That link is really beautiful! Thank you for replying! i was wondering if I should get rid of the yellow and stay with pinks and purples to make it more cohesive looking. This looks good with yellow AND a blue! Would you say that the Cheyenne Sky switchgrass would still fit with it's more burgundy color?

Hi, I just googled Cheyenne Sky switchgrass, I see that it has reddish leaves. My personal preference is to put blues and yellows together and yellows and reds together. I find that blue and red look too jarring when next to each other. So I generally try to fit in yellows and greens between blues and reds. But as you can see in the link, pink looks great next to the blue spruce.

Marie

yes that pink looks great! I have not grown heather before, not sure I have even seen it in the local nurseries, but it sure is pretty.

Yes, I wish I could grow it. Unfortunately, my zone 3 is too cold for it. You do have the pink of your knock-out roses, though. I have George Vancouver roses, almost the same color as yours, and it looks awesome in front of my blue spruce 'Hoopsii'!

Add more plants - and never have them in a straight line with even spacing.

I take it you mean the switchgrass....I have two more in pots, would it look good to put them in front of the three already there? Instead of the rocks?

It looks like a windswept coastal area where tall trees don't grow, but I see some in the background so know that they do. A tree set off each corner of the house would help it look much less "exposed." Another thing that helps with the exposed look is the lack of any larger shrubs around the house. There is not really room to place anything below the garage windows but they need something so maybe get something right-sized and then do a lot of trimming to keep it off of the walk (which is much too close to the house.) A larger shrub or perennial at the right end of the porch or wrapping its corner would help.

I would remove the rocks sitting on top of the berm. Either place a large boulder(s) there or nothing. They are too small and just look like something that's been discarded. For covering more of the gravel, I would just use more low, spreading plants in its foreground ... like what is there toward the latter half. In general, don't create lines of plants on the berm (like maybe the grass on the back side). Blocky is better than lines.

I appreciate your comments Yardvaark. A couple of questions about your suggestions: Do you think a multistemmed tree is best to fill the space or would a single stem tree also work? It looks like you are suggesting a pretty large tree? What do you think of planting an evergreen or even another deciduous tree off of the porch in that open gap behind where you have placed the purple shrub/perennial? Would a knockout rose be an appropriate solution for that shrub/perennial?

I knew those rocks looked silly, just needed some validation I guess. I purchased some more of the low growing catmint just yesterday so glad to hear more of that would be good.

"It looks like you are suggesting a pretty large tree." ---

Why have a tree? Because it makes your house look sheltered, protected and it offers shade (ACTUAL protection) so the landscape will cease to look barren. The bottom of its canopy forms a "ceiling." In order to do these things the tree must be at least as large as the height of your house and preferably larger. The "ceiling" must be high enough in order for people to move about below it, with some clearance. Usually, the first floor eaves are the lowest level at which a tree canopy looks good. Below that tends to look unkempt and neglected. The larger the tree, the higher this can go. Too, plants living below or nearby usually prosper if they get some light, which a higher tree canopy allows. Whether a tree is single or multi-trunk is up to you. I generally prefer multi because they have the potential of greater visual impact/drama/substance, etc. If ground space is limited a single trunk may be a better option. But it doesn't seem to be limited here. I think the tree could go alongside the house instead of off the front corner, but it's going to have less potential to impress with its trunk structure after it gets some age. Where I've suggested it to be would probably negatively affect some of your existing evergreen "trees" in the future. Adjustments might be necessary in order to make it work. (I'm trying to start with highest priority and work my way out; not build on any missed opportunities that may now exist.) I'm giving you generalized suggestions and you must work them out/refine them in plan view (bird's eye view) which shows the actual ground level spatial relationship of landscape elements. BTW, it is not going to help the overall look to plant another "tree" that has the shrub form (with foliage to the ground.)

If I was going to plant something to wrap the corner of the porch it would not get higher than half way up the railing. The knock-out rose would not be my choice for that, especially if there was a tree in the vicinity that would eventually provide shade. This might require planting something now and making an adjustment/change-out later when the conditions change. Knock-out roses could be nice in a mass in a sunny, open position.