This is why i never get anything planted lol. I'm too afraid I've made the wrong decision, keep looking for either confirmation of my idea or perhaps a better plant/solution, and so I end up not doing anything. And I end up with lots of stuff living in pots while I decide what to do!

Good luck with moving your trees. I hope you find a spot that makes both them and you happy!

:)

Dee

Got it done! Bought two good-sized tulip trees as replacements. They look so much better than the dogwoods; it's a size/screening issue. I wanted to get a yellowwood, but none of the three (!) nurseries I went to had nice specimens. Oh well. I do love tulip trees, so that's ok.

I pushed myself to get the dogwoods transplanted rather than potting up. I found good spots for them under the canopy of some trees (deep tree roots = easy planting). The regular one didn't seem to miss a beat, not a wilted leaf. She had a nice root system for her second year in the ground.

The variegated one not so much; she didn't have as much root growth as I expected. I do think this variegated one will be much, much happier in her new location -- more dappled shade and a little moister, I don't think she will struggle as much. It looks good from the house. Will have to wait until spring to see if she survives (this is the one that had die-back this year). I still wonder, though, if the variegated ones just aren't as strong of growers as the regular ones; they're definitely finickier in terms of placement.

I left the third bigger kousa, she's a beauty and quite happy where she is, growing well (slowly, but well). She's betwen and behind the new tulips, which nicely frame her. Yes, kousas are beautiful trees. :0)

Glad that all went smoothly planting and transplanting, with the exception of the variegated dogwood. Glad you’re happy with the choices, and hope you enjoy some good shade and screening in the years to come.

Sorry artinnature, this is totally unrelated to your questions - but do you have a water feature?? Ooooh! Ahhhh! I'd love to see it if you want to post about it (maybe another thread). I tried to do a small galvanized tub one a few years back but I didn't have much luck.

Okay sorry, continue with machilus thunbergii....

:)

Dee

I researched Machilus thunbergii in the past, since I was interested in broadleaf evergreen trees that could grow in the Pacific Northwest (climate zone 8 ).

It is actually native to Japan. But in Japan, it is sort of seen as an "inferior" version of camphor tree. However, Machilus thunbergii is more cold tolerant than camphor tree, and can grow in colder parts of Japan; although the majority of the population in Japan (such as in Tokyo) lives in areas where camphor trees can grow.

The foliage of Machilus thunbergii reminds one a little bit of some Chinese evergreen magnolia trees (which are rare in cultivation, but not completely unheard of in the U.S.)

There is also "Japanese cinnamon" tree (Cinnamomum tenuifolium) for anyone who is interested (though it is a smaller tree, and evergreen leaves not as pretty).

I don't know why the Japanese would complain - they have plenty of BLEs and a summer wet climate that supports them. The hardiest Cinnamomums are surely as hardy as any Machilus, but they might not be commonly cultivated in Japan. It's actually a little surprising that Japanese gardeners (vs. forest managers or whatever) like camphor trees, because they get so gigantic! I think of gardens there as being smallish.

Honestly, on showiness alone, the flowering Castanopsis of Japan might be prettier than any Cinnamon or Avocado family member! I ONCE AGAIN failed with the Castanopsis seeds Sheffield was offering...not sure what I'm doing wrong, and feel like an idiot at this point. At least I got some other rarities to germinate, like Pinus gerardiana, and Nomocharis aperta. 3 out of 15 seedlings survived in trays this summer, so hopefully I've selected a 'heat tolerant' clone of that Himalayan beauty! (the lily seed was from Jelitto, not Sheffields)

"we're very lucky to live in a place where anything will grow, whether it likes water or not. For those types that need regular water, just add it and stand back!".

Yeah, now, I'm 'used to' a summer wet (usually) climate, which isn't to say I'm not jealous of what people can grow in the PNW. But the problem with a summer wet climate is you can't turn it off! The reason one saw rhododendrons growing near the bottom of swales at Greer Gardens, (or Sonoma Hort for that matter) where they would never be able to survive around here, isn't JUST the cooler nights in summer...it's that because any summer water is water you're turning on, yourself, there's no way to drown them as can happen around here after a hurricane. As I've said before, around Hurricane Irene in 2011, I got close to 30 inches of rain in 40 days. It did kill a few rhododendrons (including a big gorgeous R. rex I'd driven across the country from RSF) but fortunately, most of mine are planted on a gentle slope and it prevented an absolute carnage. They get just enough drainage help from that. This was really a happy accident, when I bought this lot in 2006, I had no idea I'd get 'smitten' by rhodies by driving to Rarefind in NJ that spring. I never knew you could have an 'english looking' rhodie garden in the eastern US. (FWIW Rarefind was on pine barren sand, and had a very sophisticated irrigation system with a deep well and large pump house, so actually closer in that respect to the PNW, than my garden.)

OH well, sorry to take over the thread, but it's interesting to compare gardening practices PNW vs. East coast. I love the summers I can coast by without having to water a damn thing even once, even newly planted stuff. But we pay the price when the spigot won't shut off! (And of course, have to water in dry summers like 2024 and 2025.)

I love them and have really appreciated them this year especially, when so many of my annuals were kind of duds (along with everything else in the garden lol).

I've never had any reseeding that I noticed, but I may have weeded them out early in the season.

Mine are a bit floppy, but it may be due to my neglect (getting them planted late, leaving them in milk jugs as they stretched for some light lol, etc) but I have them in a bed where I have my red, yellow and orange flowers, and they really add a nice touch to the bed. I even like the spent blooms - kinda cool!

I have tried a few varieties, always by seed. This year it's Neon, and they have indeed been in bloom for most of the season.

:)

Dee

@rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) they self seeded and overwinter. When they self seed, the seeds sprout in the fall as temps cool off and overwinter. They are very hardy and actively grow and occasionally bloom throughout the winter. When they fry out with summer temps, I yank them out and replace them with zinnias.

I always fall in love with photos on the seed packet of Calendula. They are pretty easy to grow if they get enough sun. I just always feel like they are a little messy for some reason. The foliage? I haven't grown them in awhile but that's my memory of my experience with them.

I think you've done a nice job so far!

As MG said, it would be helpful for us to be able to make suggestions if we knew where you were - zone 7 covers a wide area! We don't need your address, lol, just the general area. For instance, I'm in zone 6 CT between New Haven and NYC.

I also agree with moving out the sidewalk, but I also know how reality affects our gardens. I've been wanting to move MY front sidewalk for 30 years now. :) Barring that, I think I would make the bed between the sidewalk and the street deeper/wider, at least if you want to add plants. I'm really not sure you have much room to add anything else as it is now.

My first thought on seeing your photos is that you need height. I think you've already done a good job addressing that with the trellises. When your clematis grows in and fills the trellises I think it will make a big difference. I also think that was a good way to address the height issue considering the bed along the front is so narrow. Two birds with one stone, and all... And for next year, some nice annual trailers in the window boxes would help soften all that brick too. You could intertwine some annual vines for longer-season color on the trellises too.

You don't need a LOT of height in the front beds (and probably wouldn't want it, as it would hide the bed along the house, but perhaps just some variation in the heights of your plants - some one-footers, two-footers, three-footers, etc. And you've got a start on that with the irises, for instance.

Another thought - how about some evergreens? What does this whole area look like in your winters? I believe liriope is evergreen (I'm not sure as I've never grown it and I'm in a different zone...?) There are lots of wonderful smaller evergreens out there if you want to keep things low. There are hollies and boxwoods that stay at about 3 feet high (although I personally would stay away from boxwoods due to blight issues - hollies are a nice substitute), and some thujas/arborvitaes that get about 2-3 feet tall, dwarf yews, etc. Even one or two of these strategically placed would give you some winter interest. And perhaps some evergreen growers on the trellis... eunonymus? Maybe on one trellis?

For full season color, even edging the front of the beds towards the street with annuals would look great. I line most of my (mostly shade) beds with white impatiens and I feel like it gives some cohesiveness and ties things together, and they are easy and reliable for the most part, and make the beds look decent even when nothing else is really going on. A house in the neighborhood does a similar thing with a split rail fence they have along the street. Daffodils in spring the entire length of the fence, and then annuals - this year it's red impatiens I believe (I drive by so I can't stop to look lol) (the New Guinea ones which usually get bigger) and even this small touch makes it look really pretty as you drive by.

The mention of daffodils reminds me that you can use bulbs to start your early spring season... and also for later season interest, like alliums, as sherrygirl mentioned, or fall-blooming crocus.

Lastly, some garden art maybe? Even just a birdbath might look nice and add some interest.

Good luck and keep us posted. We all love to see before and after photos!

:)

Dee

edited to add - a nice obelisk or one of those pyramidal obelisks with an annual vine would add some nice, eye-catching interest and height without being big and heavy and blocking anything visually, and it wouldn't be permanent if you wanted to move it around or changed your mind. They could be nice elegant metal ones, or I'm thinking of someone here on the forums who has a very lovely garden, and she has three wooden ones which are painted in shades of purple and pink, which look gorgeous in her garden and tie into her color scheme. They really add to the feel and look of a garden and give it color even in winter. Gosh I wish I could remember who it was so you could find her posts.... but anyway, just another thought!

Such a beautiful garden! I am in zone 8 and have a tall trellis inbetween our garage windows. Star jasmine does a good job filling up the trellis, but i added some morning glory seeds last year. wow! Year round theres greenery and spring through late fall we have flowers. This year they came back, i guess self seeding. For another winter blooming plant we have an Edgeworthia plant. It smells amazing and blooms in February or March. Have fun planting!

There will be some height when those trellises fill up. I would add some other plants with height as Dee suggested. Makes for a more interesting garden.

I would also connect and expand the two beds in front of the walk.

Maybe consider Hellebores, Heuchera, and Heucherella in the beds in front of your walk. They are evergreen which is nice. Asters, Anemones, Sedums, and others bloom in late summer to fall. Some Hellebores bloom in Fall and through the winter, too (hence their nicknames of Winter Rose and Christmas Rose). Always a welcome sight.

A small shrub or three in the front beds (dwarf shrubs maybe?) would be nice too and complement the perennials. You are off to a good start. Looking forward to seeing what you decide to do. :-)

rouge you must have disturbed some dormant seed when you made the bed. I'm not sure I would call that little guy "out of place". That red really pops and looks great with the purple and yellow!

gardenho, how very lovely! Almost a literal primrose path - I guess it's a portulaca path lol! They literally invite you to keep walking down the pathway!

:)

Dee

Thanks Dee! It was such a pleasant surprise. Makes me want to get more for my other pathways. Just not sure if they would do well though as they aren’t as sunny…

"I fully get that some people don't like pink flowers ..."

I don't! LOL

Okay, just kidding, everyone has their likes and dislikes and that's fine. I just love pink so much!

UpperBay my neighbor had a large grass that, looking at your picture, I assume was some kind of pampas grass. It was next to his garage and for years I loved looking out the window at it, from my desk, especially in winter and especially at sunset, when it cast long shadows on the garage. The new neighbors don't take the same care of the yard and I don't know if they removed it or it just got overgrown with something but I don't see it anymore. I'm kind of afraid of grasses lol and hesitate to plant one of my own!

jim1961 I've seen pictures of your front garden before but never your house. What a charming house!

:)

Dee

Mums just blow my mind. how can there be so many flowers!!

These come back each year. love’em

Only thing I have in bloom is my Hopi Crape Myrtle and my Little Gem Southern Magnolia.