This is my front garden in Fall. The grey material is Permatill, an aggregate used for drainage.
This is another angle. Notice it is recently planted with new specimens. The soil is amended and mounded 2 ft high - a key in hard red clay land like ours in the Piedmont.
Also in the front is curcuma, a ginger family member, Salvia guaranitica, gerbera and a fig tree.
Dahlias and a beautiful H. coccineus with red stems. Acidantheras complete the picture.
Hillside scree bed is coming together nicely. Absolutely essential to add drainage material in this area. Small bulbs are spread by the hundreds here.
A nice use for a seemingly useless spot under the trash bin. Aroids and gardenias and other tenders thrive here. Always look for microclimates in your garden, you may be surprised!
Another view of the rock garden. This area will take a while to develop. Despite best intentions, it's a lot of work to properly prepare a new rock garden for sure.
Furiously planting away...
More established shade mixed border. Here iris and camellias, itea and cyclamen thrive in the shade of mature pine trees. Again, paying close attention to amending the soil has really paid off here. In future, hellebore species will go here as well.