I like the malope tryffida. Not sure if I can grow those here in New York. What kind of potatoes? I swear I didn't look at the wall. :)

Someone recommended the flowers to me and if I can grow them in rubbishy ( trash to you !) soil, you can, as I haven't a clue.
Sorry, can't help with the potatoes - I didn't have the sense to keep a record of the names - all I remember is that there were 2 different sorts.

That's a transformation Hank, and you well deserve it after all the effort. And the wall looks fine. I've always liked those even if folk do say they are dated. We have a long wall of them - too long to paint - and yours looks much better.

The Malope are over 1 metre tall now except the slow growers at each end ; and the flowers get better every day.
I wonder if there're flowers I could set next year that will come up every year ?

I recommended them, the Malope, they've done quite well Hank.

Bathgate, they're only an annual, so you'd need to grow them every year from seed...

As for permanent planting Hank, the possibilities are endless - but bear in mind, if you just use 'flowers', most permanent ones are herbaceous perennials, meaning they disappear in winter and you've got a bare border for six months. That also looks to be a very narrow space for planting in, and you'd need to do some soil improvement for permanent planting first too...