trailing rosemary
will low abelia work for you there? I don't know about abelia in your climate?

GGG

Hello, Steven, I think a rose hedge leading up each side of the steps would be nice. It might even extend along the sidewalk in a J shape on either side (along the sidewalk) with, perhaps, daisies behind. I've heard that Simplicity roses make wonderful hedges, and bloom almost continually. Are the roses on either side of the arbor meant to climb the arbor? How about hollyhocks along the fence for height?

Lorna

the double knock out roses bloom continous here,Red would look great with the white structure and then a red climber over the arbor would look awesome.I will have to browse some books,I have tons for ideas and get back.I am sure what ever you plan will be better than awesome.Love what you did last year.
moonphase

Hi GGG! Yes, definitely there will be lots of trailing rosemary on this retaining wall. We've already planted some in an area outside of the photo. And yes, abelia does well here. Not a bad suggestion.

Lorna and moonphase, rose was my first choice and I really like Lorna's suggestion about lining with rose in that arc. But Brian has a bit of rose phobia and isn't sure. It's helping that the roses are taking off on the arbor. He's loving those. They are icebergs and I already have canes tied over the top in just one year's time. We just added Silverdollar clematis nearby. The soft lavendar with the white should be stunning in a couple of seasons.

Thanks for taking the time. I really do appreciate fresh eyes on this.

Steven

Hi Steven!

How about a variety of thyme or sage?? I don't know varieties, but here in our neighborhood the slopes are planted with trailing rosemary and a bush-type thyme, it's about 2 foot tall--looks real nice and smells nice when brushed up against. Another idea would be something evergreen with berries, maybe pyracantha? Or, lantana (bush type) could also be trained into a hedge or ball shape.

Becky

India hawthorn (rhaphiolspsis) or star jasmine are some more ideas...B

Golden Princess japanese spirea?

I'm sure whatever you plant we'll all be drooling over. I can visualize a mix of things like creeping rosemary, thymes, small leafed hebes and cottage pinks, maybe some creeping phlox. Things that take little care, not too tall, look nice whether they are in bloom or not but eye candy none the less...Or...You could build a lovely rockery type garden with the space you have there but the downside to this is they take a lot of work to keep them looking good. I'm sure whatever you decide on will be a delight to the eyes and frame your house and garden beautifully.

Annette

There are several very slow growing evergreen trees, could you use one on each side and trim them into a topiary shape? If you're not up for the initial trimming have your nursery do it for you. Plant directly in the soil rather than in a pot so they aren't so prominent. I think it would look very classy. Topiaries are very commonly used in English gardens.

MeMo

You definitely need some type of structure plants along that entry.
Personally, I would stay away from any topiaries. I just don't think that goes with your style of garden. A true English garden may be able to accommodate such things, but I think they look out of place in a cottage garden.
That appears to be a full sun area. I'm also going to assume that the drainage is good due to the slope.
While I would certainly suggest incorporating Shrub rose varieties planted amongst this bed(groups along the fence?), I would not use them as your primary structure plant. I agree that Boxwoods are a bit of a bore, but I also think they would go well there. You could also try some Holly varieties like Blue girl/boy.
Theres also true evergreens like Globe Arbs and Golden Mop Cypress.
Then theres deciduous shrubs with great bark/structure like Dwarf Burning bush/Ninebarks, Spreading Cotoneaster, etc.
Lots of possibilities. Have fun with it.

Steve first off I want to compliment you on your wonderful potager garden! I have been drooling over it every night since I saw it on the potager foum! It is gorgeous!!!

I also love your choice of colors, pale yellow house with white shutters. I have the same thing LOL...

Anyway LOVE your arbor. So pretty. I had been using the same colors you were, lavenders, whites and yellows. With your roses and clematis combo on your arbor, you could pull those same colors onto the sides of your stairs the way I did with cat mint. Caution though if you use it. Make sure to plant it far enough from the sides of the stairs because in just 2 seasons it grows together and cascades onto the stairs, which I wanted, but last year it actually almost closed off the stairs! I need to move it further away so that it just sweeps the hardedge of the stairs but does not take them over!

I will look for pics and see if I can find any with the cat mint from last year BEFORE it took over lol.

Your house and yard is simply adorable. You have put a lot of effort into it and it shows!

I thought right off of dwarf conifers, so I am glad to see Mr. Morton thought of that as well. I think it would pay homage to the look of the tall junipers you took out in the beginning. Give you that bit of quirkiness that goes with that whole look. I cannot think of the name of that designer, but you know that picture Brian gave you when you first moved in there, that Mary Englebreit looking one...anyway, this would not be so out of scale but just reminicent of the look maybe. Here is a link to a random page of examples...

Here is a link that might be useful: dwarf conifers

Okay I located some pics...why I thought the catmint would be good is that it is airy yet substantial in size and would not take the focus away from that beautiful arbor you have, only make the stairs softer and blend in for an overall effect...

Anyway, here are a couple shots...

This one taken before I cleaned up the mess I made after trimming down those awful bushes on the side :(

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj319/msscarlettt2396/housefromangle.jpg[/IMG]

Straight on. I planted these here because the stairs are all cockeyed and broken. You can't really tell because the catmint did it's job LOL...need to replace those ugly stairs and walkway.

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj319/msscarlettt2396/housefront.jpg[/IMG]

And later in the year. You can see it was planted way too close to the walkway LOL...it looks like a jungle instead of softly sweeping the sidewalk as I planned. Need to move them further out!

[IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj319/msscarlettt2396/fronthouse.jpg[/IMG]

I am sure whatever you do will be beautiful. Your yard is just lovely!

Okay, let me try this again! I planted the catmint here because the stairs are all crooked and walkway is a mess. I need to redo them. Project #20 on a list of 100 hahaha!

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This is later in the season when it overgrew and why I need to move them further away from the sidewalk LOL
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I like the conifer suggestion, too. And it would be something you wouldn't have to worry about. Dwarf alberta spruce are nice. I have two planted in wine barrels with violas at their feet.

Also, you might want to think native, considering the slope and watering issues. Ceanothus is a great plant for that situation, needs no water after the first year and there are oodles of varieties to choose from. Yankee point is more of a ground cover type with lovely light blue flowers. I have some growing on my north facing slope. I also grow Sierra Blue - it would get too tall for that area but oh, my, the blue flowers are so gorgeous! I have Frosty and Wheeler's Canyon, too, plus a native white variety that grow wild on the property. Yeah, I love ceanothus! : )

Try googling Las Pilitas when you get a chance. Their site is not coming up right now or I'd link you to it. Lots of native salvias, plus other native plants that would be low maintenance. I bring that issue up because I know what it's like to grow things outside the picket fence or main garden area. They can be forgotten so plants that thrive on neglect are a good choice.

Diana

How about Potentilla? They are cute little shrub like plants that bloom from Spring till frost. They come in pink, yellow and shades of red too. Here is a link for a pink one

Here is a link that might be useful: Pink Potentilla

I can picture a round top shrub on either side of the steps...to echo the shape of the arbor. Maybe something old fashioned like a hydrangea--if those work in your zone. (Too much sun maybe.)

Then something lower growing on either side, that will allow the fence to show above it...like cat mint. Yours is gorgeous msscarlet! I've got to get some of that.

If you pick Rhaphiolepsis, make sure it's the dwarf variety, like "Ballerina" (photo below). Small, two-toned dark green leaves with a tan underside would set off well against your white picket fence. They have beautiful short flower spikes with pink-and-white flowers, so it may or may not fit with your color scheme.

It has a wonderful natural shape - one on either side next to the arbor would beautifully set off nicely descending rows of something like lavendar or salvias.
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You have so many choices. There are such good lines to the wall and slope.

How about LAVENDER? :-) I planted my Spanish Lavender in fall 2005, and here's the mature size. It's practically a naturally mounded shape, but I just use my cordless hedge trimmers to keep it neat. I trim it back by 1/3 after blooms and again before frost (didn't last year due to drought). It has thousands of blooms. For me, it's evergreen and I think it would be for you? That's a creeping juniper at the feet of the lavender (planted by my landscaper). On this side of the stream, that's culinary oregano and creeping thyme. You can't see it in this photo, but I have a big tri-color sage beside the lavender that echos the color of the blooms. Those are cottage pinks behind the lavender.

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This is another view of the same lavender plant (in the foreground) with a row of 3 on the other side of the path beside the roses along the fence.

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I love my trailing rosemary. It has been blooming blue since January. I don't have a good photo.

I also like creeping phlox. Spring blooms and evergreen. I have it a number of places in my outer garden and it comes in so many colors. I will be adding more as it is a great ground cover (about 2ft of space per plant here). It's low and could hang over the wall at the feet of your structural plants.

There are many varieties of nepeta (catmint). There are pink, rose, white and clear blue in smaller sizes (12", 18", 24") than the Walker's Low and Six Hills Giant (36"). I love nepeta and continue to add colors to my garden. I'm gradually building edging with it along my outer garden paths and front path. It's so soft and fluffy. Mine started blooming this week. I'll sheer it when the blooms fade and it will bloom again...repeat....bloom....until frost.

Cameron

Well friends, I have to admit something. I wasn't the most productive person at work today. I must have hit this thread two dozen times while surreptitiously looking up your suggestions and jotting notes on a steno pad. I got more gardening done today than I usually get done over a weekend. Just don't tell the state of California.

Your suggestions were fantastic and I thank you all so much! I'm really leaning towards the dwarf conifer idea to anchor this thing. Thank you Mr. Morton and all who seconded that motion. I've got to say, the collective eye on this forum is just formidable. We should all go in the consulting business together.

It really is amazing how many plants that you suggested are ones we have on our short list. We've already bought a Joyce Coulter ceanothus, Diana :-) It's been sitting in its little container, ready to go in for two weeks now. Lavender (Spanish and English) has already been planted outside the photo paremeter. And Cameron, yours is just gorgeous! Rhaphiolepsis is such a beautiful landscaping plant for us that it has to go in. We have several varieties on campus and they really are beautiful.

Suffice it to say that I'm officially over my gardener's block tonight. Thank you all again. Pictures forthcoming sometime in mid-May.

One last thought. Ms. Scarlett, you flatter me. That little ol' potager? Why, I saw it hanging in a window and just had to try it on. Thanks for reminding me that I had a thread dangling in the potager forum. And your house and garden? Tara.

Thanks again everyone!

Steven

If I remember correctly, Steven, you made great efforts to improve your soil before starting, right? I will warn you, the L. stoechas I have really sprawls in rich soil.

Some of them stayed sort of rounded, but this one REALLY sprawled horizontally!
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If you like the look of boxwood, the native plant, Vaccinium ovatum, 'California Huckleberry', would probably make you happy. (ummm, huckleberries!) It has neat, evergreen boxwood like foliage that has pinky tones when new, pretty little pinkish white flowers, delicious fruit and makes a wonderful hedge. (2 - 3 feet in full sun.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Vaccinium ovatum

Have you thought about some mediteranean heathers (heaths) or some true heathers? they make nice moundy evergreen shrubs, and the barrel shaped flowers can't be beat...

Here is a link that might be useful:

Hmmm...how about some boxwood (or similar) set back a little from the walkway edges, as your frame, and something trailing over the edges in front of it, to soften the edges?

I've missed this thread so far and you've got loads of excellent suggestions, so you don't need mine :-) Still, I would like to second a strong evergreen presence for anchoring both sides of the stairs. I have a similar situation in my back garden, minus the stairs, where I use a low hebe. It has very soft lavender blooms in late Spring, is evergreen and can easily be trimmed to be kept in shape. Other than that, I like the classic look of box, but you already said you wanted something else. Dwarf conifers are excellent for that situation - have a look at Thuya "Reingold", I really like that one. To echo and pay homage to the former trees you removed, like Debbie suggests, the Alberta spruce mentioned by Diana is very appropriate. Or for a classic English look you could look at yew. It's a slow grower and can be trimmed to the size you want.

Other than that and for the remaining area you know the drill: roses, lavender, rosemary, dusty miller, catmint, osteospermums, some of those fantastic hollyhocks of yours each side of the arbor, you know, the works ;-) Pictures, of course, we need pictures once you're done with it (and Annie is done with your wallet and/or credit card...)

Eduarda

PS: I hope you're sticking some echiums in there somewhere!