It looks like you've done a lot of work on this! If you are able, you might want to widen the bed some near the ninebarks and move them further out from the building. They are amazingly large and rambunctious shrubs.

Here is my Coppertina Ninebark starting its third season after planting from a one gallon plant. It's about 4' by 4'.

They are going to be beautiful against your creamy white house, Memo!

I can't find a current photo, but I'll try to get one tomorrow if it isn't pouring rain. It's now 3 years after the photo above, and it's probably 7' x 7' and showing no signs of slowing down. If you can't make the bed wider right now, you could move the ninebarks to the front of the bed and then widen the bed when the weather is cooler, or perhaps plant them somewhere else in the yard. I just don't want you to have to find out sometime down the road how very large these shrubs can get and have to move them when they are larger and more established; even the smallest ones I know of, Little Devil, get to 3' x 4' and you want to have enough room to do house maintenance like painting behind it.

You plant selection sounds great for a classic cottage garden. I especially like the combination of the red foliage of the ninebark with pink and yellow flowers. Sounds like it will be stunning when it comes into its own.

Thanks GGG!

Nhbabs, The info I got with the shrubs is that they would get to about 4x4. The last time I tried these (at a different location) they didn't last the season and I attribute it to the overly sandy soil we have here. I did amend this bed three years ago and then left it to mature because there were a lot of wood chips in the mix. It's nice and loamy now. There is about 2.5 ft of space behind them right now and I planted the perennials in front knowing that they would have to be moved and divided in 3-4 years. I figure I'll be ready to expand the bed by then. I just wanted to get something in there this year to fill up the empty space. If worse comes to worse we'll shear them. I shouldn't need to ever paint the house again since it's stucco and we white washed it with a lime and cement mixture last summer, it should last for another 40-50 years. I'll be long gone by then :) Thanks for the info though, I'll keep an eye on them and make decisions when the time comes, if it does. Your shrub is gorgeous BTW and I am smitten with your blue spruce on the edge of the photo. I planted three of those last year and lost all of them with the horrible drought we had. Will try them again this fall.

What a fun project, it is going to look so charming when the plants have some time to grow. I bet it'll make your patio area more comfortable too, there's something about a pretty garden that just makes you want to use your outdoor space more. And with a fountain and hummingbird flowers you should get a great wildlife display, I love to watch the birds in my garden. Be sure to post more pics when things have time to get established!

Thank you, Peachy! I'm looking forward to sitting on that patio, relaxing with a cool drink and watching the world go by slowly. A time to sow.... a time to reap....

Looking good, MeMo! I hope you get some cooler weather tout de suite.

TM

That will be such a nice place as it grows and you are going to enjoy it tremendously.
kay