What's your vision of how the cherry laurels will be in several years. You'll keep them in shrub form or limb up into tree form? ...Keep them trimmed for height, or allow them to grow natural? It seems that they will either be high maintenance (trimming) or they will dominate the entire area with shade.

more tight and bright laurels for consistant solid hedge, for which they are wonderful as and would screen that fence beautifully
This spc. of laurel keeps a nice thick foliage base and it would be a shame to limb the bottom leaves off , only to expose that white fence again.

I planned on keeping them in shrub form. I thought a bit of variety would keep it from being too dense looking. I want some screening but not a wall. Does this make sense.

These are very vigorous growing plants once established. I fully expect that in the shrub form in the future they'll be encroaching onto the walkway (and beyond) and you'll be trimming their nether reaches from a tall step-ladder... unless you love to prune and do it frequently enough to prevent their attaining the size they will be ever striving for. I like pruning, but keeping them sized to this space would be too much for me.

Yes, this is more of what I am looking for. I love miscanthis Morning Light but it gets huge here ( I have two in the sunny border along my driveway). I wonder if there is a variety that only gets 3-4 feet tall? Also, with direct sun for only 3-4 hours in the afternoon, is there a type of rose that would work? I love your pics. Exactly my taste. What is the plant growing in between the red maple and the arborvitae?

Also, I have a small 3-4 foot Sango Kaku that I rescued and it is doing beautifully in it's temporary home in this bed, but it's on the end that gets more shade. Ideas for working it into this plan? I had originally just dumped it in here bc it was half dead from Pike's ( they give me their rejects bc I live next door) since I have great garden soil in this bed. It stayed a stick for awhile but has taken off. Pretty, lime green leaves at the moment. It's placement is similar to where your maple is in your photo.

the hakone type grass that is in the planter in DD's third picture might be a lower growing option that would contrast well with the laurel foliage. in my climate it would tolerate 3-4 hours of sun light, but there are similar varieties that are tolerant of more sun than hakone grass. I love the roses in DD's picture also.

My approach would to be focusing on contrasting but complementary foliage types and colors.

Perhaps i missed it, but where are you located? What zone?

I'm in Zone 7, just north of Atlanta. I bought one of those Hakone grasses - I think its called Hakalua (spelling) just because I liked it and its temporarily sitting to the side. I need to concentrate on the rest of the background and mid ground for this border first but the Hakone grass is a nice punch. Maybe in a pot like he has.
I'm thinking I need a different shaped shrub, something less structured, with finer leaves? Would varigated be too much? I have a couple of red twig varigated dogwood shrubs that are pretty. Got them at Pikes for $10. They are currently about 4 feet tall....

lynn, the USDA plant hardiness maps show us solidly in Zone 8, not 7B as we were x years ago.

Rosie, in Sugar Hill, GA

Just spotted this image and it's probably something you could implement, mounting large planter boxes along the top of your fence.

Here is a link that might be useful: Planters mounted on fence!