Perhaps Tx Moutain Laurel. It stays green all year.

Nandina is always nice, particularly the ones that turn bright red in the winter. Eunonymous (sp?) is also spiffy, and hollies. Though with the latter, be sure of what variety you're getting, since there's so many! Loropetalum (fringe flower) is also quite beautiful.

Mountain laurel would be great, and Lorapetalum is gorgeous if you trim it up into a small tree. I have one that sprawls over the edge of our back patio, and I want to give it hugs and kisses every day I love it so much. It's got a mix of deep maroon and green leaves all winter, and it explodes with fuchsia fringe flowers several times a year. Mine only gets morning sun, but I have seen some small ones in our neighborhood in near full sun. If you go with these, get a good sized one. It's sometimes tricky to establish the smaller ones.

Oh, thank you so much. The mountain laurels will be perfect I saw some reasonable priced ones at Lowes last week and the lorapetalum too. I am thinking maybe a few knockout roses too. I will post a pic later. I got the trees removed this morning and the arizona ashes limbed up. It looks so much better but now I need to paint the house, lol. You can actually see it now, lol.

What a mess only a mother could love, lol. Here are the after pics. Got all the big limbs cleaned up but it looks like a tornado went thru here, lol. I will be so glad to get some of this stuff in the ground and quit moving pots everywhere. I wish my poor ash trees had been pruned properly before I bought the house. They look terrible now but I need the shade. Its very cloudy so I hope the pics are ok. Now for the bed. If you will look at the pic in my first post its going to be much different now. Would you include the large trees that are left in the bed or leave the rings and curvy bed in front of the house?

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Kristy! That is soooo much better! How about a gardenia, azaleas, maybe some La. irises to remind you of home! LOL!

Ok, Patty lets go shopping, lol. I forgot I have two gardenias that aren't doing well in the back that I planned to move to the front. I haven't seen any azaleas doing well here or gardenias either. I think its just too hot unless you have some irrigations system maybe. I do have some irises already to go around the trees.

It's looking good! This mother loves 'the mess' which translates into all sorts of interesting possibilities.

I would definitely include both trees inside the border and not only that, but extend the border to give you lots of room in which to plant and have less grass to keep up. I have moved my borders out upteen times -- just wish I had made the beds large to start with.

Kathy (natvtxan)can tell you about the lasagna method to cover the grass and 'create' good planting soil.

Thanks Rose. That is what I'm trying to talk hubby into. I think I would have enough paver to do it since I wouldn't be having to do the back sides of the trees as well. I think it looks kind of busy with the circles. Those darn things are so heavy though. I wish I could figure out a way to lay out the outline and make sure I have enough without moving them a thousand time, lol. I looked at some lorapetalum at Walmart tonight but it looked aweful. I wish they would discount their plants when they look bad like Lowes does. I need to take one paver with me next time I go. I have some others in back that I thought were the same color but they are lighter. I might just do the bed how I want it and see how many short I am and go get them. I shouldn't have to have too many more since I am only going one high. I got a little 36 gallon pond liner with the whole kit for $45 dollars on clearance at Walmart. I hope its big enough to put a couple of fish in. That is one more project to do when I haven't even finished this one, lol. My back hates me. I will work on it all a little at a time but I want it bigger from the beginning too. The guy across the street came over when I was outside with my husband and he said boy you are going to need a truck load of topsoil to fill that up and I wanted to kick him, lol. I need room to plant my stuff or I will fill up the house and garage again this winter, lol. I didn't have much other than tropicals and annuals last year and I am trying to put in more perennials. He doesn't realize all those little 4 inch pots are going to grow into big plants and they take more room than you think. I can get truck loads of compost cheap so I will till that in and add a few bags of other ammendments and it will be ok. I don't have time to do the lasangan method since it takes a while to break down. At least there isn't much grass around up near the house already since I had already taken a row of boxwoods out. I always thought I had stray cats peeing in the bushes til I smelled some boxwoods at the store tonight and nearly gagged. That is what I was smelling before. Yuck, I never want those again.

AMEN TO GONE BOXWOODS. How did nature even come up with a plant that smells of cat pee?

Your place is looking great! I second the notion of including the trees in the bed. Monrovia.com has a lot of fun information on gardening styles and landscaping ideas.

As far as your pond goes, skip the koi and go with comet goldfish or, even better, mosquito fish. They're not flashy, they're like minnows, but they eat - you guessed it - mosquito larvae. Koi get too big, and they uproot plants.

Wow what a difference! I love the blank canvas! May as well include the trees - there's enough shade that it looks like it'd be tricky to get a lawn in there anyway. You should widen the circles around them or connect the beds around the trees so it doesn't look top heavy. I always think of the hippo wearing a tutu when I see huge trees with a tiny circle bed around the base.

You'll love the mountain laurel!

At first I was going to question the idea of putting some knockout roses in since you have that shade tree, but it looks like that got trimmed up too, so hopefully will allow enough direct sunlight for those rose for the most blooms. I really like the idea of the lorepetalum trimmed up like a small tree. I have been thinking about doing that in my backyard or on the side of the house. I agree with the above post to include the large trees inside the landscape. It would make it easier to mow and edge.

You CAN grow azaleas in Copperas Cove! They flourish in Houston which is even hotter, although the soil there is more acid under those pine trees. I have been growing azaleas in Austin and they have been very rewarding, beautiful in the early Spring when nothing else is blooming. I did have to carefully situate them in their own individual beds, up high and with pine bark soil. The Formosas even like a good bit of sun. Anyway, they are a nice evergreen shrub under trees and their raised beds do not compete so with the shallow tree roots.

Thanks everyone. I was thinking a couple of goldfish. I know the koi get big. Some of the mosquitoe fish would be great too. It is more humid in Houston than here and the soil is better I'm sure for azaleas. We have such hot dry wind in the summer I wish it couldn't even blow. Its like being inside a dryer. I could do it is the right conditions with piled up beds of pine fines probably. I might give one a try since hubby fell in love with them in Louisiana last month when we went home to visit Mom. I have decided to take in the trees with the bed. I just don't like how they look seperated. John just doesn't want to move all the bricks again, lol. We will have to do it anyway to prepare the ground and set them level. Whats a few more feet, lol. I really need to get to Lowes. I planned to run by there today but got stuck at the doctors office all day just for some crappy test so they could tell me I need more crappy medicine for my crappy cholesterol, lol. Its pouring rain right now. My plants will be happy as long as it doesn't hail. Good thing since I was counting on the rain and didn't water today.

well Kristy we got the RAIN alright lol. I dug out some things yesterday and put them in pots. Never know when I need them to trade. IF someone is interested in russian sage I believe I got. Some rooted WHATEVER flowering bush that I trimmed a few month back. Then in the dark I felt like I am pulling a *Kristy* thingy, went out with a flashlight lol and got all those pots etc in.
Glad it is JUST Cholesterol. Another thing we got in common lol Have a good one.

How old are your arizona ash trees? I've heard that they are short lived. I've read so many bad things about them.

By the way, you don't really need those junk medicines for high cholesterol. It's way overblown. If the HDL is at least 25% of total cholesterol, it's fine regardless of how high it is. Niacin (fast acting) will work just as good and a lot cheaper too. Fish oil like Carlson's will act like aspirin and do wonderful stuff for your health. Of course, there's eating healthy and getting enough exercise... I know the topic is way off but just wanted to tell you that don't take everything for word the doctor tells you esp when it comes to chronic health problems which is really related to lifestyle choices and can be easily changed instead of taking a boatload of medicines.

reading the health tips from lou just brought something back from the pictures I have seen from you Kristy. FISH......you should be soooooo healthy consuming all those *g* and *s*. I can not believe the sizes of those s......! Great fishing and NO that is one thing I can not get myself to do. Cause then I would have to gut? them. Sorry sometimes the english word does not come to mind the way it should be on paper lol. Not that I do not like to eat fish......you know the kind were you can not SEE that it is a FISH lol. Hope I brought a little smile to everyones face.

Lol, Lucy you are too funny. Lou, I have high bad cholesterol the good cholesterol is normal. I think I have the inherited kind since my mom and her whole family have it and she has arteries clogged like a bag drain pipe and has had 5 stints so I want to keep that from happening to me. I asked him about fish oil and he said the it wouldn't help mine but that is what my husband takes for his. I'm sure his is diet since he things pork fat rules, lol. We will have to get together Lucy and trade wome things. I am just getting my garden started since last spring but have a good many plants. Working on getting more perennials. Last year was mostly annuals. I got the knock out roses today and pushed a lorepetalum around for a while but when I added up what I had already spent at the other store I put it back, lol. I will get one soon. I need to get my bed finished then worry about the plants but the roses were on sale so I couldn't pass them up for that price. Yell if you need some fish. We always have some. I'm staying home tomorrow to play with my plants and hubby is going fishing. I will go Sunday with him. I have to stay here and pet my verbena, lol. It feels just like moss and its so soft. I might keep it in a pot and bring it in at night like a dog, lol.

you are a funny one too. I can still see you sitting there petting that verbena lol. but then you did a LOT better today when you said you put the lorepetalum BACK. At least they did not end up at the window section or then it would have probably improved their windows a lot *g*
well then maybe tomorrow.......if I keep writing for 10 more minutes I can say TODAY.....I can come by. Because I KNOW that when the sun comes out, I GO IN! Second season back and still not used to the warmer weather. How can I though, my hotflashes are beating even the texas weather lol

Lol, I have to get as much as I can done before it gets too hot also. I only go out really early in the mornings and late in the evening in mid summer. I'll talk to you tomorrow. If you can make it by I'll see what we can dig up or clip for you to take home real quick. Good luck with the house painting. Got to get some sleep or I will still be in bed at lunch.