Beginner Gardening: Goofy looking..., 1 by stressbaby

stressbaby wrote:
I agree with Grasshop, hostas will not give you the effect you desire. I predict that it won't look right until there is some height. Picture #2 is the most helpful. There is a 4-5' wide bed in the middle of a patio. Look at all of the horizontal planes...the patio, the porch, the porch roof, even the stone siding. Low plants like impatiens and hosta don't really interrupt those horizontal planes.

In picture #2, take away the cute kids, and ask yourself what your eye is drawn to. My eye is not drawn to the bed, but rather to the porch beyond. Something with height and a non-horizontal habit would interrupt this.

I think a 4-5' high shrub/small tree is part of the solution. I would offset it left, maybe put a smaller shrub to the right.

Off the top of my head, Seven Son's Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) with pruning, Japanese Maple, 'Pink Diamond' Hydrangea, Clethra 'Ruby Spice'

SB