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I have this spot at my home and I dont know what to plant in it in the future. I used to have roses but I didnt like how it looked. This year I planted four types of flowers but I still dont like how it looks. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I'm looking for flowers that grow 2-3 feet and are perennials. This place is exposed to sun all day and we get hot summers, up to 100 degrees, and cold winters, down to -5 degrees. I'm looking for some type of flowering shrub ideal to the conditions I described.

This is how the place looks

Thank you in advance

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Claire
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    I think “what should I plant” is waaaaay too broad - and opinion-based, especially if you write “I didn’t/don’t like how it looks”. We could probably answer a question about design principles (Hint: You probably dislike the current version because the plants are too mixed and too regular/repetitive. Larger clusters and more “texture”, also height-wise, would be a start.), but asking for a list of plants is not a good fit for all SE sites. – Stephie Jul 01 '18 at 14:08
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    All the planting you currently have is temporary, summer bedding. It has its uses because it flowers for the whole of the summer, whereas perennial plants and shrubs don't - they have a flowering period which varies between 2 -6 weeks and at various times of the year, and the rest of the time is herbaceous growth (leaves) which die down in the winter, or in the case of shrubs, remains present above ground year round, either as a framework of bare branches, or evergreen, depending on the shrub.. Can you refine your question to define more clearly what effect you actually want with planting? – Bamboo Jul 01 '18 at 14:15
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    Where are you in the world -you've mentioned temperatures which I assume must be farenheit rather than centrigrade, so I assume USA somewhere, but which USDA zone - humidity and rainfall also make a difference to your choices. Which way does this area face, north south or whatever? – Bamboo Jul 01 '18 at 14:26
  • I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. This area faces south. Thank you – Claire Jul 01 '18 at 14:56
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    Claire, you need what is called by LAs a 'skeleton' planting. Plants that pull your entire landscape together, unifying the entire site. Handling each area individually will give you a 'home owner's' look and design. You have lots of lawn to spare for larger more substantial plant beds. These color spot annuals need to be framed and when they expire, not a big deal. Lots and lots of choices for plants. I'd make my plant beds at LEAST 3X larger. I can show you the best easiest edging for your lawn. Pots, sand cast concrete pots the same color as your patio...would make a huge difference – stormy Jul 04 '18 at 01:14
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    The begonias look great even though they are in strong sunlight and heat...they normally like a cooler or shadier condition. These beds and baskets don't ummm, counter weigh the mass of your patio. Substantial plant beds will not only frame, add color for a short time, protect annuals from wind and extreme temperatures but look in scale for your home. Love to help... – stormy Jul 04 '18 at 01:21

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Your USDA zone is either 6a or 6b - that restricts your choices, obviously. The container planting on top of the posts is best filled with non permanent summer bedding, since it will be difficult for roots of permanent plants to survive during winter in those containers.

The border in front of the paved area really needs to be widened (or deepened from front to back) to accommodate permanent shrubs/perennials, if you can find any you like at the right height, flowering period, overall appearance and so on. If widening it is not an option (it looks as if you have a stone insert dividing the lawn from the border) then smaller plants that look good in a single row should be chosen, but the narrowness of the border restricts your choice even more.

This site here lists plants suitable for Zone 6, and may be of help when deciding what to plant https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/zone-6-shrubs It has a range of options on the left hand side in regard to height, light levels and so on to refine your choice.

Clethra alnifolia 'vanilla spice' will look good in late summer, but spreads to around 5 feet - otherwise, if you choose a Hydrangea, choose H. paniculata, because at least that can be cut back quite hard without losing flowers to try to keep it within the confines of your border. Both these are deciduous.

Bamboo
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You've planted annuals. Annuals are but one season IF you are religiously deadheading them. Then they will grow until the first frost. Annuals have but one goal in this life and that is to produce seed/babies. As soon as they produce seed from their flowers the entire plant starts to die. The plant has done its job, it has produced seed.

Deadheading takes some guts to do at first. I was responsible for HOA entry 'color spots'...I went in and took off almost every single flower. Lots of passerby people and homeowners stopped and asked in horror what I was doing. I told them to check back next week at the same time.

And I had some amazed crowds. Flowers so profuse that they couldn't speak. Cut the flowers off so that plant is unable to make seed and that thwarted plant will grow vigorously producing a larger plant and far more flowers. Within a week. Deadheading as much as possible but there are so many flowers it would be impossible to dead head perfectly. The first couple of times it is important to be brutal but then your plants will out flower your pruner's capabilities.

I would help you to use a combination of perennials and annuals to be more impressive. What you've done is amazing for color.

If I were you, I would double the depth of that bed, even triple it. You need a constant backdrop for your flowers such as Pencil or Sky Ilex. Vertical shrubs, little columns. Softened with a 2' or less mass of shrub such as Hebe 'Quick Silver' Then plant chunks of Crocosmia, yellow or reds, stay with one color, intersperse with Woolly Lambs Ear, (cut the flowers off immediately from the woolly lambs ear).

I would get rid of the 2X4 edger...to triple the size of this bed. My suggestions are just suggestions I came up with off the top of my noggin. I have a video on how to do the best edge between a lawn and plant beds. I use no other type of edging if you are interested I'll give a little video.

stormy
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