Scenes from front garden puttering

Early in May I shared photos of a planting I did in a large container next to the front steps, a container that used to hold a Feijoa sellowiana (pineapple guava, it was a winter fatality). The centerpiece of the new planting is a Yucca rostrata that I hope will start to trunk soon—it has grown nicely over the last four months—but what I'm really happy about it how everything else is doing.The Draba hispanica has bulked up nicely.
I love the small hairs along the leaf margins.
The Armeria maritima 'Rubra' (sea-thrift) has grown a lot too. I hope it colors up again when the weather cools. I'm not as fond of the green blades.
The cactus cuttings I popped in have rooted and the sempervivum have put out a lot of babies.
Speaking of babies, the tetrapanax at the far corner of the front garden near the street continue to send out runners. I've let this one (lower right hand corner) grow, but probably should be pulling it before it gets much larger.
More babies (it's turning into a theme), Mid-June I bought a gallon-pot full of small Agave 'Blue-Glow' and separated them out, tucking them in pots in the front garden.




They've grown a lot!
One even went in the ground. Since 'Blue Glow' isn't reliably winter hardy here who knows what the future holds for them. They've provided a lot of summertime enjoyment whatever happens.
No, this isn't my garden (I do love that trash can planter though)... 
These next few photos are from an open garden I recently went to. I'll share more photos of this garden on Friday, but today I want to focus on the Corokia cotoneaster, that sort of dead-looking cloud/shrub.
The owner of this garden, Christine Weaver, has done such a great job of pruning it!
I forget exactly how old she said it was, but it's not young, with those substantial branches.
I came home inspired to get out and clean up some of the lower growth on my corokia. I'd let it become a mass of branching with no structure. Of course dappled sunlight isn't the best for photographing a see-thru shrub but here it is...

Plus there are agave pups under there, pups that would love a little more light and air movement.
After...
Another before...
And after...
What was I thinking hiding those agaves? I may do more pruning in a couple weeks, but I wanted to live with it a bit before I make anymore cuts.