A bush to pull things together

[Latestarter]

I'm sorry but I think I'm going to "bench" myself here as I have virtually zero artistic talent, no real flair for color combinations (once wore plaid with stripes), and very little knowledge, experience, or desire to do landscaping. Mowing the lawn? That's great! I can handle that! Trimming some branches or dropping a tree? Yup can do that as well. Selecting plants? Nope... no clue. Hope it comes out exactly as you envision and I'm sure with the effort that you're putting into it, it will be splendid!

 

[mystang89]

So following @Bunnylady suggestion I've been looking at White flowering shrubs and trading ideas with my wife, we have started looking at https://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/3069/my-monet-weigela/
We're thinking the Variegated leaves kinda help tie in the hostas and the blooms might go with some of the other blossoms? It only grows to a full size of 18"so it doesn't really have a presence.

The other we're looking at is https://gardeningwithcharlie.com/grow-blazing-star.html
Thoughts and comments?

 

[greybeard]

Unless you get the dwarfs and manage them carefully, each of the Hostas will become a very formidable clump within a couple of growing seasons. (Kinda like the Canna bed I once let get out of hand over 24 months and ended up digging out with a backhoe..have never seen such a root mass from anything in my life..never again)

 

[mystang89]

I completely understand the frustration with canna. I had one grow in my strawberry batch which I thought was cool .... Until it turned to two. Figured I'd remove them to somewhere else, yeah...I didn't know if have to take up so many of my strawberries too.

I'll keep that in mind about the Hostas. I used to have hostas at my old place but rabbits demolished them before they did anything so I never saw the finished product. Will separating the roots as the grow larger help keep them in check like what you do with a rhubarb?

 

[Baymule]

What about Gardenia? They make a nice shrub, the flowers are white and the scent is heavenly. I love the smell of gardenias.

 

[Baymule]

The front of the house which acts as the first thing people see and "speaks" to people about what type of person lives there is mine.

Hmmmm.....what would the front of my house say? It would say that a Doublewide Diva lives there. It would be screaming for some colorful flowers to be planted in front. The screened porch that runs the length of the home would say comfort, relaxation and happiness. The chickens in the brooder on the porch would say get your Doublewide Diva Butt out there and finish our chicken tractor! The white, fine, sugar sand in the so called yard would say you made a wrong turn, the beach is a couple hundred miles south. The sheep barn, the chicken coop and the garden you'd have to drive past to get to the house would say that the Gracious Goddess that lives there don't give a crap about what you or anybody else thinks, grab an outdoor chair in the shade and have a tall glass of sweet tea.

 

[greybeard]

What about Gardenia? They make a nice shrub, the flowers are white and the scent is heavenly. I love the smell of gardenias.

It's you isn't it?
'The girl Marty Robbins sang about.....
The girl with gardenias in her hair...

I'm fixing to dig up a big gardenia that I planted too close to my shop door. Got 2 more the same size I'll keep and you are right, the scent is wonderful, and they are evergreen.
They love the tight clay soil I have here too.
(they are bad about getting a fungus of some kind that turns the leaves black but dawn dish soap will usually take care of that easily)

 

[greybeard]

Ignore the arrow. 2 of my 3 gardenias are just to the right of the shop door. I've cut the one on the left back several times but have decided to just dig it up and move it elsewhere.

 

[Bunnylady]

If there is a plant with a scent that says 'summer' in the South, it's the gardenia , , , too bad they aren't hardy where the OP lives. We have several in the yard. Love the little Gardenia radicans too, though winters like this last one might take it out here.

I like that Weigela; I've wished that I could plant it here. Ah, well, we have to work with what we have, right? Maybe the Liatris will work for you. When I planted it, it bloomed for all of about a week - maybe too hot here?

 

[mystang89]

@Baymule
I like the sound of your house lol. Mine screams that my barn is going to fall on top all my animals if I don't show it some love real soon which is why I need some purty flowers so no one pays attention to it.

Thanks for the suggestions. The gardenia is a BEAUTIFUL flower but like @Bunnylady said it won't grow here. That is mainly for zones 7-8. I'm envious that you all can have that one. @Baymule when you come up here to bring the sand would you mind bringing the temps I need to gardenias too? Lol.

I think both of us finally decided on this particular Weigela. https://www.google.com/search?q=wei...u1b7aAhWCm4MKHcrjCkYQ_AUIEigC&biw=360&bih=560

The verigated leaves (2 colored) match well with what we have when the leaves are the green/light yellow and when the turn to the green/muted red they help bring the Coral Bell and fern together too. Before the flowers open they are bright red tear drop shaped. This would go great with the day lilies who's color is much more pronounced. When they finally open though the are a more gentle white/pink. All in all I think this one will grab everything. It's also about the size I want it to be so it won't be overshadowed by the Fern but not too large for the porch itself.