I have this good sized planting area that sits between the house and drive and our large country pond. The soil isn't very good out there at all despite attempts to improve it and it sits in very bright full hot sun.

I have a lot of daffodils that bloom in big drifts in early spring. There there are a half dozen wine and roses weigela and a big planting of flag iris and some deep purple siberian iris - those three all bloom together and the effect is very striking with the rose, golden yellow and deep purple in late May/early June.

In the back are some large clumps of miscanthus grass 'Morning Light' that are super easy.

I sprinkled direct sow zinnias and sunflowers this spring - they took awhile to take off but suddenly it is a big splashy colorful spot - it looks great from the house and you drive right up to it as you come up from the road.

The biggest hassle was weeding in May and June but once I got thru that, I have done practically nothing. I haven't even been out to deadhead in weeks. I also haven't given that bed a drop of supplimental moisture all season. I did mulch it quite heavily in April when I was doing all of the gardens (although you wouldn't have known it from the weeds that came up anyway - LOL).

I snapped these pics this morning. And yes that is a cleome that crept in from the compost I suspect. There also are a pretty good crop of blue larkspur that I want to encourage further next year.