Should we try to do a mini-bed around the rhodi? Would that complicate the watering?
Abelia (or the other azalea that's there) & Azalea (red) would make a trio with the Rhodo, ferns, Corydalis lutea, Brunnera, Hosta lancifolia, caryx & SDB iris (could do a curved border to define this small area)... If the container I mentioned works for you, that could go in with some bright annuals.
For the rest of the bed, fall planting definitely sounds better, especially since it would be easy to plant daffodils all around then. See if they'll give you some $ for bulbs or shrubs? I think a lot of the rest we can collectively supply from divisions.
Actually, I could supply a ton of daffs if we can do a dig (my digging is just very very limited these days). Put enough back in the hole, then split the rest between Larry's garden and the person digging. Some will be bigger than others, so you'll get some bloom next year and much more the following year.
I dunno what I was thinking with the gaillardia and achillea, both really need full sun. "Full sun" though is anything over 6 hours, not the all day that people tend to think.
The kaleidoscope abelia is listed by Monrovia as "part to full sun, " so that would work (you could also reject it on the spot if too scruffy). If we wait until fall, I'll stick it in somewhere where I can easily pull it up again. I'll put other potential "Larry plants" there too.
