)

chohio, thanks for the encouragement. We had two geothermal wells dropped in the front yard last fall and whatever time we could devote to the front yard went to cleaning up the mess it left. That's why the area is such a blank slate.

Goodness. Your yard resembles my former place and it was a front yard too and I used pebble stones for a walkway. You could do tons for this yard. In addition to the perennials I mentioned, I would suggest shasta daisies, Rudbeckias, shrubs that are narrow and I can suggest boxwoods and even yews. You could do topiaries too so the bottom is narrow and you could shape the tops. You can use a miniature lilac called Miss Kim. I've also used roses in such narrow areas. As for perennial grasses. I've used blue fescue which grows to about a foot high. If you wish to grow higher, fountain grasses, or even larger Miscanthus (you often see these in outdoor shopping malls). You can definitely fit in hydrangeas but maybe not the limelights are these get too large. Perhaps a NIKKO Blue.

In other words you won't have a problem filling up the area, but you will have a problem narrowing down your choices. For full impact yard, you will have to limit your choices. Choose a few and plant many of that plant.

ianna, I know that my biggest problem will be narrowing down what to plant. I guess I was hoping for ideas as far as what fills in quicker than others and if it's on my "want" list.

Since moving into this house (a 1940s brick cottage that was turned into a rental before we bought it) we've had a lot of fixing up to do and the front yard seemed to always either be last on the list or torn up because of other projects. I'm ready for my front garden this year :)

I have a suggestion. But it depends on if funds allow it. I love your walkway. What about removing the gravel in that area, and replacing it with the stones you used for the walk?
Tammy

What fills out quicker may also mean you will need to reduce the plant more often. You should look for plants that do not get too large in the base but spreads wide on top - like some lavenders, correopsis and ornamental grasses, hostas. I also like lady's mantel but it does reseed so be careful. I like phlox (davidii - mildew resistant). The butterfly bush can get large but is easily pruned to contain it. Delphiniums would do wonderful there. rock roses, sedum autum joy, I also like russian sages which I do prune down to shape.

My plot as I mentioned is very similar to yours. However I used various geometric shapes, like rectangles and square plots linked together with a tiny strip plot to form the outer perimeter of the yard. This way I managed to create a feel for large garden in a stamp size plot. I can see in your garden plot, that there are lots of room for expansion should you want to do so in the future and so you may be able to indulge your urges to add more variety.

Tammy, thanks for your suggestion. The problem is the funding portion, though maybe in a year or two we can consider it. Right now, the gravel is the same kind we used on the other side of the walkway where my husband wanted to put in a fountain. We chose the gravel for that because we wanted to recreate a small private garden with a fountain we saw on our honeymoon. Can't blame him for wanting to recapture that. :)

ianna, I would love to see pictures of your yard if you have any to share!

I don't know if this goes with your style and hopefully I'm not repeating someone's idea...but what about a bench in front of the chimney, with narrow trellis on either side for clematis or honeysuckle? The diamond pattern of the brick on the chimney would still be visible, but it would bring some color to the brick and give you a small space to sit and enjoy the garden. White clematis would look nice and some other fragrant flowers would be nice by the entry and a little bench is always nice with a cottage. Just a thought :)

Lovely idea lavender lass! I've been trying to think of what to put in that area that will not block either the diamond pattern or the chimney "trap door" near the bottom. The bench would be easier to move when I need to empty out the ashes than an in-ground plant!

My top five would be:

Echinacea (purple coneflower)
Rudbeckia (black-eyed susans)
Leucanthenum "Becky" (shasta daisy)
Knock-Out roses (maybe some pink and some of the new "sunny")
Daylilies
Nepata (catmint)
Perovskia (russian sage)
Sedum angelina or creeping thyme

OK...I know that's more than five!

That said, nothing creates rapid landscape effect like a vigorous vine. Someone suggested sweet autumn clematis, which I like. Maybe some annual vines like nasturtium, thunbergia or hyacinth bean, too.

I managed to create an "instant impact" garden last summer. Yes, it will take a year or two more to fill in entirely, but it looked nice from the beginning. I used fairly large plants purchased from local garden centers rather than ordering online or planting anything from seed. I also didn't lose many plants transplanting them in the middle of the summer (2 or 3 out of 120 or more). So, if you want a quick effect, I'd suggest buying perennials locally in 1 gal containers or larger.

It looks like a space with a ton of potential!

Thanks lisa! Those are great suggestions. I can't wait to start shopping :)

themayocynic, DEFINITLY keep that gravel. That is such a sweet sentiment.
Tammy

This is such a charming little area that I hope you post pics later in the season so we can see how it evolves.

Just a couple of thoughts - you might start some seeds now for big impact in a couple of months at low cost. Climbing sweet peas would give a sense of enclosure growing on the fence and smell lovely. Or on the trellises if you do those.

Personally I would limit colors to those that look good with the color of the brick on your house. Perhaps yellow, blue, and white. Or burgundy, pale pink, and white, Or rusty reds, yellow, and white. I think white is important as contrast with colors. I wouldn't use bright reds, I prefer them at a distance, but that's JMO.

Plan to use annuals that grow quickly to a moderate to large size while your younger perennials are maturing (petunias, and some marigolds, for example). Then next year when the perennials mature you may use a few annuals for early and continuous color or for cutting.

Don't use too many different types of plants, better to use several of each variety. Do some research on plants to find smaller varieties, for example, there are huge as well as smaller delphinium so you could use 3 smaller ones or one large in a corner of a bed. Of course over time even some smaller varieties can grow to be quite a large clump. Many roses are medium or smaller also.

In your zone I'd start with a few of *some* of the following: roses, delphinium, lavender (also available in colors other than purples such as white, pink, and blue), catmint, some sort of daisy (lots of choices there), hollyhocks, foxglove, columbine, forget-me-not, and white alyssum as an edging plant. Some annuals such as pansies, verbena, and a few herbs and/or coleus to fill in spaces and provide different leaf colors. Lamb's Ears or Dusty Miller for silvery white are nice accent plants. I know that's more than 5 and they are fairly common plants but easy to grow and all good for a cottage garden. A few are scented also which is important IMO when you are sitting on that bench enjoying all your work! Plant low growing thyme around the bench as it can withstand a bit of traffic and smells lovely when touched.

Rather than having your hose there and have to try to hide it you might invest in soaker hoses. In a small area can be a good investment.

I like the gravel paths - great for a cottage garden.

I am a fan of knock out roses..especially the double blooms. You'll get tons of color till frost the first year. I would include some dwarf evergreens to take you thru the winter. I like hollies for the red berries. I am a fan of butterfly bush also and the smell is so sweet. I also have seen beautiful results with my sister's reblooming lilac. I think a few peonies would be a good thing to get established since they take a while to mature.
JennF

Hey there! I never post in this forum but I like to read through here every once in a while. My one suggestion would be BES. I too live in z5 in Nev. Not sure if we live in the same city or not but....The BES I grew I absolutely love. They grew to be about 3 feet tall and bloom non stop until the snow comes. They are drought tolerant and don't need much except a little dead-heading in the fall. Also perennial salvia does great for me. I have some sort of purple salvia that gets about 2 feet tall and does well in N. Nevada. Hope that helps some.

luckygal, thank you for all of your suggestions! I plan on posting pictures regardless of how it all turns out.

cottagegirl, great advice! I do plan on getting some evergreen plants to take me through winter. As you can see, I'd have a rather sad looking area if I didn't!

gardenluv, what are BES? I'm in Reno, what about you?

BES are black eyed susans. They would look very nice there.
Tammy

ahhh, thank you!

This year, I tried something different around the porch and really like it. I put a large pot (20" square) on each side of the porch and put a star jasmine in the center and some white petunias on the edges. Three or four petunias for each pot should be plenty, since they spread quickly. They were so beautiful in the evening and had a wonderful fragrance.

I'm zone 4, so they're annuals here too, but Lowe's had star jasmine for $5 a piece, so for $15 I had two beautifully planted pots. The white petunias attract hummingbird moths, which are fun to watch in the evening and the fragrance was so relaxing. Something like that might be nice for your bench :)

(I know there's more fragrance in humid areas, but we have very dry and hot summers in eastern Washington and it still was a great combination.)

I too am in Reno, in the North Valleys. I thought it looked like the Reno area when I saw your pictures.

lavender lass, great idea! I plan on growing moonflower from seed this year so maybe with luck, I can add that to the great combination you just gave :)

gardenluv, I'm in the Old South West part of town.

I love that part of town. Every once in a while my husband and I will drive through and look and drool at all the older brick houses. We love them! I am jealous!

It's a great part of town. Unfortunately we don't live in the area where the houses are big and the gardens are to die for...but I'm going to try and make our gardens OSW-worthy :)

No, but the houses are SOOOO charming! Those houses I could seriously see myself growing old in! They have so much personality. I would take that over having a huge house any day!

Beebalm! It smells great and you'll have butterflies and big ol' honeybees buzzing around to keep you company.

If you plant a beebalm on either side of a monkshood it looks great because they bloom together. The deep blue/purple with the hot pink is one of my favourite combos.

budge1, I have been thinking about beebalm. Does it smell like the bergamot used in Earl Grey tea? I know it's not the herb used in making that tea (my favorite) but it's in the same family from what I've read.

themayocynic (like your name!) - the bergamot oil used in Earl Grey is from a citrus fruit, not Monarda, so not in fact in the same family as bee balm. The curse of common names strikes again!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bergamot

Thanks flora_uk! Bummer though, because I was hoping for an Earl Grey fragrance when I first read about Monarda :(