This is recently , I'm ripping everything out. There is now a boxwood in the middle if bed. One bed on either side of walk.

Bed close to house last summer !

Inner garden

I really love those shady sections of your garden. I can see why the two triangles are bothering you. Maybe you can draw some inspiration from the zones you like and work with colors that look good with the older zones. Looks like there is a lot of structure to those older beds, might want to consider something a bit more formal to make the triangles "talk" to the rest off the garden?

You obviously do not live in San Antonio,Texas! We are still in stage 2 water restrictions.
I suggest that you need more height. Maybe a piece of picket fence on the grass side. Not a fence, just a short run, like 7 to 9 pickets.
This is my favorite garden picture as it has Miss Fancy included.

Mary Lu's garden. I sure wish mine looked like this.

I think Kippy has the right idea. The other beds are beautiful.

Indeed--what Kippy said. It looks like you need more "bones"--aka structure--in your beds, as well as something that would visually or thematically connect them to the rest of your plantings.
You might consider small trees or substantial shrubs to anchor and demarcate the back of the beds. I'm not sure what does well in your climate zone--perhaps a multi-trunked crape myrtle, a flowering cherry or plum, or some roses, any of which would add the height that plantmaven was wisely suggesting. Then I'd look to add some of the classics--perhaps lavenders, rosemary, daylilies, iris. (In spring, emerging daylily foliage might be a good candidate to hide the last of your declining tulips.)
Since you indicated that you were ripping everything out, you may have already done this, but if it were my garden, that boxwood in the middle would be the first to go. You might find a way to relocate it in your new design, but plunked as it is in the middle of everything, it probably inhibits your ability to rethink your space. Take a walk around your neighborhood and see what works for other local gardeners. You're not "stealing ideas," you're getting inspired. Above all, don't be afraid to experiment. Gardens evolve with the knowledge and experience of the gardener. Enjoy the process.

Kay

PS: And please let us know how it's coming along. Post more pictures of your work in progress!

I think the beds are too small for a strong cottage garden look. But, I think you could have a great perennial/shrub garden there that meets the goals you listed above.

Green edging: Look into liriope or small grasses.

Look into long blooming perennials: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/08464-long-blooming-perennials.pdf

Then concentrate on a couple of attractive shrubs surrounded by clumps of long blooming perennials/foliage plants.

Cornell has some research on bulb/perennial combos here:

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/combos/FeaturedCombos/OtherSuggestedCombos/All%20Tulip%20Combos/TulipCombos.htm

Another possibility - emerald moonlight or everred loropetalums in the middle (will stay fairly short, are evergreen and bloom sporadically after Spring), and in the summer, red and white salvia coccinea around them (the wild looking kind),with lamb's ear or dianthus, white zinnia profusion around the edges. This will start blooming pretty early in the summer season and go through to first hard frost. Hummers and finches love the salvias and they are pretty good reseeders, and drought tolerant. Through the winter in your zone, I think the loropetalums and lambs ears or dianthus foliage will give you some interest. You can have bulbs and dutch or louisiana iris underneath for Spring color.

I was going to mention Salvia also, but not the red or white, but Victoria Blue. I "pimp" this plant every year. lol.

VB Salvia looks like Lavender, same height and color. It loves the sun and heat. Blooms all summer. We get freezing temps in the winter and it still comes back and also spreads.

All your flowerbeds are beautiful.

Hi mymajesticcat ,..your pictures number three and four are fantastic,..everything looks well established,..permanent,..and of course its the house as background that sets everything off so well.

Your flower bed in the front lacks what the others have ,..something tall behind those flowers,..and the flowers are indeed beautiful blooms but just not set off.

Hi plantmaven,..lovely garden,..and lovely Miss Fancy as well,..so is Mary Lu's beautiful garden.

Philip

Over here visiting. Love love your bulbs.

I'd like to see something med. height and lush at the lawn edge of the triangle. It would act as a background and say to the passerby this bit of garden is for your enjoyment. Maybe a row of daylilies (same color). Along the other 2 edges choose a low-grower. Could be hot pink petunias as shown in your other photo or something perrenial (geranium 'Rozanne' ?). Again I'd stick to a solid color to establish some unity. And something boldish since there is a large expanse of lawn.
In the center go wild with colors.

Do your tulips naturalize? Is that why you need to let the foliage ripen?

Thinking about this some more. I think your best bet at this point is looking at the newly plant flowers and dig them back up. Try and put them in groups (tri-angular) of three and then replant. Remembering to put more of the lower plants on the outer edges but still varying the heights. With your new shrub in the center it might have more of the look you were going for.

Right now it seems a jumble of colors, textures and heights. Where as the rest of the yard seems to have some thought behind how the plants relate to each other. Or more formal matching sides. I would mirror that in these two new beds. So if you plant one group on the inside right, you would plant that same group on the inside left of the other bed.

There is just so much going on that ones eye has no place to land and follow the plantings.

I agree with Kippy above ^^ the plants you are using are small so regroup the plants to make a bigger impact and so there is more unity.

Also, I see about 9 different colors, which is too much for that small space.

Look at your beautiful inner garden! Use it as inspiration. The path helps tie everything together, so does the plant and color repetition.

Whatever you use in the beds near your house, (magenta impatiens?), I'd use that color in the triangle beds to tie it in.

As for the tulips, if the dying foliage drives you nuts.....consider putting them in containers. Then you can move them easily out of site. I like the plastic whisky barrels but there are many styles to choose from.