I’m back at the drawing board, and that’s a good thing.  Planning is essential to a garden that you can be sure your client appreciates.  Elaine, my current client, is an octogenarian plus, and an excellent plantswoman.  She really put me through my paces with this design for a small bed in her front yard.  Time of bloom, color, texture, ease of maintenance, light, and water needs, and incorporating favorite existing plants all came into play as we planned this together.