With enough dappled shade, you can certainly do bigleaf hydrangeas. I'm not sure I'd plant anything else with them as they will take up a lot of space as they establish and fill in. Maybe a hardy fuchsia at the very sunny end.....will keep our resident Anna's hummigbirds happy :-)

Thank you, gardengal48. I'm thinking an evergreen ground cover or something would help keep weeds at bay and keep it from looking bleak in winter? Or ??? I really know just enough to know that I know next to nothing, LOL.

Yardvaark, I know, I know! What I really do want is a plan to work from, but no way can I DIY it -- my head just spins at the thought of all that has to be taken into account and when I look at my yard I have no imagination for what it could be. I understand that having a pro do a plan is several thousand $$, which isn't going to happen right now. I feel this sense of urgency to get SOMEthing in the ground while it's planting season so that the bed doesn't just turn to weeds again. Ugh. Our whole yard is an embarrassment and makes me crazy, but at least other areas have some plants to start from.

"I understand that having a pro do a plan is several thousand $$." Not for a simple planting plan. The price varies a lot depending on the locale, size of lot and who you find, but it could be as little as a couple hundred bucks for just a front yard planting plan. Or, you could get help from the Landscape Design Forum if you were willing to work through the process.

"Getting something in the ground" is not likely to prevent any part of your yard from "turning into weeds." That takes developing and acting on a sensible strategy.

Hydrangeas will be sticks in the winter. Go to a local nursery and ask to see evergreen plants/shrubs for your area.

For year-round interest, look at choisya, sarcoccoa and nandina. All three are hearty and affordable in the PNW.

You can put yucca there, in the circle and add fire pit and benches. I think it will be really stylish.

p.s. love the colour of tiles.

I suggested hydrangeas because the OP said she loves them. And this is a backyard garden so naked sticks in winter is really not much of a big deal.......Seattlites do not spend much time outdoors in winter :-)

JM, take your photos and go visit Swanson's Nursery in the Crown Hll area. Stop at the Info Booth and ask one of the staffers to help you pick out shrubs and groundcovers to fill that area.

And I will second Yard's comments about the cost of a simple landscape planting plan.......it will probably be less than the cost of the plants :-)

Yes, the OP mentioned hydrangeas but also wanted to avoid “sticks” in the winter.

some ideas:

Re: Yaardvark's point: around me, there are many garden centers who will do a design for you for a couple hundred dollars, and then allow you to put that cost toward plants, so if you buy from them it's essentially free. I wouldn't do this at any old garden center, but if there's a respectable one near you, that could be a good way to get a plan and local advice on what plantings will be successful.

^^ That is not a common practice here where the OP lives. Nurseries here sell plants, not design services, and you would need to contract wth an independent designer (of which there are many in ths area) and the cost of the plants is entirely separate. But for a small area as illustrated, experienced nursery staff will help you pick out plants appropriate to the situation.

Wow, thank you to everyone for your thoughts and suggestions! What a welcoming community of garden folks. I have so much to learn! I want to enjoy gardening, but instead it's just stressing me out, so this is such a help.

I guess I don't mind sticks in the winter so much, I just know you're "supposed" to avoid having a barren garden in the winter. ;)

einportlandor, I will look at those plants.

SallyGreen, good suggestions.

Dig Doug's Designs, that's a lovely design! Can I ask what the plants are you've shown?

gardengal48, I was thinking about heading to Swanson's. Taking my pictures with is a great idea. The last time I went to a nursery they were very helpful, though it still took me an hour to settle on two pittosporums. I get super overwhelmed at all the possibilities. Good to know that getting design services as lalala suggested isn't the norm around here.

So it sounds like I'm misinformed about the cost of landscape design. I got scared off by a couple of sources who pegged it at $3-$5K for our small city lot. Clearly I'm talking to the wrong people, LOL. What are the chances I can find someone who isn't up to their eyeballs in work this time of year?

the plants are: bleeding hearts, Endless Summer hydrangea, camellia sasanqua, david viburnum & Jack Frost brunnera

"What are the chances I can find someone who isn't up to their eyeballs in work this time of year?" About the same as finding Santa not busy at Christmas.

I still think you can get some good help from a nursery! It won't be a landscape design service, but here's an example of one that will come to your house for $50/hour, look at your space, and recommend plants and placement. That is different from someone who will do a full schematic drawing or a complete rethinking of your space, but it seems like what you are looking for right now.

https://www.westseattlenursery.com/consulting

^^ And that's exaclty what can be obtained by taking photos of the area of concern - like the photos presented here - to Swanson's. And without the $50/hr charge!

Twenty five years ago I contacted a reputable local landscape designer to come to my home and walk my yard with me. It was the most valuable experience in garden design that I have had. That stroll through my yard with the designer opened my eyes to possibilities that I would never have had the ability to see. I took copious notes of our conversation. And over the last twenty five years, bit by bit, I have implemented most of her suggestions. From strategic tree removal and replacement, to patio construction, to fencing suggestions, and even the placement of garden sculptures. Much of what I accomplished was DIY. Construction projects were achieved when budget allowed. My yard is beautiful in ALL seasons because of that advice. I paid for it. Per hour of her time. The experience was well worth it. Priceless! Go to the pros. They know what they are doing! Good luck and enjoy the process!

You'll all be happy to hear that I hired someone to give me a 2-hr consult on my yard. :) It's basic, but gives me some idea of a direction to go in. I'm not sure how well you can see the fine print but thought I'd attach it anyway. You can see we worked the whole yard but I'm just focusing on that one area for now (at the very bottom of the site).

She suggested low to medium evergreen shrubs for the area I asked about. Specific plants she listed are nandina 'Lemon Lime' or 'Gulf Stream,' Abelia 'Kaleidoscope,' 'Miss Lemon' or 'Confetti,' or cistus x hybridus, or a combination. We will do hydrangeas elsewhere.

Thoughts?

She recommended waiting until fall to plant, boo hoo. We're having a dry spring and it's likely to be dry this summer too.

All the shrubs are good....some much better than others. I'd only plant the cistus where it gets maximum sun - the others will take part shade. And there is absolutely no valid reason to wait until fall to plant.......except that you will need to water routinely through the dry summer months. But you would need to do that as well even if these had been planted last fall - our summers are just too dry to go without regular irrigation for most gardens.

FWIW, new gardens/landscapes are installed here throughout the summer months, just as they are throughout most of the rest of the year. As are new plants purchased and planted by homeowners like yourself. Just water everthing deeply once or twice a week or as needed.....don't let them dry out and they will be fine.

If you're looking for a smaller gold-leaved evergreen shrub, I highly recommend Lonicera 'Twiggy". The common name is box honeysuckle and Twiggy is a dwarf form. It's really nice for anchoring a corner of a bed. This is mine a few years ago--it has filled in that corner now and is 3' wide and 2' tall. It doesn't get any diseases, unlike nandina. I have 'Gulf Stream' and am thinking of replacing it with Twiggy.

gardengal48, you give me hope that I can start work now. I'm just itching to get out there! Which shrubs are the ones that are "much better than the others"?

Toby, I love that Twiggy. Just the kind of quirky plant I like and the color is great. Thanks for the suggestion!

The more I think about it, the less I like just having shrubs in this area. I've been trying to put together a plan that I like better, I just don't know if it actually works. Help?!

Here's what I've come up with so far. I haven't decided whether I want something more practical like a 'Little Lime' hydrangea or a more care-intensive bright pink mophead. If I do 'Little Lime' I'll want something colorful to the left - maybe move the Nandinas to the end and put something in between them and the hydrangea. The plant(s) on the far left are TBD depending on which hydrangeas I decide on. It can't be anything spiky or too delicate since we need to be able to get next to it to cut back ivy on the fence. The Euphorbia on the right stays for now, might replace or reduce down the line.

Thoughts? Should I throw a vine in there for the fence? Scrap this and start over? Go back to just shrubs because they're easier? Forget it all and have a margarita?

I still don't have a strong sense of how much sun this area actually receives.....from your photos it appears to be partial sun at best.

The MIss Lemon abelia and Lemon Lime nandinas will give you year round (and complimentary) color, at least from the foliage. I'd cluster them in groups of three at the far left end of the bed (nandinas behind....abelias in front). I'd place the geum(s) in this area as well. If you like and want the hydrangea, I'd center it (or both if you go with more than one) as you have in your sketched plan with enough space to accommodate the other, lefthand shrubs. Black mondo grass around these and the heuchera off to the right (this will scorch if in too much sun).

afa the hydrangeas are concerned, the partial shade will suit the bigleaf hydrangeas best. Paniculatas like Little Lime will bloom much heavier in more sun in our climate.

Thanks so much for your input, gardengal48, I was hoping you would weigh in. It gets full sun from about 9-2, then dappled/light shade. I like your suggestions and cautions, it really helps.