AS far as tall shrubs that are drought tolerant chaste tree springs to mind....... for the low ones some spirea...... also rugosas can be low and tall...... rugosa roses I mean........ buddleia is also nice...... potentilla fructosa is evergreen I think and drought tolerant....... dianthus plumaris is evergreen and drought tolerant as is aremeria maritima...... sedums would also be nice...... low ones and tall ones...... there are evergreen ones as well and evergreen sempervivens........ have fun....... :) .......

Thanks, flowers -

I looked up chaste tree - never heard of it before! I like the idea of a multi-trunked small tree behind the arbutus. It looks promising, but Sunset says moderate to regular water. Do you think in my area (PNW) it might do OK anyway? We have our rainy times but also plenty of dry times.

I'll look into potentilla, I forgot about that one. For the front, the armeria looks like a winner. I love dianthus but again, the water needs may be too great.

Thanks so much, sometimes I get overwhelmed with trying to choose.

I water my Japanese chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) in the summer, and it seems to appreciate it/need it. I'm in Western Washington, so I'm getting the same rain you're getting. 8-)

Chaste tree and other grayleaf plants would be less harmonious than others in similar shades of green to what you have listed as being in the planting already. I'd look into Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), California lilac (Ceanothus)--these come in both tall and low--green leaved species of rockrose (Cistus), green leaved cultivars of sunrose (Helianthemum), things like that. Except for the buckthorn these all have plenty of flower power. And you can get the buckthorn in a white variegated version that might be quite pleasing with the pinkish color of the 'Marina' flowers.

If you are near Seattle you can see Italian buckthorn in the hedge south of the parking at Good Shepherd Center (along with Viburnum tinus, another candidate to consider) or in the corner farthest from the entrance to Greenlake P.C.C. (near the black locust trees).

This is amazing! I posted this nearly TWO years ago, and just happened to look up arbutus 'Marina' on Google and saw my thread! Thanks for the comments.

Since then we had to move the 'Marina' and put it in the back. Western exposure, full sun. I'm not working on that area right now, but I like your suggestions, Ron. I love ceanothus. I looked up the variegated buckthorn and it looks right; perhaps a little big for the new spot, we'll see.

We're just now getting around to that spot in front, two years later, after it was torn up for sewer lines. I'm trying to work out something for the front that is a little different - very subdued. I'm trying to get my thoughts collected enough to post them for suggestions.

'Til then -

Does anyone know how deep an arbutus marina will grow roots in the first 7 or so years? I have a circular planter I want to put one, but there is drainage line about 3-4' directly below the ground level of the planter. Will they go that deep? is there something I can line the bottom with to prevent root invasion?
Thanks!