front yard in early spring '07

This is TRUELY BEAUTIFUL :D

Amazing view. Your plot looks very big. What size is it?

Thanks..!!, this is my view out of my kitchen window, so I decided this would be the perfect place for an evergeen garden bed. Now I have something to look at while grudingly doing the dishes regardless of what season it happens to be.

For Chrispook; we live on a 1 acre lot.

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Brilliant scale and diversity of textures

Just finished looking at your garden pictures, what a beautiful one you have!

Thanks so much , I have been on all of your posts also, and I think each of you have created some beautiful garden spaces to enjoy, also.! My hat's off to you all.

This is such a beautiful view and love your flower bed.......smiles

what a view to have from your sink !! it's wonderful and great planting too.

<--- pouts and wishes he had such a beautiful space to work with. {chuckle}
That is exactly what I am working with. One side of my backyard is "civilized" and the other side is wilderness. The wife hates the "wild side" of the yard but I just love the native plant diversity. {grin}

I think this should secretly become your landscaping goal then N2. To make your wife think the 'wild side' is the 'best side' of the garden ! Sounds like a challenge to me, and there is nothing more appealing to me than a challenge. How about you N2 ? Can't wait to see your progress...;-)

Interesting thought, FL.. The problem with the "wild side area", is that it has a bunch of native Cedar trees that absorb most of the available moisture in the native soil and very few "test plants" have grown in that area..
I may try some native plants and see what happens. The field next to our property on the "wild side" has a beautiful diverse selection of colors, textures and foliage that are growing wild. I'll have to experiment with a little "dry rooting" on them and see what happens. If I can move and transplant what I want successfully, from the field, the "wild side" of the yard could look rather spectacular in a few months.. {big chuckle} ;-) I'll take some photos of the field tomorrow and upload them. It's quite beautiful..

Don't give up on the test plants N2. My garden used to be Hickory nut tree grove. They, like Walnut trees, release a chemical into the soil that alot of other plants can't grow in. Just pick some of the toughest plants you can find that are almost impossible to kill...lol, whether they are native or not, as long as they look like they fit in with the surrounding plants. I for one, don't always go along with the idea that native is always the best choice. It's just not true in all circumstances. I grow many of them myself, and guess what, every native plant I grow has a pest, whether it be an insect in my garden or a virus, that has knocked them flat. Call it nature's way of keeping everything in check. On the plus side, native plants need less attention, (watering, fertilizing, mulching)and are better at surviving our own area's soil and weather habits. So my advise is to just be flexible, and have a blend of plants in your garden, native and non-native.
I'll make sure and check out your posts of the field next to you, I'm sure they are beautiful as you said. Mothernature does have a way of showing us who's the boss...;-) BTW, if you would like a list of plants that can survive dry shade, just me know, that's something I have plenty of in my garden.