Fill-in plants. Can anyone make suggestions for some fill-in colour? I ended up with only yellow/orange and I would like a little more variety of colour in my front border, where the soil is rocky, and low, getting run-off from the upper part of the lawn. There are several over-hanging evergreens. There is full sun from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. It is a run of approximately 100 feet. The plants have to be hardy, as I don't lavish time on them and I have to plant and run because of mosquitoes (near roadside ditches). What I have so far requires almost no maintenance. Plants need to be unappetizing to deer and need to be large, so we can see them from the front window - about 100 feet. I am fond of "bunches" of colour. The irises bloom and disappear quickly and really provide only green against a background of green, so they virtually disappear. The orange lilies last, at least to mid-summer, when I get tired of them and cut the flower stalks. The yellow daisies to mid-July. And, the evening primroses are very pretty, but again very yellow and will soon be finished. Then I have nothing until the phlox bloom in the fall. Thanks again in advance..
Right now I am fond of sages for a tough planting area. You can get bargain tricolor sage plants for a pittance and they will not only provide sturdy foliage but deer didn't bother them at my last garden and they stand up to a little neglect/drought. Blue flowers in early summer, too. You can never have too many coneflowers, says the guy from the Midwest.
u seem like u have a reasonable size garden... why not incorporate some conifers into your garden like light green pencil pine... and splash it with some cheerful african daisies like osteosperum that flowers months after months with clipping...and lavenders to give it a cottage feel. Vibrant daisy likeflowers like architoesis would be nice. osteospermum are my favorite.. it makes me want to lie onto the grass and sing ring-around the rosey.
How about a purple foliage plant like Physocarpus opufolius 'Diablo'? Or Sambucus nigra 'Black Beauty'. They would give you a large area of deep purple color all summer, I think they are hardy enough for you, and you get bird attracting berries or seeds as a bonus.
