Thinking about changing the mulch this year maybe March going with a dark color to provide some contrast to the flowers. Also maybe some tall 4-5 ft grasses in the back on either side, and fill in back boarder with sevillana roses which there are some are already there.

Saturn

You never have to remove mulch - just top with a more naturally colored one after whatever new plantings you add.

Is April a good time if I wanted to plant a couple of new tall grasses in the garden??

When is your average last frost date? I'm in Texas 7B and that 'magic date' is March 15. You can plant soon after that date.

I am in zone 6 in RI I would not think our frost date is until mid May

Perennial grasses and roses are pretty hardy. You won't need to wait for last frost before planting. But I agree with others that you need an overall plan/design before you start just putting plants in here and there.

And GG is right about the mulch. Just cover it with a more natural colour.

Well so far my plan is to change the mulch to a darker color. Use the grasses in the back of the garden on either side flanking the hedge roses that grow up to 3 ft. Then combine like plants such as mums and monarda together so they can mass grow together. So far that is my plan

A

First and foremost I would relocate the statue and raise it up onto a substantial base as JSL has recommended. Right now it is a little weird in that if the benches are occupied and someone looked at the statue, the person on the opposite bench would be directly central in the view. They would be part of the statue's background and this would be disconcerting. Even if no one ever sits at these benches, it is a central tenet of landscaping that whatever is created must look like it can really be used. It cannot look like it is totally fake. If it does, people will think low of it.

Also, the comment about the paving stones going to the wrong place (the statue) is accurate. They should go to the benches.

The benches look too exposed. Low shrubs or perennials that came to the top of the benches and surrounded their back sides would give a sense of protection. It doesn't induce help induce a meditative mood if one knows someone can sneak right up behind them.

And then, of course, planting the space simply and solidly -- forgetting about mulch being a major visual feature -- would make the garden look better. It looks like I'm showing grass at it's foreground, but that's just VERY low, durable planting of some kind. Something blooming in it somewhere would be nice.

what program did you use to do that yardvarrk??

MS Paint.

looks beautiful not sure if it is all possible but the ides is wonderful thank you again. Hopefully I will get many more ideas to incorporate into something really nice. As snowless as it has been here so far (fingers crossed) I am still busy weeding the garden and shaping the "ivy"

Saturn

of course it is possible! The first thing is to convert it to a 2-d measured-to-scale PLAN. Then assess and gather resources.

BTW, I should have mentioned that in order to use MS Paint effectively, one needs a touchscreen computer and a stylus. It's much more limited if confined to finger or mouse.

I've renovated my church's gardens. There are a few and each has different sun exposure. In my full sun gardens I like perennials like daisies, zinnias, creeping juniper for ground cover (but only if it's irrigated).

The mostly shade is the garden near the columbarium and it's a quiet space. 3 types of hostas curving along the back of the border, hydrangeas sprinkled throughout, anchored with a small serviceberry tree and larger Tardiva Hydrangea.

Another garden is a strip of daylilies. they bloom all of July and mixed in are some yuccas.

Low maintenance is vital in a church garden. The worst scenario is when weeds aren't kept under control and that involves a commitment of time.

My garden gets sun from about 10am on I also need deer resistant flowers

Try lilies - different varieties for bloom throughout the year and great scents. A grouping of tall lilies at the center would be very showy and bloom in mid-June. With full sun you could plant perennials for three seasons of color. Sage, salvia, lavender and other herbs are more deer proof.

A rose I particularly like is "Iceberg". The flower is white which would also be showy.

Be careful of the ivy because it will spread and ruin a good garden design.

My plan is to do mass planting of the same kind together of perennials and then do some brick stone right around the statue cutting back the ivy and doing annuals there again I need deer proof plants for both

I checked on the deer proof part before I suggested those plants. Herbs are strong smelling and deer don't like them. Lilies are, so far as I know also not favorites of deer.

Mass planting is better than one or two of many different plants. When you divide up the garden consider the shapes you'll be making with the stones. Think of looking from above the garden to see where to place stones.

I think I'd begin with a focal point. Decide where it should be, what showy plants and deer resistant.

I hope with the (stones) or I may call them brick stone to do those around the outline base of the statue as a planting boarder for my annuals just around the statue the 3 or 4 inch thick "bricks" or stones maybe a double layer to get some height around the statue. The maybe field or flat "walking stones" leading to each of the cement benches. Right now when I can I am trying to get as many weeds out of there as I can. I usually use ortho weed be gone, but I have read pulling them up by hand is best

I'd pull them out using a weeding tool to make sure you get the roots. Round-off works also. Pavers are what you'll want to create a path.

Some what related the statuary in the garden looks like it could be getting a little mold here and there,I have a power washer but the outlet from the church is far away and a multitude of extensions still would not reach. It is cement material is there anything else I could use to clean it either chemical or home remedy to clean it up nice.

You can use anything listed for cleaning outdoor surfaces/patio furniture, etc. I use Simple Green Outdoor Cleaner for anything left outdoors - pots, pavers, patio furniture, etc. - that may develop algae growth or mold. Biodegradable and safe to use around plants (but avoid spraying them directly!)

So that is my plan to have mass plantings of like perennials, annuals around the statue and pavers leading to both benches pictured. With a dark mulch and maybe tall grasses on either side of the garden. Should be an aggressive change for this year

just a thought..offer the red mulch to church members and someone will probably remove it for free..then you can start with a clean slate..

Hydrangeas are showy and do need sun to bloom, but with sun will need a LOT of water. Their stems are hollow and will fall down w/o water.

Red mulch also will lose it's color over time and depending on the depth of the mulch you could simply add a natural mulch on top of it. imo you're adding and already have more varieties of plants than you should for this garden because it's one that should look neat and organized as well as floriferous.

First time I've ever heard about hydrangea stems being hollow - mine sure aren't!! Generally, lack of adequate water will just cause wilting, not stem collapse, and the plants will perk up again rapidly with irrigation. And FWIW, Hydrangea paniculata varieties are the most sun tolerant and the least thirsty and also the most cold hardy so these might be the best choice for you.

Tardiva is a favorite paniculata. Hollow isn't the correct term, but definitely not a woody stem. I don't know if this garden has irrigation. In my church gardens weeds and watering become really big issues - especially if the gardener doesn't live close by.

puremichigan..sorry but I disagree..compared to arborescens and macrophylla paniculatas have woody stems in my opinion..and in my shady garden arborescens will bloom without sun..in fact when I see them here in sun they look scorched and not as pretty compared to mine..would love to offer my paniculatas more light..they bloom but not as well as NHBabs..a pic of one of my quick fires..stems seem woody to me..did the "hydrangeas sprinkled throughout" in your "mostly shade" garden have some bloom?..you made good suggestions..just didn't want the poster to think he wouldn't get blooms if the hydrangeas weren't in the sun..mine are blooming in shade..

Agree that paniculatas have a woody stem. All hydrangeas need sun to bloom - some less. I have two tardivas, one in mostly sun, and in mostly shade. The mostly shade gets much fewer blooms.

I do plan on adding a different color mulch on top of old red mulch maybe brown. I have Hydrangeas and sometimes they do not bloom at all and they are in full sun. What is there now are roses in the back which are hedge type grow up to 3 feet I plan to back boarder with them along with a type of tall grass that maybe grows 5-6 ft. Also mums are in the garden with Marnada plants and Hostas around the perimeter as shown in some of the pics above. Grouping like plants together.

puremichigan..true that if I had more light would get more bloom..but I don't and am thankful for what I get..Frank..please give your red mulch away..if it "peeks thru" the new brown mulch could be unattractive..would bug me..if I lived in your zone I would plant macrophylla hydrangeas..have you checked with your extension office?..mine is very helpful..

What color is your monarda?

mine are reddish purple called fireworks monarda

I could replace the hostas with Hydrangeas around the perimeter if they were not really big not really familiar with macrophylla hydrangeas will have to do some look up

are they deer resistant??

Unfortunately, not at all. And they don't care for a placement in full sun either and one of thirstier types of hydrangea as well.

Hydrangeas need protection from afternoon sun.

I also have about 3 small daisy like plants that bloom profusely

Just looking for the right combinations to go with what I have

Daisies are excellent for sun. I always deadhead mine with scissors = don't like the look of dying blooms. I cut back to next bud - also don't like the look of "sticks".

Groupings of three are very good. You could arrange the plants so that each is at the point of a triangle.

Also I like when I have different varieties that when one stops blooming another is starting from Spring to Fall

That's your goal and it's very doable. You have to be systematic though in terms of cataloguing what you have, then when it blooms.

After you are sure you will have plants blooming throughout the season, you want to place plants so that they harmonize, contrast, set off each other.

You could list your plants here or just type or write them down. Possibly a single page for each season and then put those single pages together from spring to fall, so that you can see each all the pages at once. You'll know from your notes if you need to add plants for a particular month of the growing season.

Various ways to organize your thinking.

When moving like existing plants so they are together to create the mass grouping is it necessary to wait until the last frost has happened before moving them. I am so motivated to get started on this project if I could do it now I would

Wait for the soil to warm up. Depending on where you are in SC and what the temps have been like. But, I'd rather dig plants up and be able to sort the roots out as I do and replant in soil that's not overly moist or cold.

You can do a lot of planning. Cataloge the plants you have and if you need to purchase so that you have continual color. Figure which plants should be neighbors based on their size, shape, texture. This is the time of year for plant catalogue's to come out, you can use their pics for inspiration.

I am in Rhode Island

Okay, when your soil reaches 50 degrees it's fine for planting. You could change some plants out before that - hostas come back from just about anything. I'm going to spend a few minutes with Photoshop and give you some ideas about design.