Question
I'm in Santa Clara, CA (South San Fran Bay).  We just put in a raised glanting area up against the fence in our back yard.  Now I need to plan what to plant, where, etc.  Can you give me some suggestions on how to start?  The back area gets shade until noon then sun until sunset.  I have toddlers so I want to exclude posionous plants, but I would like a lot of rich colors all year round.  Green in winter is fine, but would like other colors from spring to fall.  Again, how do I start?  Is there a step by step method I can use for planning?

Thank you for your help.

Answer
Vicky,

You want year-round interest, so...

First step is to start paying attention as you walk or drive around nearby neighborhoods... spot plants that you like, or that catch your eye at different times of the year. This part is an ongoing project.  Just get in the habit.  Watch for plants that are thriving in beds similar to yours, or watch for plants that are struggling.  Learn from others' experiences.  It's  a cheap way to accumulate a plant list.

Next, put in some evergreen plants.  These (along with any rocks you like) are going to be the skeleton.  These will stay around all the time, giving a constant background and fullness to the area, no matter what else come or goes.  Since you say it's a raised bed next to a fence I'm guessing it's not a really large area, so choose accordingly.  If this were my bed, I'd probably use a combination of Camellia sasanqua (winter flowering Camellia,  glossy green leaves and lots of blossom colors available ) and a few varieties of Nandina.  Nandina is evergreen, but it's not green.  There are several varieties of different heights and widths, but they're all useful.  Red/Yellow/Green leaves year round.

The remaining space I'd use for annuals, (bright bursts of flowers, and fun planting), and grasses, and bulbs.  Now's a great time to throw in some bulbs.  I prefer to plant clumps of bulbs in random places throughout as a surprise each year.  Different bulb plants come up a different times throughout spring and fall, so you can really mix it up if you want.

In a confined area, use vines (ivy, clematis, grapes) with caution, if at all, unless you have time to keep them under control.

Hope this helps,
Mark in Portland