Wow, that's lovely! I'm not sure I would change anything, but since you asked.... hmm, maybe some hakone grass? I love the look of it and just added some to my daughter's shade bed between some hostas that edge it. But her hostas are more green and chartreuse, and yours are white... maybe some carex, like Ice Dance?

Or maybe some small evergreens? For winter interest? I am adding a (very spread-out) row of thuja Tater Tot to one of my beds that I see out the window all winter. I am adding other, larger shrubs in the bed itself, but the Tater Tots are going along the edge more. It's a bit more formal than I usually go but I wanted something to look at in winter! There are lots of small evergreens it seems - thujas, hollies, boxwoods, etc.

:)

Dee

I think it will look better the way it is.

I’d leave the hostas as is is for now to focus on covering the fence with vines. Chainlink fences are better in black, but there is nothing you an do about that now. But covering them with vines would work too. On our chainlink fences here, depending on how much light the area gets, we grow things such as clematis, honeysuckle vines, climbing hydrangea vine, Schizophragma hydrangoides (sp?), 2 kinds of kiwi vines… You are good with clematises… The fence is a good gardening opportunity now that the beds are fuller…!

Thanks for that @callirhoe123 and Dee. I bring it up as I do like considering houzz members ideas re plant selections for a garden I know so well :).

Thanks 'woody' for the suggestions. In fact I like the chain link fence! There is much we see through the fence that is eye pleasing given that there is parkland just beyond.

True that one advantage of chainlink is that it makes your property feel larger because it incorporates the ’borrowed view’ of neighbouring greenspace! A neighbour behind us put up a 6’ wooden fence last Fall - and it immediately made our property (and the one to our north, as the wood fence runs along half of both our properties…) feel smaller and darker! I find our vines on the fence keep the open feel of the fence but adds interest through the greens and flower colors of the plants. Try a clematis or two to start and see how you feel about it then. The fence is a great vine trellis.

I think some solid hostas would look quite beautiful there. I’d also like hardy geranium and brunnera there.

Lithodora would be pretty too

You could preview what painting the chainlink fence black would look like by painting it black in the photos.

try to find something as carefree as the hosta.. no need to be planting foo foo plants that will need to be coddled as you start to want a more carefree garden.. right woody??

Try a clematis or two to start and see how you feel about it then.

Actually 'woody' we do have a couple of clems planted against the fence and they have come back every year for probably 10 but there are few blooms as that entire fence experiences significant shade (mostly due to the adjacent established trees on the park side.)

no need to be planting foo foo plants

I don't think I can name a foo foo perennial that is a member of our garden.

Foo foo is highly subjective! Where deer, rabbits and slugs reign, hostas are quite foo foo.

AARGH! I just lost a post saying it is important to match the planting to the light and showing pictures of what works for us where re vines on the chainlink fence in the north alley.... What clematis do you grow?

ken- I don't consider our plants to be very foo-foo. There are jus a LOT of them plus the mulched paths and that translates into a fair bit of basic work in Spring and Fall... I don't want to give up much more in the garden so am always looking for ways to simplify maintenance.

Foo foo is highly subjective!

@kitasei, knowing 'ken' from his posts I am pretty sure he is referring to only the zonal hardiness of the plant.

WOW, the front on view is really very attractive!

I'd only suggest maybe the addition of molinia caerulea 'Variegata', a classy little grass I'd never be without!

rouge I can't stop coming back to look at this photo! I know it's a lot to ask but can you go through and tell us what's in here? And the dimensions? I'm trying to redo a couple of separate beds along my property line into one cohesive, shrub-dominated border and this garden is something like I had in mind. That and I'm just curious! Especially about that hot pink hydrangea. And it looks like you have a lot of pots in there? I like the way you incorporated them.

:)

Dee

rouge21 - all the great plant suggestions aside I just want to say what a drop dead gorgeous garden bed you created! I was intrigued by the Thuga ’tater tot’ suggestion so looked it up. Too large - grows to 3-4’ wide. I did think a dwarf evergreen added every 4th hosta or so might be interesting. I also like the idea of a japanese forest grass. I have some on north side of my house along a path & like them. They do spread but easy to pull out some if get too pushy with space they take up unlike an evergreen would be. And, they’re perennial like the hosta. The grass would add an interesting texture and a bright yellow color to border. See mine in pic for example. There are many varieties too. Mine is drooping from hard rain we had & also getting ready to die back. It does stand up more in early season.

i swear i just read a post from woody saying that they had to hire out fall maintenance for the first time... and that was the root of my original thoughts/post ...

if i didnt read it from woody... .. i apologize ...

my point was.. dont take a care free planting .... and replace it with its high maintenance girlfriend.. and then come complaining a year or two from now.. how much work they are..

this is a new variable we will all be needing to address in the near future....

ken

" this is a new variable we will all be needing to address" -ar we all getting new girlfriends? lol

It really does look great, so hypothetically I'm voting for the addition to a sedge or grass of about the same height, and I like the idea of the forest grass since it's also deciduous and will color up alongside the hosta, but an evergreen sedge next to the yellowing leaves would also look nice. Glad it's not my choice to make! I also like the idea of keeping the majority of the border intact. It's a small bed filled with variety and in a smaller garden I think the clean border keeps it all together.

I really like the border as is but "if" you were looking to change it up a bit something like Hosta 'Curly Fries' interspersed would add a different leaf shape & colour.

p.s. FrozeBudd I so agree that Molinia caerulea 'Variegata' is one great O. grass. I would never want to be without it either.

KW, you're right those Tater Tots do get a bit wider. I was only thinking in terms of height. Perhaps an ilex Gembox would work better here for evergreen interest. It's a bit smaller. And boxwood, if you want to deal with potential blight issues (so far so good in my garden!)

rouge how about a dwarf azalea? Although I think these tend to be wider than taller as well, and I have issues with their evergreen-ness in my garden. Still, I am trying some Perfecto Mundo azaleas in my garden this year.

One thing that caught my eye a few months back when I was researching was a Little Gem Norway spruce.

Euonymous, like White Album (or is it White Gem....???) might be interesting, although I find them to be rather sprawly and might get too wide.

Or, you could just go with a solid green hosta! While I love hostas, I'm not a huge fan of plain green ones, but they can be used to great effect when interplanted with variegated ones.

And honestly, overall, I would lean toward anything solid green, whether you go with an evergreen or deciduous. While a complementary plant (for instance carex Ice Dance) might look good next to your green and white hostas, I wonder if in such a long border it would be too much. All the same plants - like the same hostas you have now - works because of its uniformity. I'm not sure the same colors with different plants would work. Might be too busy. Not saying it is, just saying I wonder if it might be....

:)

Dee

Thinking about @diggerdee zone 6 CT comments is making me retract my suggestion of varigated japanese type grasses interspersed in your hosta border. The effect would be too busy! The texture / shape would be good but maybe not the yellow & bright green grass with the dark green & white hosta leaf. Little Gem Norway Spruce - love them & I have 2 in a front yard border. They’re both doing very well & maintaining the globe shape. I like the brightness of their green & the dots of yellow in new growth.

Rouge, you probably have mentioned, though how much sun does this area receive? If plenty, then I'd also suggest miscanthus 'Little Miss', it colors up early and is rather striking red by late September. 'Fire Dragon' is on my must acquire list.

Peren.all, I'm sure you have a very wide assortment of grasses, how about at some point posting a thread of some of your favorites, I'm newer to grasses, but newer favorites are andropogon 'Blackhawks', panicum 'Prairie Flame' (much better than 'Prairie Fire') and just acquired 'Prairie Dog', was looking forward to 'Hot Rod', though the small plug hadn't made it.

Especially about that hot pink hydrangea.

Hey Dee, I have had this 'mac' hydrangea ("Summer Crush") in a permanent container for 2 full seasons and it has done so well. (I overwinter it in the garage.)

And it looks like you have a lot of pots in there? I like the way you incorporated them

Thanks Dee, I love using pots interspersed right in and amongst the in ground perennials.

For a completely different shape MUKDENIA rossii 'Karasuba' would work as well. I am a fan of this spring flowering / great colourful foliage plant.

Another possible option is Aruncus aethusifolius, such a lovely thing..

Will do FrozeBudd! I am so fond of O. grasses.

Hello All, I have very much enjoyed reading your many posts with so many interesting suggestions. Thank you very much for taking the time to respond.

Take your time peren.all, whenever down the road time and desire permits. As for mukdenia, yes, a plant a friend uses to great advantage within her semi shaded beds. I really should do some trades to acquire some of the sections she grows :)

rouge, that's not quite the answer we've all been waiting to hear lol! We want to know what, if anything, you decided to plant!! Inquiring minds want to know!

:)

Dee

Now now Dee. You can't rush me into such an important decision ;). As I wrote earlier, I do like the border but I was just contemplating other possibilities. But I do believe I will keep it as is for 2024. (But each plant suggestion I have taken to heart, reading about those I was unfamiliar with...lots of fun.)

BUT @diggerdee zone 6 CT if you want some 'scoop' ;) I have made the decision to remove and replace some or all of these "Little Goldstar" rudbeckia.

Again, I like its habit and floriferousness but the colour was too jarring as a mass planting.

Its hard to see in these pictures but the dirty pink flowered plants are hydrangeas (Early Evolution). They were small in 2023 but when they reach maturity they will be 2 feet by 2 feet and will be the anchor plant for this bed. And so right now my plan for 2024 is to not have any of the many lantana you see at the front edge of the bed, below the LGoldstar (and not replace them with anything).

And if I do remove *all* of the LG (and the lantanas above them) I would like to instead plant an arc of the salvia "Unplugged So Blue". I have been so impressed with this plant and want and excuse to include lots of them in the garden next year. (2 feet tall by 16" wide and floriferous 'forever'.)

https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/salvia/unplugged-so-blue-mealycup-sage-salvia-farinacea

(Some discussion here about it https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6387984/comparision-of-big-blue-and-mystic-spires-salvia#28748995)

So overall there would only be the arc of hydrangeas and an arc of the salvia.

Wow, I've seen that bed before but only with ageratum??? Is that right or am I delusional lol? It's really something - what a profusion of color!

I LOVE annual salvias but they don't love me back so much lol. The Unplugged So Blue is lovely. And it will look nice with those hydrangeas I think - I remember your thread on the Early Evolutions. They are beautiful.

Are you going to move the LG to another bed and keep it somewhere in your garden? I love them with that peachy lantana - nice combo!

:)

Dee

P.S. Did you make those walkways yourself? I think I've been meaning to ask you that for years lol. Or maybe I did already and forgot the answer haha. Wouldn't be surprised if I did....

I've seen that bed before but only with ageratum???

Yup. I had ageratums on either side of the LGs for several years.

I remember your thread on the Early Evolutions.

Yup I am the one 'pushing' this hydrangea. I wont be happy until all of you have at least one ;).

Are you going to move the LG to another bed and keep it somewhere in your garden?

For the ones I dont find room for I will give away.

Hey Dee, the multiple walkway interlock was here when we moved in...over 20 years ago. Id love to replace them and each year I say I will do it and then I procrastinate, mostly due to cost.

Tell me about it rouge! I have a standard, cement sidewalk from my front door to the driveway. For 30 years I've been wanting to rip it out, expand it, change the course of the path, and use something nicer looking. But there's always something that takes priority over a sidewalk lol, especially a perfectly functioning one. I like your little pathway though. I think it's qiute nice!

I have Early Evolution on my list. It's kind of far down the list though because I've been concentrating on evergreens and winter interest. But it is there!

:)

Dee

These days, and I don’t want to come across as some kind of preacher, whenever I want to replace something from the garden, I investigate native alternatives. It’s not only about doing something better for our ecosystem etc, but I actually feel it’s opened up a whole new catalog of options for me, and challenges. So instead of going to the latest Proven Winners hyped item, I get to try something maybe less flashy, but potentially much more substantial. Just a thought!

I have Early Evolution on my list.

'Dee', I am going check in on you next year...say July 15 2024 to make sure ;).

I investigate native alternatives.

With our climate having changed (significantly?) in the past ...50 years, a "native" that might have thrived previously might not be so much at home anymore. Just something I think about sometimes.

So instead of going to the latest Proven Winners hyped item

A bit of ouch. I only mentioned the PW annual "Unplugged so Blue" not so much because of any hype but rather because I had such a positive experience with it this past summer. It has proven itself to me. (I don't think I mentioned any possible PW perennials for this bed.)