Welcome Tamara!

It sounds like you're off to a nice start. I'm in a much colder zone than you (5/6) so I can't help with what's evergreen in your area.

I think repetition in the garden really depends on what your preferences are. There are some gardeners here that do an entire border of one plant. Some plant in groups of threes or more. Others, just plop plants here and there. Again, I think it depends on what you're looking for. You have a large area so I would say planting in threes will provide a nice impact once everything grows in.

I like your idea of mixing in herbs and veggies into your garden. I am going to start doing that this year with my new areas.

Have you thought about some hardscaping such as birdbaths, fountains, arbors, etc? That will help break up the space and add more interest. You can then try to divide the garden into sections, if that would interest you.

Sorry I can't be of more help. I'm sure someone in your zone will pop by to help out.

Good luck!

Tracy

Hello akewa! Im not in your zone either, so im afraid I cant reccomend any individual plants to you. I would love to have a large yard like yours! I read a really interesting artical in a garden mag. about planting for large gardens. One lady said that planting bigger flowers makes a bigger impact in a large yard; a lot of smaller things will just get lost in an emense garden. She also said that it was easier to fill up the larger sized garden with bigger plants. She did plant some small things, but mostly just tucked them inbetween the larger items. This lady also used large garden ornaments, like statues and such, because they could be seen from far away. I also agree with faltered about the 'garden sections', it would break up the garden and also make it easier. Hope this helps you Tamara!
CMK

Hmm planting in 3s is good idea. I can't do too much hard scape because of the slope. Birdbath is out as we have a problem right now with birds hitting the big window. Plants I am planting are zoned for 8 up to 4 or higher to help make it over winter. I am used to planting for zone 10 where I grew up but did spend some time in PA but did not do much gardening there. I would like to make this area as maintance free as possible, since we have so much other land here to clean up and work with. This will be the only flower bed on the property as we shall be having animals. We are doing a pasture for cow and chickens. The veggie garden which is also huge will be fenced off and is in another area.

So I am looking at perennials that will come back each year and will have different bloom times. Paths will be stone and curved. Lots of mulch till plants fill in. The one major problem with this are is wind. So any real tall flowering plants like delphiniums are out for wind would just beat them up even if staked. Ofcourse I do not know how windy it gets here in the summer but winter was bad. Ofcourse I could try them and if does not work oh well. :)

Thanks

Hi Tamara,
sounds like you've got a lot of big plans to fill all your days ahead!
For all the conditions you are describing, how about checking into native plants for TN? They are easy to grow, very low maintenance, usually a large variety of sun-lovers, and perennial.
In my area we have a lot of beautiful prairie grasses and plants to choose from such as purple coneflower, rudibeckia, Mexican Hat, gillardia, several different types of fountain grass and sedge and many, many others. I'm not super familiar with your zone but I believe many of those would do well for you too and they do have a wild, cottage-like feel. The best part is that they are usually fairly easy to come by and inexpensive.
Good luck with whatever you choose.

Hey Tamara,
I am relatively knew to this forum (I've been more of a lurker), but I thought I would post because I am also in TN.

Since it is a larger area, make sure to include interest for all seasons. Because of our weather here, I tend to focus my plant selections towards summer blooms since we generally have a short spring and a long hot summer, but try to throw some things in to keep me interested until my garden really gets up and going in late May, early June. With regard to evergreens, and since you like herbs, I would highly suggest a few rosemary if you don't already have some- great smell, love the heat, grow quicky (my rosemary hedge grew to 24" in its first year), and nice blue blooms in the spring. Some varieties are not as hardy here as others, but if you buy locally they should be the varieties that do well here.

For easy color in our humidity, you can't beat Black-eyed Susans and Purple Coneflowers. Here are some other things that I am growing that have done well without a whole lot of effort:
-Salvia- 'May Night' and 'Blue Hill' are my favorites
-Moonbeam Coreopsis
-Penstemon, various kinds
-Butterfly Bush, to fill a large space quickly
-Knockout Rose- The "red" variety might be too pink for you (I think of it more as a hot pink than red), but in this area they hold their leaves well in the winter so could be considered evergreen
-Tennessee Coneflower- neat plant to have for obvious reasons
-Purple Ice plant- a good low grower
-Rasberry Wine Bee Balm- watch this one, its a spreader

Have you considered some antique roses? There are plenty of colors besides pink, and the some of the older varieties do well here without too much black spot.

As for number of each plant and repetition, it really depends on the characteristics of the individual plant. A lone Blue Hill salvia might look kind of weak in a large area, but a single Rosemary would have a lot more weight and stand alone well. I like to mass 3-5 of several plants in a group, then provide the occasional "punch" with an accent plant, or a small plant that is "tucked in".

Hope this is of some help, and sorry it was so long. Did you fare the late frost well?
Bryan

Thanks Bryan and Amare. Finding natives here is not that easy unless you dig them out of a field. Our local nursery does not carry many if any at all. I do have to plant my rosemary and am waiting on the purple cornflower to come in to pick it up.

I just learn that Tn has is own version of PCF and its on the critical list and not allowed to be sold or traded. Wonder how they plan to save it in the state if one can not share seeds from theirs.

I have been thinking of roses but not the antiques. Guess I will go over to roses forum and read up a bit. I do like mini roses. Good thing is hubby does not care what I do as long as he does not have to mow it.

Thanks again,
Tamara