Currently you have a collector's garden with one of each type of plant. I prefer planting in groups - three daisies, five salvia, five coneflowers, etc. Your daisies and black-eyed susans should spread to form large clumps on their own.

I see what you're saying about the groupings, I KNOW this.... but try to explain this logic to me with my plant filled cart at the nursery.

I'm not opposed to expanding the island a bit but to include it in the other bed would require way more maintenance, sod removal, mulching, weed suppression, etc. than I am willing to tackle right now. I already have so many beds I'm working on.

So, what would you remove here and what would you keep?

What is throwing me off is the not quite a circle. Cut the sod to make it into a circle, then plant some low annuals throughout and enjoy it for the season. I think once it grows, you’ll be able to get some aha moments on what you like or don’t.

Some of your plants are already big enough to divide and others will be by autumn. No need to spend more money if you don't want to. I rarely buy plants but when I do I try to pick ones which can be divided immediately, so I get two for one. Is Ph Phlox? They could be made into 4 or 6 plants right now.

Agree on making the circle circular, although personally I'm not a fan of small island beds. However, if you plant some things in the island and repeat them on the other side of the grass in the large bed, you could get the effect of a meandering path through a larger planting, rather than an isolated, unanchored bed floating in the lawn.

Ok, here we go:). Take out the bluegrass and either put it somewhere else( not this bed) or chuck it. Get a third salvia and put it where the grass was but closer to the peop y. Get a third CO and put it between the other two in place of the B. B then goes between X and O. You can probably divide the ph, which I assume is creeping phlox, to put around in front of each of the slower appearing sages and Joe pyes. Add some mulch and it’ll look a lot more polished. In the fall you can add in spring bulbs to take up the spring perennial slack.

I also have a hard time visually designing beds. I agree that groupings of 3 or 5 are pleasing to the eye. A design rule is odd numbers up to 8 and then evens are good. So I agree with peren and ceily when considering groupings. Also,, I wonder if you are aware of the size some of your plants will get. For instance, Russian Sage gets quite large and open with maturity. Peonies also. Also, as Rachel Lee said, mulching will improve the

looks of the bed. Give the plants that you decide to have time to develop. An attractive bed this size takes time. Good luck!

debra

This design includes most all of your plants, I rearranged them for more impact:

If you do not want to mess with changing the size or shape of the bed (totally understandable!) put the bird bath towards the wider edge of the bed, instead of what looks like the center. So to the left of that salvia instead of to the right of it based on the picture. Then Id put the taller plants more where the bird bath was, and taper down to the edges.

I also would add some smaller plants for height variation. My perennials are at about the same growth stage right now and early flowering hardy geranium and dianthus pinks are providing interest in the garden. Also bulbs like allium can go a long way to spring color. These lower growers would fill in the edged of the bed.

Wow, Dig Doug! 👍👍👍