I'm not big on ornamentals -- I like my plants edible! -- but our house got treated for termites right before we moved in (2008), so I'm reluctant to eat anything grown in what may be contaminated soil. Since I have yet to get into making fiber or dye, that leaves ornamentals. I don't want to spend a lot of time or water caring for ornamentals, so I've focused on varieties that can make do with very little care or water, many of them on the sunny south side of the house in very well-drained soil. Here's what I've come up with!
One exception to the "nothing edible" rule is the grapes. They are planted a good 2' from the foundation, and we only eat the fruits (not the leaves), and only in small quantities. The vinyl lattice I initially used for a grape trellis disintegrated after five years of full sun, and I replaced it with a trellis hand-woven from twine!
See an album of more photos of this design.
