Help for full sun bed

[Lanshark]

We have a pool in back and several beds surrounding it. We moved into this house 5 years ago and the previous owner spent all of her time in the yard. It was beautiful. She was retired, I am not. The beds were all very high maintenance. I have gotten rid of a lot of the stuff in them but want to plant low maintenance plants that have different leaf sizes, heights, and textures. I am not looking for much color just leafy greenry. I live in the Atlanta area. One bed is full sun. One is partial and the other is shade. The shade bed was filled with different hostas which I love so I have been able to keep that one looking good. The full sun is the one I am having the most trouble with. The bed is about 15 feet long and a couple of feet wide and winds around the pool so I don't want to do anything with sharp or prickly leaves. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I just came back from the nursery but can't seem to figure out what to do.

Thanks
Marcie

 

[amid chaos]

Ornamental grasses...big ones and little ones.

 

[Lanshark]

Actually, I never thought of that. I've never even looked at them. I guess I'll be making another trip to Pike's Nursery.

 

[gina2000]

Daylillies - just plant 'em and forget 'em.

Black eyed susans.....the same.

Iris.

Those are my favorite low maintenance plants.

 

[amid chaos]

Here are some pictures of my grasses.

http://websites.bhg.com/web/246302/another/246333/

 

[Mamu]

Lanshark came across this pic while looking for some info. Thought you may be interested.

Grasses

 

[amid chaos]

Oh mamu....love that picture.

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

Lanshark, I love Pike's (and miss it very much) do you remember "let's go play in the dirt again" campaign? What about a butterfly bed..kinda like an English garden that just grows with little maintence. Butterfly bush, coneflower, asters, sedum, actually many of the plants that Mamu lists as perennials make a beautiful garden.

Melissa

 

[NHMickey]

I like grasses. I have just started to play with them. Seem to be low maintenance and had a different touch to a garden...

 

[Lanshark]

What great suggestions. Exactly what I wanted. Just plant them, water them and forget them. I guess I always think of grasses as something to put in areas that can't be mowed like a hill or retaining wall area. I have a lot of day lilies and black eyed susans in the bed that gets a lot of morning sun and afternoon shade.