Our front garden is intentionally low maintenance. My husband carved a bed out of the caliche clay over the process of several months (what the builder planted was a joke), and we've both tinkered with the plantings a bit. The above photo only represents a portion of the bed, but you get an idea of the overall style--mostly thick, full perennials with some annuals popped in occasionally.
The rosemary in the middle is my son's favorite plant. Tater Tot loves to snap off leaves to share with guests, and he insists that they take a whiff. Fortunately, rosemary thrives on being pruned back. I recently took to snapping off some myself and putting on either side of my front door much as the ancient Romans did with their scented plants (dill and mint in particular) for special occasions.
Behind the rosemary bush is a Belinda's Dream rose, which I cannot recommend highly enough for Texas and Louisiana. We've grown them in both places with great luck, though the deer do love to nibble the buds. (Try putting out bars of Irish Spring soap for a "natural" deterrent...and bear in mind that the deer were here first.) The foreground pot contains a new planting of thyme and a St. Francis marker purchased years ago in St. Francisville, Louisiana--one of the most charming towns you'd ever visit.
Finally, on the right is an umbrella plant which I picked up last year and just adore now. I was worried it might not make the winter, but it did fine. It's planted to obtain water run-off from the roof and gets afternoon shade. It died back in cooler weather but has quickly rebounded. Another winner in my book.
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