On Sunday, I bought 4 PW Supertunia bubblegum petunias(pink of course!)and 3 PW dark blue verbena plants to fill in my one flowerbed that is located in front of our living room window. The verbena actually looks purple to my eyes..but PW choses to call it "dark blue" so I'll go along with their name. I need something to go behind these plants. On one side of the bed area planted shasta daisie and larkspurs, other side are tall coneflowers, another shasta that I just transplanted on Saturday, and some rocket snapdragons and dwarf fairy candytuft, which almost looks like PW Absolutely amethyst iberis, The dwarf fairy candytuft, I planted from seeds that I buy from Crosman seed Co. Rochester, NY. They are considered an annual but reseed and I love these and I save their seeds each year, There is a tall garden phlox that is also planted in the far right corner of the border but I have no idea what the color is going to be..I think I might have moved that phlox from one of my back beds.not sure if it has ever bloomed. It doesn't seem to show any signs that it is coming to that state but it is sure tall. All my tall garden phlox have been given to me by a gardening friend from my church.

I'd like another perennial to fill up that space and in the early spring, there are tulips and daffs in this same bed. There are also some columbines planted throughout this same bed. Almost forgot to mention them!

Should I just continue with shasta's since they are easy to raise and I have seeds to start more or should I find another perennial all together? I plan to plant the verbena in front and the supertunia bubblegum petunas(pink)behind them. I've grown these same petunias in 2009 and they were fantastic growers. Seems like I need a plant that has some texture to it and might be spiral, or flare shaped.

I think something spikey like iris, canna, gladiolas, or liatris would make a nice background and give you a different texture. I've seen the evergreen mop that is yellow combined with your plants and they look great and add year round interest.

Liatris looks good with anything. Maybe some Helenium 'Tiny Dancer' or 'Double Trouble' too.

Thanks for the inspiration or suggestions. I have liatris seeds that I need to plant and I looked at the garden center today and the ones they had didn't look that good. Mine in the back flowerbed are just showing some color, starting to bloom. Maybe I will just plant those seeds and make do with the pink petunias and verbena and rest of stuff I mentioned before. Another thing I failed to mention about a foot or 18 in. is under the house eaves and doesn't get any rainfall. Whatever I put there in far back will have to be water by hose or watering can manually. Liatris would be perfect height wise and texture. I transplanted some liatris earlier this Spring and they are doing well. Now I don't know if they will bloom this summer or not. Might just have to wait and see. You should see my beautiful glads in the rose garden bed..the original bulbs came from Big Lots and they are sort of a velvety magenta color..and so tall, about 5 ft. I don't think I've ever seen glads get that tall before. I think there were about 10-12 bulbs in the box and might have cost $5 or $7.

I did manage after dinner to get mulch put around the petunias and verbena that I planted yesterday afternoon. It got dark on me so my intentions were to get up at daybreak and try to finish mulching that one bed. DH has a Dr.appt. this morning so I won't get much done before we need to leave, but I'm throwing some old clothes on now and going out to water the flower beds..Will try to mulch more after dinner tonight. Yesterday's temp went to 95 and similar heat is expected for next few days. I came inside when it got 88 because it was getting the best of me..

I want to cut back the rose campion before it reseeds. Has anybody had good luck at transplanting rocket snapdragons in the fall or cooler weather? These have been so pretty and I would love to be able to save them to bloom next spring..Don't know where I got the seeds but I hope that I recorded that on my wintersowing records or on my DG's blog or garden journal.

Do you have a pic of the area?