Gosh, you have great areas for just about anything you like, it sounds like. Against your wall, in the second picture, I could envision the trellis you mentioned with something really colorful on it, like an OGR...tausendchon, maybe? Or a climber like Don Juan, with lovely blood red roses. Or blue sky vine, if you prefer something more tropical looking with lavender blue flowers.

I agree that the entry beds need at least a few things with some height. Would be a good place for low maintenance azaleas, if it is somewhat shady there. If you want some good color, coleus would stand out, but of course, they have to be replaced occasionally. How about duranta? For some gold green, the gold mound duranta is beautiful, or you could have a small duranta (golden dew drop)tree, with lower growing shrubs underneath?

What are YOU thinking about?

Marcia

Actually I bought a blue skyvine for the back of the house but have yet to find a home.(Yes I am a buy first -figure out what to do with it later person)Will it take sun?
Do they bloom most of the year? How aggressive will it be. I have the black eyed susan vine and it is eating my garage and everything in its path.
I had also thought about foliage in the shady beds but hadn't thought about coleus.
My hubby does like azaleas so that might be the answer.I hear the new ones are heavy bloomers but I am not sure how tall they will get or where I might purchase them.

Goldenpond, I am like you, if I like it, I buy it and find a home for it later. :o) I have seen blue skyvine cover a 40 ft fence. It is agressive, but sooo beautiful. I have it now on an arbor DH built, it needs more then just a trellis. At least in this neck of the woods. A fellow GW member suggested to me to hard prune,( nearly to the ground) these agressive vines once a year and then let them grow back to keep them in control. This has worked well for many of my vines on the fence.

I'm with Katkin on blue sky vine. It is worth the time to prune it occasionally. It will take full, blazing sun with no problem, and mine bloomed about 2/3's of the year. The flowers are stunning, and the vine is lush and full, and doesn't get eaten by anything that I've run across. It grows as much as black-eyed Susan vine does, but is a perennial rather than an annual. It would easily fill up most of that wall on a large trellis or a series of smaller ones. Spectacular, but if you want something less agressive, you might try say three passionvines. (Just be willing to share the leaves with caterpilars.) Or how about some coral honeysuckle for the hummingbirds? Pretty coral flowers through most of the year, and red berries in the winter. I believe it's a native plant, too. You'd probably have room for 2 or 3 separate ones there.

Hey, what about a climbing rose in the center and a coral honeysuckle on each end? Would fill up the wall quickly that way, and you'd have roses and a hummer plant, and lots of color!

Ooooh, so many possibilities.

In that shadier bed, you could easily have azaleas as background plans, and coleus in between or in front for extra color when the azaleas aren't blooming. (OH, how I WISH azaleas bloomed all year long!)

Marcia

I would love to see the hedge go and replace it with mounds and mounds of lillies. Linda

I would love to see the hedge go also Linda but DH likes the formal look for the front.We have a deal and I get to keep the rest of the property wild and crazy but he wants formal in the front,I have Bahai in the back and sides near the ponds,he insisted on seville/st Aug grass up front.
The problem with lilies Linda is they are naked more than in bloom.I do LOVE them though!
I do have passies and natives in other areas.
I planted a coral vine out back but it seems so slow growing.Maybe it would prefer the front.
I really appreciate all the input.It is giving me some new thoughts. Now to get rid of that mondo grass!