That's what I've been doing here. I've also tried to plant more for the butterflies and bees. This bed has currant bushes, Tiger Eye sumac, a smoke tree, a chitalpa tree, heliopsis, helianthis, baptisia, aster, a yellow barberry, yellow tb iris, arundo donax 'Peppermint Stick' , a beautyberry, and several kinds of ornamental grass. The other side of this horseshoe is purple...with desert willow, Russian sage, caryopteris, lilac, amsonia, Nepeta, phlox, mums, echinacea, daylilies, viburnum, a purple hazelnut, and loads of daffodils and iris. It's all pretty xeric.
Some horrible wild onion or garlic got in there and I'm having a terrible time getting it out.
I've tried planting sunflowers but something eats them. Both these beds are best viewed from a distance!
