[Good guy]

Well done Mell. It's looking lovely, out front. And I'm sure the trial and error approach will work for you in the new bed too. I have given up on lavender - I love it but it doesn't like my garden! Win some, lose some is the name of the game, I think.

[mel.b]

Thanks everyone

I was in France for a few days and went to Monet's garden in Giverny and am completely inspired! It was so beautiful. Watch out backyard!

[Good guy]

I haven't been there yet, Mel, but it's on my bucket list. Visits to gardens in the Loire Valley and in Brittany have greatly inspired me in recent years - not so much in things to imitate but more in terms of demonstrating the boundless possibilities of gardening.
I've just returned from southern Alberta, where I stayed with my sister for a family wedding. The only gardens I saw were domestic ones (some very good) in her little town but the landscapes I visited were truly memorable.

From the semi-desert Badlands at Drumheller with their eerie hoo doos and sagebrush vegetation, to the vast conifer forests of the Banff and Jasper National Parks the variety was enormous and the views of rivers, lakes, mountains and glaciers were breathtaking.

I'm not sure how these scenes might work themselves out in my garden, but time will tell. Vegetation clinging to life in seemingly impossible places might provide me with a theme to work on in my alpine beds.

Good luck with your back garden!