The geranium is probably going to want a little more sun to give you abundant flowers, but I have seen them work in part shade (definitely not full shade). The yarrow really needs to be in full sun with well-drained soil that tends to stay on the drier side, which doesn't fit with many of the other plants on that list. On combo 2, which fern are you going to choose? Japanese Painted might look nice with the others on the list.

Other than that, those looks like some nice color combinations, especially the black mondo with the Hakone grass.

I only grow a few of those but just agreeing with the above poster on the yarrow. I experimented and put two yarrow into part sun spots and they are puny with tiny blooms compared to the ones in the sun.

Hi mistascott, I did a collage in PS to try and better portray what I'm going for. The lighting is hard to describe since there is a ton of indirect light I'd think most anything would be happy there. I don't know about the yarrow either. The Fern is Lady fern wouldn't mind seeing it accompanied with ghost fern. There is also a one yrld lenten rose that has to go here put put in off to the left in the collage. The vertical planter is this years winter project to hide the AC unit; saw it online and fell in love.

The north side of a house can be a very bright but indirect light location, as long as no overhangs or the house not extremely tall. But bright, indirect light is pretty different from full sun :-) I think you could grow anything here that is happy in a partial sun/shade condition. That would include things like bleeding heart, columbine, goatsbeard or astilbes.

I might also consider adding something with a bit of a more year round presence so the bed isn't quite so empty for much of the year - i.e. an evergreen. But I guess in WI you get enough snow that you don't actually SEE the bed for a good part of the winter anyway so maybe not so important afterall :-)

FWIW, the allium would do best in full sun as well. And careful what you combine the cyclamen with - these like a dry dormant period in summer, so maybe not the happiest in a location that gets regular irrigation, such as most ferns and the ligularia require.

^Yes, allium (I missed that on the original post) and yarrow would probably prefer similar conditions and definitely full sun. I also second the motion of mixing in some evergreen -- not necessarily a shrub, but something that would at least give you some green during winter -- when you aren't covered in snow.

I like the way everything looks in that PS picture. Does the area get any direct light?

I have an area that gets absolutely no direct sunlight due to a tall northeast facing townhouse. So far, what has worked for me there: Toad Lily, Astilbe X arendsii, Pulmonaria, Chrysogonum virginianum, Helleborus X ballardiae (hybrid of niger and lividus). I try to keep bloom times staggered so there is always something going on.

but I'm second guessing myself .... Give me your honest & critical opinion.

==>>> you really want it.. lol ...

you sound like a newbie'ish gardener.. who thinks that design is a science.. rather than an art ... [do you have engineering genes???] ...

i like where you have gone this far ... BUT ... at this point..JUST DO IT ...

gardening is like war.. the plan fails.. the moment you meet the enemy ... and the enemy.. in your case..is mother nature ...

plant for color.. height.. groups.. etc .. and by next august.. you move what failed to make you happy .. that is how a gardener does it ... its the joy of the unknown.. the challenge to do it right.. but in all reality ... no ones plan ever works out ...

and we simply walk out there.. and move things around ...

but we dont really fixate or worry about it ... its the exercise.. the diversion from reality .. and the simple joy of playing in the soil ... after which you are covered in dirt ...

i say your plan is fine.. GO FOR IT .. and pshaw on worrying about it ...

ken

I like the honesty and realism of ken adrian's advice. I could also put it, "Whatever you do, expect to remediate it within a year or two".

Perennial gardens can be planned, but it is extremely difficult to plan for where the garden will be several years down the road. There also doesn't seem to be a lot of discussion of the matter among gardeners, besides dealing with individual plants.

Of course, this all depends on the particular flowerbeds involved, their size, perennial diversity, location with respect to walls, trees etc, etc..

For me, the initial choice of plants is a key consideration; notably the avoidance of invasive (runners and seeders).

For my purposes, the running periwinkle is not worth the bother for the show it gives. That doesn't mean that it isn't a useful ground cover when it's around few other perennials or by itself.

I would also avoid those perennial geraniums that move (seed) around.

Mother Nature. Enemy? Maybe. If Mother Nature exists, she certainly has no interest in gardeners. As they said, "Gardens die with their gardener". It would be Mother Nature who makes sure of that.

I really like the vertical planter/trellis that you have in there. Please take some pics of this when you have it up and running.

I think there is a certain amount of planning you should do to avoid wasting money (space, soil type, exposure requirements, moisture, etc.) and labor (on containing aggressive species, constantly pruning, etc.). I also think site preparation is often overlooked but very important. But yes, as Ken says, there is always going to be some trial and error and that is indeed one of the joys of doing this stuff.

I enjoyed reading your post ken and the answer to your question is, yes. It's just with everything dying down I have time to contemplate how I'm going to fill out all my new beds without taking several growing seasons to do so or expecting to completely redo them bc it doesn't work for the plants or for me. I am trying for a more symmetrical design with things thrown in to shake it up a bit. Which would mean moving groupings of plants, something I would like to avoid.

Planning is just as fun as the planting with the added benefits you get to be freely creative without breaking the bank or your back.

For a couple hours after sunrise it sees direct light and as the shadow of the house moves to the left the right corner might see a little depending on the time of summer. Thanks for mentioning toad lily got a small little thing from someone didn't know what it was. For this bed winter interest really isn't important.

What are some plants that will make Ligularia stand out? Several of you mentioned astilbe where would it go/to replace what and what color.

In my opinion , the north side of a house without trees is a place where you can make your most beautiful garden of all, provided there is open sky above. The choice of plants who would love such placing is long, one plant more beautiful than the other. Just some to consider: Lilium martagon, Rhododendrons, Uvularia, Kirengeshoma, Podophyllum, Smilacina, Polygonatum, Aconitum, Disporum, Actea, Brunnera, Trillium, Trycirtys, Trollius, Dicentra, Rodgersia, Deinanthe, Anemone nemorosa, Primula, Epimedium, Corydalis, Clematis macropetala and many others.

Planning is just as fun as the planting with the added benefits you get to be freely creative without breaking the bank or your back.

==>>> oh absoluely..

just as long as you DONT WORRY ABOUT IT ...

too many peeps who visit.. seriously.. either worry.. or write like its all something to worry about ...

good luck

ken, who never made a plan in 30 years.. and is happy if they live.. and will worry later about moving the problem children around.. but prefers the riotous cottage garden look as compare to symmetry ... [or else adopted that 'look' because he is to lazy to move them later.. lol]

One of my gardens (early June 2009):
The result of planning, plus luck.

With plants,as well as working in space, you are working in time. Your mock up shows the Alliums and the Cyclamen in flower together. In reality this would probably not be the case. Cyclamen come right at the tail end of summer.

Mock ups are hard to do but I think you may have found a Pelargonium, rather than a Geranium, if that is the large pinkish red flowered plant. And the Vinca is not going to be as floriferous are as large-flowered as your picture shows.

The scale is much better than many mock ups we see but the fern is little small and the Cyclamen flowers a little large.

wieslaw59 your list of plants is much appreciated just hate that I had to add so many of them to my must have list. Particularly Disporum cantoniense 'Night Heron', Rodgersia (spectacular foliage) there also some great Epimedium ground covers. Just on the other side to the left there is a bed with a small collection of fragrant plants of anemone, astilbe, iris, clematis wilsonii and Ipomoea alba and because of you proabably a fragrant Corydalis.

You managed to include some of my personal favorites as well like Brunnera 'Jack frost,' Polygonatum, clematis and Trillium.

SunnyBorders, your bed looks great I think I'm going to have to get a Iris pallida 'Aureo'

the pinkish red flower is the yarrrow the geranium is directly under the hosta. sorry for the low resolution image and I agree the Cyclamen intaminatum are too way large.

better image
{{gwi:277372}}

I was assuming the Cyclamen was C hederifolium, but the one you name is even smaller, apparently. The hardy Cyclamen are beautiful things but you need to either have a mass or be prepared to get down to their level to appreciate them. And they have a way of seeding about in places where they are even better hidden.

I'm also wondering about your vertical planter. One side will face NE and the other NW. Does that affect your thinking? And won't it shade the bed am and pm?