Don't know if this will help but my clematis Montana Rubens (vanilla scent) goes up and on our roof, morning sun, afternoon shade. My daughter has Montana Elizabeth (vanilla scent) going up and on their roof, morning shade afternoon sun but then we don't get temps over 80 most summers. I have a Montana Wilsonii that will completely cover my big lath house and this one fill the air with the scent of chocolate. Once they cover the shingles it's quite cool under the vine. DH pulls it off the roof after flowering every couple of years so the fallen leaves don't end up as a pile of compost on the shingles. Annette

I'd like to thank Crazy gardener, Pudge and Sazzyrose for their advice in this situation. Of the plants mentioned I have an excess of (if there is such a thing) Oriental Lillies and Sedums in the back yard. I think I'll transplant some to the south wall. I am in your debt. Thanks all for your input.

Thanks much to everyone who responded. Took me a while to get out for pics and then remember (hopefully) how to post them! Here's a photo from this spring that shows most of the bed and puts the gas meter in context (this was before the arborvitae got really bad, but you can see some browning already): [URL=http://img822.imageshack.us/i/p5180018.jpg/][IMG]http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/8155/p5180018.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL] A closeup of the area now: [URL=http://img838.imageshack.us/i/pa100026.jpg/][IMG]http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/3268/pa100026.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Closeup of the catmint's backside - little stubs up and down the stems where leaves used to be: [URL=http://img838.imageshack.us/i/pa100024.jpg/][IMG]http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/9095/pa100024.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL] The other side of the arb, mostly okay with some damage from the other side showing through: [URL=http://img829.imageshack.us/i/pa100028.jpg/][IMG]http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6030/pa100028.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL] And here's a view from the other side of the bed with the healthy arborvitae in the foreground: [URL=http://img809.imageshack.us/i/pa100030.jpg/][IMG]http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/5209/pa100030.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL] I stuck my finger down in the soil about four inches and it felt semi-dry (we've had lots of rain in the last week so I haven't watered in over a week). Otherwise, I hadn't been watering this area any differently until relatively recently, and extra seems to be helping a little. (It looked MUCH worse!) The arbs were put in in the spring of 2008. The left one has always looked a little drier but not dramatically worse until this year. (The variety is 'DeGroot's Spire' which is supposed to mature at 2-3 feet wide - so I hadn't planned on any pruning unless I really screwed up and planted way too close!) I haven't gotten out there with soapy water yet but will do that tomorrow or Tuesday. Assuming there's no leak (hope not!), I'll plan on digging in a bunch of compost and see if that helps. Strange though that it would be so localized right in that spot if it was a fertility issue. I also like Skybird's idea of staking a simple thermometer right there next year, and also one on the other side for comparison. (I was wondering why you used so many quotes everywhere, Skybird...LOL...hopefully you'll have no more issues or new bugs!) Dianne

Another idea just hit me... perhaps a big round pot roughly centered with annuals planted around it. That way, the color could change by season if you wished and the higher (pot) and lower (soil) elevations could be used for either similar or contrasting colors. In summer, you can always fall back on sweet potato vine as a groundcover as I haven't found any climatic conditions other than freezing that will kill it and it loves hot sunny areas... good color but no blooms to worry about in one package. SPV does need watering though so that may take it out of your personal lineup for this spot. Just throwing out ideas here... Steve