I'd start by removing all the rocks along the top. They will be a pain to keep grass free and they don't add to the look. I'd also really consider continuing the bed all the way to the road, perhaps using a flowering groundcover for the lower part. It will make the weekly lawnmowing MUCH easier if you don't have to mow that slope.

Whatever you plant near the house needs to stay very low and should probably be evergreen. A small tree to left of the house, diagonally, would be nice too.

I agree those rocks will develop into a pain in your ass. Not loving the random bad placement and shape, but if you like it that’s all that matters. Hit a local nursery and utilize their plant knowledge. I will caution that deer will absolutely eat everything on your list. The only things I have found that they will not touch are the truly toxi

Toxic plants: bleeding heart, foxglove, monkshood, daffodils….

Well, I like the rocks and if you like them then keep them.

I have 400+ feet of rock borders and love the way they look.

They are a maintenance nightmare to be sure- the rocks will sink, the weeds will grow, and the grass will intrude. Every year or so we roll them away, do a clean scrape with a flat shovel, and replace them. But beyond that I simply hand weed the rocks the same time I hand weed the beds and make a pass with a weed torch on mow days.

Are you smitten by peonies and bearded iris? Each have a short bloom season and a strong spring thunderstorm can spoil the show. Gardeners with limited space might be better served by choosing plants with a longer season of bloom.

May Night salvia does not rebloom for me. It's awesome in May then it's done. I would substitute agastache Blue Fortune.

Asters are deer candy except for aromatic asters like October Skies or Raydon's Favorite.

I think your design cries out for the inclusion of nepeta Walker's Low.

It goes without saying that you must include a crap ton of spring bulbs but deer resistant spring bulbs can be the subject of a fall post.

i would put the rocks at the bottom.. to retain soil ... and mulch

have you ever tried to water a hillside .. whats your plan with that ...

what direction does the hill face.. if south facing.. your water problems might even be greater...

what kind of mulch are you planning on using.. and how are you going to make sure it stays in place.. especially while watering ....

in case you arent getting the drift.. watering may be an issue .. regardless of the plants you choose ...

ken

Thanks for the awesome feedback. The rocks actually have required very little maintenance over the last five+ years they've been there. We just walk along with the weed whacker and trim it back when we do the lawn.

Similar rocks along the bottom is also something we've considered, to help retain the soil and make watering easier.

Any thoughts on the plants themselves? Anyone creative with photoshop and would like to put together some sample layouts on what would look best?

Any thoughts on timing of flowering? Perhaps there's a combination of perennials that would provide at least some color throughout the year?

That is not a steep enough slope for mulching or watering to be an issue.

Not speaking to deer resistance - check this link to Rutgers University listing of deer resistant plantings - but both the asters and the peonies have a rather short window of flowering. Many perennials do. To maximize flowering throughout the season, I would research by specific season of interest - spring to early summer, summer, and late summer into fall - and select accordingly.

I live in an area with heavy deer predation. They go for Asters but not Peonies, Iris, Salvia or any Coreopsis. Apart from the toxic plants listed above Ornamental grasses, Crocosmia, Baptisia, Nepeta, Lavender, Allium sp., Linum perenne, Echinops & Eyngium are ignored. I know because I need to spray Bobbex every 2 wks. on almost everything else. I am sure I will think of others. The appetites of deer vary from location to location but these are pretty safe bets.

Ignored? I don't understand what you mean. Are they also toxic? Do you have common names for these plants?

Virtually every one of the flowers/plants I included in my doc and on that list came from the Rutgers deer resistant plantings page.

Rutgers is based in New Jersey and is the extension service facility for that state. One could safely assume they rate deer resistance according to their local experience. Where I live, deer can - and often do - eat the flowers off anything they can reach. Apparently they are not inclined to read or heed deer resistance listings!!

From the point of deer resistance, the list looks good to me. However, a lot of it is going to bloom for a relatively short time in late spring, with not a lot afterwards.

Ignored as in the deer do not eat them. I list the Latin so that you can more easily search the names. Highlight the name given here then right click and select Search google for Eryngium (as an example). Common names are localized and can cause confusion.

Where I live, deer can - and often do - eat the flowers off anything they can reach.

A very good point. Deer don't truly "damage" my Crocosmia and Viburnums, but if they're left unprotected, they will often very delicately snip each and every flower bud off the plants (usually right as they're about to bloom!)

Rabbits should also be a consideration: they'll often sample (or even severely browse) plants that are rated highly for "deer resistance." In my neighborhood, the deer leave asters well enough alone, but rabbits devour them (except for aromatic aster: S. oblongifolium).

How many hours of sun does the bed get?

The right side gets about 6hr/day, while the left side is full sun nearly all day. The sun rises on the front side of the house and sets in the back.