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.
