Clint, I was thinking something similar. Learn what works in your area. Lee-Roy, you mentioned a lot of rain. Research what plants like to be wet. Drive around your neighbourhood and look for yards you like that are thriving and you like the look of. Then create a plan for your yard that incorporates those plants. My husband likes the thick woodsy undergrowth look of his Vancouver Island foresty areas, so I created shade gardens underneath the trees in our back yard. I planted ferns, astlbe, Spiderwort, bleeding hearts, Ligularia, hosta and many other shade plants under those trees and created a beautiful oasis under those trees for him. He loves it (and so do I). But, I had to do a lot of research on what would work because we are in a very cold winter Zone here and I was not a gardener when we moved here. I had a lot of learning to do. But it was worth it!
