Hello Jen,

I prefer a random look but in this case I had them at the very border. I already had a small tree (a redbud growing in the centre). Ideally I would have the ball shaped boxwoods in different sizes scattered throughout the bed. As if one just threw several balls in and planted them where they landed. It makes the bed look dynamic. It doesn't necessarily need to be ball shaped too. I like pillar types and would have loved using a sky pencil boxwood which sadly will not survive here. I could have used holly instead but it's leaves are too prickly. Or maybe Hick's yew but that would take too long to grow and it won't be as tall. Or it maybe something like a shaped beech tree because the leaves stay on all through winter and shed only in spring. (I love to experiment). I particularly like the hard pruned shaped shrub against aerial plants like knautia macedonia or midnight blue salvia or veronicas or perhaps just totally all lavenders (check out Richters for varieties available)

I think you'd find many good ideas on Chelsea garden exhibits. They do a lot of these sort of contrasts. Just in this website alone look through the photos of modern gardens and I'm sure you'll find good ideas.

So yes you could go whatever direction you'd like to try out.

Thanks for the pointer to Northland Nurseries - I love discovering bargain places. For cheap shrub selections check out this location near Hamilton too..(I got my $10 yews from this place). SaveonPlants - look them up online for bargains.

Another area to check out is St. Jacob's market. Incidentally if you get lucky, several merchants will be selling their garden ornaments at really good prices. I got several hypertufa leaves from the Mennonite ladies there. Can't wait to check them out this season.

regarding drought. There's an added bonus to planting this form of gardening. It can last longer between watering. I could get away with weekly (deep) watering. This is because density prevents water loss and because these are perennials, their roots ran very deep where conditions remain moist. This bed - as soon as winter is over, I covered in a thin layer of composted manure. This acts both as mulch and fertilizers. I don't use artificial fertilizers. Plants that don't thrive are not going to be replanted. For this reason, I no longer planted lupins. I had beautiful ones but these were destroyed by aphids in huge numbers.

Thanks for the encouragement and ideas ianna! I think I will go for the random look in placing the boxwoods and mixing shapes too. I will definitely check out St. Jacobs (grew up in KW) and SaveOnPlants as well.

One last thing I will mention is winter sowing, which is how I plan on getting most of the perenials from seed. There is a lot of info on the web and there is a facebook group if either of you are interested.

Happy gardening!!

Thanks, I've considered winter sowing but hadn't had the chance last year. I too grow a lot of my plants from seeds and right now have several echinacea POW WOW growing, foxgloves, delphiniums, salvias, elephant amaranthus, etc.. growing. I'm concentrating more on my vegetable garden year and have several heritage tomatoes growing now. I also like to create plants via cuttings too and have propagated several including lavenders and boxwood, over the years.

I really don't wish to be too visible so I avoid facebook groups. Its all about garden design for me. Frankly, because its a perennial bed, it frees me up to do other things.. and plus I'm a sports mom so I'm always out of the house. I like nature too so will indulge in camping or other adventurous activities.

There are many different combinations of flowers that can work for your landscape this spring: you can go with pansies, yellow trilliums, hellebores, snowdrop anemone, or harmony irises for your garden.

Hi all - just an update. Last weekend I bought a bunch of perennials from a couple of ladies who split their plants from the large gardens. I got a couple of lilac bushes - they're really small and I'm wondering how close together they can/should be planted?

For now I planted them side by side:

But now I'm wondering if that's a good idea because when the mature it might be a problem so I'm now I'm thinking maybe either side of the front steps? Just to note, there is a rose bush by the bay window (see pic below) so not sure that's a good idea either.

For greater context, here' a broader view:

I think the size and shape of the lilia bushes would depend on the variety. I have 2 liliac bushes/trees in the back that are more than 8' tall which i would not put close to an entrance or foundation. They are the most commonly seen variety. I'm not sure how fast lilacs grow but you could keep them there for now until they get bigger and then move them. If you are looking for suggestions of what else to plant beside the rose bush, I would go with a little lime or quickfire hydrangea.

I think 2 lilacs in one bed is too much. Lilacs grow tall and wide. They will require hardpruning every few years to keep its shape and so read up on that. By hardpruning, I mean cut down selected trunks to the base but leaving enough so there will be blooms.

As for the rose area. I'm the type that will prefer to have the rose closer to the steps but its fine were it is right now. You can surround it with white blooms as Jen suggested. I'm quite flexible in my approach to gardening. If the item is available and on sale, I'd grab things. If its not, then I substitute.

Think of the window treatment as a square painting divided into 4 quadrants. The focus will be the item set to the lower side of that window closest to the steps. The tallest plants set on the opposite side of the window.

I also will suggest tall plants (say by the parkway) like delphiniums, or russian sage. Though russian sage reseeds too easily. I'd like to see a couple of rounded boxwood set not in a straight row. or you can surround the area with something green. For example lady's mantles. Fill spaces in between with white campanula.

Or maybe dark coloured coral bells

The reason for mixing things up like this. Its informal. The foliage mix is interesting. By putting the focal point to one side of the bed, you create a dynamic scene.

Formal gardens are all about symmetry with the focal point in the middle, so if that's where you are going with your bay window, let me know and I can too make other suggestions.

For the garden bed. Do you have any ideas on what to do? Check out on this website, English gardens to draw inspiration

Flowering pairing ideas.

this photo shows salvia (sage) blue midnight, combined with lady's mantle, nepeta and of course the rose bushes.

this one shows rounded boxwood (it doesn't need to be this size) paired with hydrangeas and the japanese forest grass, hakonechloa macra 'aureola'. One of many filler plants you can use.

Crushpurple, how is the garden remodel going? I would love to see a picture.

Thanks for asking Jen - to be honest it doesn't look great, most of the plants are new and haven't been established but hopefully next year it will look better. I also hadn't been sufficiently watering the flowerbed so I inadvertently have been killing some of them...most survived but several did not lol. It still looks better than before though. I will post some pictures when I get home tonight. How's yours coming along?

I'm in the same boat. Everything I planted is still small, especially since I grew them from seed, and it doesn't look great. The neighbourhood rabbits are also giving me some trouble. But it has been fun so no complaints. I'll post a picture when I get home.

Looks good but the bed is still looking pretty bare. That's quite a big bed to fill in. Should look into cloning and propagation of your existing plants in an attempt to fill it in more.

AWESOME JOB. I'm quite impressed. well done.

I'm sure things will get bigger, and spread out a bit. I'd rather let things grow into each other naturally than worry about making it look perfect from the start and then spend the rest of your life cutting things back.

what is that row of plants you placed on the side by your neighbors? Delphiniums? sedums?

Don't worry about the bare spaces yet (although look out for weeds). In time you'll fill them up with other lovely plants. I prefer the wait and see method before adding more colour, shapes, heights to a bed. And the best way is to watch and wait.

Thanks you! Yes that's sedum, which I have an abundance of so I thought I would split them up and make a bit of a border. I made a border on the other side of the driveway but with hostas to separate my property from my neighbour's who has tons of weeds (on the left it's a mix hydrangeas and mums):

I agree about waiting - I'm trying to control myself and not plant any more flowers because it will fill up so I think I should let things be for this summer and then see how it turns out next year. And yes weeding, I spend a couple hours every week to weed! Haha

Ianna, what a beautiful garden! I love it

LOL. My problem as well - wait til the end of the season before buying because there are bound to be bargains.

A thought. Perhaps add some boxwoods to perform a mini hedge to separate your side from your neighbors. Then use the hostas in a more random manner sprinkled over this bed. In between add some heucheras and corral bells. If possible add a sunk in edging so the neighbor's weeds don't get into your side (never use a weed cloth. - pointless, doesn't work).

thank you Sarah. I since moved when I downsized but guess what? The local horticultural society discovered my new front yard and is once again nominating my yard for a recognition award. If it happens it would be the 4th time I received it and in over 3 properties thus far.. LOL. I don't know who nominates me but I never really look for that award. If neighbours like what I've done, then that's my reward.

Yep I removed all the weed cloth/landscape fabric - the weeds were growing right throw them. Do you think boxwood would look good there? Here's another angle:

I know mums and hydrangeas can get quite large so I thought I thought I'd keep this side a bit more "manicured" than the other side....but I also don't know what to do with this side.

That's awesome ianna, thought I'm not surprised because your garden is absolutely gorgeous!! Keep us updated!

Just wondering if someone would be able to help me identify these 3 flowers please:

Plant 1

Plant 2

Plant 3

re boxwood, I think so. but rounded boxwood or a low clipped hedge.

plant 1 - looks like a form of hens and chick (succulent type) but it could also be an echeveria which are not normally hardy here. I think hens and chicks. See if it gives out chicks later in the year and the 'mother' dies off. replant the chicks for more plants.

Plant 2 - phlox I think. Tall pink or white flowered plants. will bloom late in summer. Another possibility is its a penstemon. but again its a wait and see approach

Plant 3 - looks like astilbe - usually a shade plant. Depending on species, they can send off sphires anywhere from a foot tall to a 3 feet tall one.

I like your neighborhood by the way. Feels very small town and I wish I can live in such areas..

I really hope #3 is astilbe because I've been looking for some to plant. Wondering if I should move that to a more shaded area because it gets full morning sun? I believe they should already be in bloom, no?

#2 I was thinking phlox as well but my other phlox (that I know for sure is a phlox) looks a bit different so I thought maybe this was something else.

#1 someone else suggest possibly a lily but when I google chicks and hens looks like that might be it. Thanks again!

The astilbe shld have produced buds a while ago. It will next year. Yes you can move them now if you wish. The weather is still mild. But water them well at least an hour before transplanting.

That looks great! I can see the time you have put in to weed.

Thanks ianna. It's so disappointing that so many flowers that should have come and gone by now, have not such as lilies (stella d'oro, asiatic), irises, tulips, daffodils, poppies - I'm sure there are plenty of others too :(

#1 Lilium sp.

#2 Phlox paniculata

#3 Anemone

Thanks peren.all - just to clarify is sp. short for speciosum?

Sorry, sp. is short for species. If you post a pic of your Lilium when it blooms you will be able to get an ID.

Here are the promised pictures of the bed we put in this year. I haven't finished planting at the very front yet. I have edelweiss, lambs ear and creeping thyme that are still too small. The raised bed at the very back has a row of oakleaf hydrangeas with some boxwoods. I'm planning on putting in some nepeta to spill over the stone in the future. Thanks for looking!

Jen.. Your garden bed has loads of potential. I'm going to suggest getting a good edging tool to help cut a very clean line to separate your lawn from the bed. Lots of things you can do to this yard. I note you plan to use nepeta - just be aware of its invasive qualities. Its a spreader. So if you do use it, you'll have to keep it in check.

Thanks ianna! I'm planning on edging the bed with brick or stone next yr to make it easier to mow along the edge and prevent grass growing into the bed. Thanks for the note on the nepeta. I will keep an eye on it once I put it in so it doesn't take over.

actually brick won't prevent grass from invading the bed. In fact it creates more issue. Unseen in most photos of manicured lawns is an edger that is sunk in about 5 inches preventing the grass roots from reaching over. These are then topped by the bricks or stone on top. Other than that, you can create a v-shaped canal to create a large gap between grass and bed.

Ianna, thanks for the tips. I think I'll redo the edge this weekend with the v canal and see if I like it.

Hi all! I am reviving this Thread to ask a couple of questions. I'm thinking about planting flower seeds both perennials and annuals to fill in the bare spots. The only thing is that I don't remember where things are planted. Is this a good idea? Should I remove the mulch before putting the seeds down? Also is keeping the mulch prohibiting flowers from growing and expanding? Just trying to figure out if I should remove the mulch or continue to u add more? Thanks!

You'll need to remove the mulch in order to direct sow seeds (annual or perennial) or the mulch will prevent germination or growth and you'll need to keep the mulch off until stuff is big enough. I had to do this last year...such a pain and things were looking patchy for a while. You can also sow one type of seed in an area so you'll know what they are but keep in mind rain will wash things to other places and then transplant elsewhere...which is pretty easy to do and the little plants bounce back really quick. I would not mix annuals and perennials just because perennials are really slow to grow and really won't look like much for year 1. Annuals grow like crazy and you can sow them in a tray (even now) and transplant out in a few weeks so you don't have to remove the mulch and they will get big by late june and flower for the rest of the summer. I like salvia victoria blue, cosmos, alyssum, california poppies, and bachelor buttons. Post a pic when you can, would love to see the result.

Thanks Jen...looking forward to seeing pictures your flowerbed later this summer. It seems like we've both been working hard on our gardens!

I will make sure to post one. Happy digging to you!

Hello! I thought I would post a pic of my front yard bed at the beginning of this season after expanding it over the weekend. I've got a few more things to go in there still including another dogwood and a clematis to grow up the trellis. I've got self sown annual seedlings that are growing. There are 3 hydrangeas I picked up at the end of last season in there.

Crushedpurple, have you been gardening and adding new plants? Would love to see pictures of your narrow bed with the hydrangeas and your main front bed.

Looks great!!!! I will post pics tomorrow!

That looks great! It'll be exciting to see things fill in over the summer. If you don't mind a suggestion, a few clusters of daffodils and alliums would look great in the front bed. Or other bulbs that you like. I'm not a big fan of tulips but I love how alliums stick out with their purple globes. Post a pic in June and I'll do the same.

Thanks Jen! I actually have both planted (not in the front bed though) but unfortunately none of the daffodils have bloomed. I think it's still too early for alliums. Only half the tulips bloomed. Same thing happened last year, none of the irises bloomed either but the green foliage for all of them is there. I'm thinking about transplanting some of them to the front bed in fall.

Perhaps your backyard is too shady for dafs, tulips and alliums? I think generally they need a lot of sun to bloom well. My backyard was too shady and I had to dig them up after they didn't bloom in the 2nd year (year 1 was fine but they didn't store enough energy after blooming for year 2). Also, I deadhead right away so they don't seed. Would love to see a pic of your backyard too. Have a great long weekend.

I'm really happy with how my front garden is turning out. I'm thinking about getting rid of the lawn completely and but not sure yet