Our small sedum planting and pitcher plant bog are doing well. They reflect our urge to plant and transform mulch to green, even if our mountain space is focused on rejuvenation and we look into a forest towards the back.
These plants seem to be thriving with intermittent summer rain (so definitely they're low-maintenance so far).
I'm going to submit a landscape plan for the front getting ready for fall planting (it's required because of the historic district location). Uh-oh.
My gardening companion admired some exuberant perennial plantings this morning in the flower garden at Biltmore Estate (Joe-Pye, Rudbeckia lacianata, a beautiful rose-pink Monarda didyma selection, pink Asclepias, along with a deep pink butterfly bush, and many other things, and said 'could our front yard look like that?' Hmmm, I'm not sure that we're willing to apply the water to make that happen but I can create low-water use perennial beds, for sure.