plants
Monrovia SaveEmail Lindsey’s Skyward Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum ‘Skyward’) The feathery foliage of bald cypress is so delicate, you just want to run your fingers through it. The spring growth is a bright, light green; it matures to midgreen before turning a distinctive copper color in fall. These autumnal tones last for many weeks before the needles are shed. With its interesting branching structure and attractive bark, this is a conifer that provides year-round interest even without winter foliage. Origin: The species is native to the southeastern and gulf coastal plains of North America; this cultivar was selected for its natural dwarf habit and nonaggressive tendencies. Where it will grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 5 to 9) Water requirement: Moist to wet soil Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 20 feet tall and 6 feet wide Benefits and tolerances: Tolerates wet soil; nonaggressive root system; strong disease resistance Seasonal interest: Year-round When to plant: Spring or fall Planting notes: Do not allow the soil to dry out.
Origin: Japan Where it will grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 5 to 8) Water requirement: Average Light requirement: Full sun or light shade Mature size: 25 feet tall and 12 feet wide (although I have not seen them greater than 6 feet wide after 10 years) Benefits and tolerances: Attracts bees Seasonal interest: Spring to fall When to plant: Spring or fall Planting notes: If you live in an area that receives heavy snow in winter, I suggest tying the branches to the main trunk; this will avoid the branches’ being broken and pushed outward
Amanogowa Japanese Flowering Cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Amanogowa’) Is there anything more romantic in spring than a path lined with fragrant cherry trees, their delicate blossoms fluttering to the ground like confetti? If space is a limiting factor in your garden, you can still enjoy their beauty by selecting Amanagowa, which is much narrower yet has the same charm as its wider cousins. The foliage emerges bronze-green, matures to a bright green (shown here), then turns to fiery shades of red and gold in fall.
Origin: The species is from northern Iran. Where it will grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 5 to 7) Water requirement: Average Light requirement: Full sun or partial shade Mature size: 30 feet tall and 12 feet wide, but I have not seen any grow this wide Benefits and tolerances: Low maintenance Seasonal interest: Year-round When to plant: Spring or fall Planting notes: Plant it in moisture-retentive but well-drained soil.
Ruby Vase Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica ‘Ruby Vase’) When space is limited, I expect a lot from any plant allowed into the garden. Ruby Vase Persian ironwood has become a favorite of mine for its winter flowers, interesting bark and unique foliage, which constantly changes color from spring until fall.
Evergreen Trees Forever Goldie Golden Arborvitae (syn. Forever Goldy western red cedar) (Thuja plicata ‘Forever Goldie’) Forever Goldie is the golden teddy bear of the conifer world that just begs to be hugged. In spring and summer, it moves through shades of chartreuse to gold, while in winter it takes on an orange cast. This outstanding cultivar is one to include no matter how large or small your garden may be. Origin: This cultivar was discovered in the Netherlands in 2002 as a seedling. Where it will grow: Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 3 to 7; find your zone) Water requirement: Average Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall and 3 feet wide Benefits and tolerances: Does not shed; scorch resistant; tolerates a wide range of soil conditions Seasonal interest: Year-round When to plant: Spring or fall Planting notes: Since this was just introduced in 2011, it is not easy to find landscape-size trees. I recommend purchasing a small one and enjoying it in a container for a few years before transplanting it. The one shown here was purchased as a 15-inch-tall plant in a 1-gallon pot four years prior to this photograph’s being taken. It is now appro...
Evergreen Trees Forever Goldie Golden Arborvitae (syn. Forever Goldy western red cedar) (Thuja plicata ‘Forever Goldie’) Forever Goldie is the golden teddy bear of the conifer world that just begs to be hugged. In spring and summer, it moves through shades of chartreuse to gold, while in winter it takes on an orange cast. This outstanding cultivar is one to include no matter how large or small your garden may be. Origin: This cultivar was discovered in the Netherlands in 2002 as a seedling. Where it will grow: Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 3 to 7; find your zone) Water requirement: Average Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall and 3 feet wide Benefits and tolerances: Does not shed; scorch resistant; tolerates a wide range of soil conditions Seasonal interest: Year-round When to plant: Spring or fall Planting notes: Since this was just introduced in 2011, it is not easy to find landscape-size trees. I recommend purchasing a small one and enjoying it in a container for a few years before transplanting it. The one shown here was purchased as a 15-inch-tall plant in a 1-gallon pot four years prior to this photograph’s being taken. It is now appro...
Bradford Pear Alternatives Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’) has gotten out of hand for many, popping up in woods and meadows everywhere. Instead, consider our native serviceberries (Amelanchier spp). Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis). Like its relative downy serviceberry (A. arborea), it produces brilliant white flowers in late spring and loads of red to purple berries in summer that are quite tasty to both humans and birds. Fall color can be great, too. Serviceberry grows to about 15 to 30 feet tall and wide, preferring moist to slightly dry soil in sun to partial shade. It’s native from Minnesota to Alabama east and north into Canada. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) might be a great drought-tolerant alternative to Bradford pear, particularly the cultivar ‘Red Select’. It has white spring blooms and bright red fall color after its green leaves turn maroon. There’s no reason we need to keep planting Bradford pear when we have so many attractive and adaptable native alternatives. Shown: Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis)
Daylily Alternatives Daylily (Hemerocallis spp) is an easy plant to grow, but we see it everywhere — and I mean everywhere (it’s a lot like hosta in that way). The deep-throated flowers are not very appealing to the majority of insects, and insects are vital to birds, frogs, crops and more. Blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata) grows in dry, sunny soil and is diminishing in its native range of the northern Plains, Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest. Plants will bloom all summer long and reach 1 foot to 3 feet tall, depending on moisture. Blanket flower is a favorite nectar source for the threatened Dakota skipper butterfly. Scaly blazingstar (Liatris squarrosa) is an underused, carefree native that thrives in dry, sunny conditions, like most daylilies. It forms a clump that’s about 2 feet wide and 2 to 3 feet tall, and is native from Nebraska to Virginia and south from Georgia to Texas and Oklahoma. Shown: Blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata) Photo by Matt Lavin
Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens SaveEmail Southern arrowwood(Viburnum dentatum ‘Red Feather’), also called arrowwood viburnum, is one of my favorite medium-size shrubs for medium to dry soil in full to partial sun. It’s native from Maine to Florida and west to eastern Texas. At about 8 to 10 feet tall and wide at maturity, the cultivar ‘Red Feather’ puts on a great fall show. Clusters of white flowers appear in May and June, followed by midsummer blue berries the birds devour in a day or two. (Note that you need two different cultivars of arrowwood to get berry production — ‘Blue Muffin’ is a good choice.) For wetter soils you might also try Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), which has stunning red foliage in autumn and white bottlebrush blooms in summer. It’s native from the Great Lakes region south to Texas and east. There are many red and black chokeberries (Aronia spp) that also have some top-notch fall color, spring flowers and winter berries. Why plant burning bush when you can plant these wildlife-benefiting and noninvasive natives? Shown: Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum ‘Red Feather’)
Burning Bush Alternatives Burning bush (Euonymus alatus) is commonly reported as invasive in many parts of the country — often far afield from our gardens, out into more natural and wild areas, where birds disperse the seeds. When we look for native alternatives, however, we don’t have to sacrifice burning bush’s gorgeous fall color. Eastern wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus) is a large shrub or small tree that grows to about 15 feet tall and wide. Dry to medium soil in full sun is best, but it is fairly adaptable and can handle up to 50 percent shade. Little red flowers appear in May to June, and birds gobble up the fruit at the end of the season. Wahoo is native from Minnesota to northern Texas and east. Shown: Eastern wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus)
iscanthus Alternative Miscanthus (Miscanthus spp) has big, fluffy plumes in fall that can last into winter, but it’s having some invasiveness issues in parts of the U.S. Try Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), a tallgrass-prairie native that reaches 3 feet wide and up to 6 feet tall while in bloom. Medium to dry soil in full sun is great for this native, whose foliage often turns a nice rainbow of colors in late fall. The seed head plumes will last almost the entire winter, and it holds up well to snow — just like Miscanthus. Our native grasses are host plants to all kinds of moths and butterflies. Shown: Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
Japanese Barberry Alternative Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is prized for its structure, color and low care, but its thorns and lack of wildlife value are not so great — and it’s becoming a menace in the wild, especially in areas like the Northeast. A couple of new ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) cultivars have come on the scene; not only do they have dark foliage like barberry, but their late-spring to early-summer blooms are real butterfly and bee magnets. In this image you can see ‘Little Devil’. It grows best in medium soil in full sun, reaching about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Once established it can take some periods of drought. You might also try ‘Tiny Wine’. Ninebark is native from central and eastern Canada south through North Dakota into Oklahoma, and east to Florida and New England.
Carmelvillager’s one-year-old garden in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, has grown by leaps and bounds over the past year, as many succulents shown here were started from garden cuttings. “We have a great gardener who has a few tricks in her arsenal,” Carmelvillager says. “Oh, and let’s not forget: This garden is constantly kissed by the heavy, drippy fog on many summer mornings.”
Ann’s Denver-area backyard is full of life. “The entire garden is a playground for birds,” she says. After 11 years, the garden has started to take care of itself, she says. “Many of the flowers, like the daisies and Mexican hats, were just the result of a few packs of sprinkled native wildflower seeds, and they’ve established and multiplied over the years.”
Botanical name: Penstemon eatonii Common name: Firecracker penstemon Origin: Native to arid regions of the American Southwest USDA zones: 5 to 9 (find your zone) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 1 to 2 feet wide and 2 feet tall when in flower Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant but does best with supplemental watering; attracts hummingbirds Seasonal interest: Orange-red flowers appear in winter and continue through late spring; in cooler climates it will bloom during the summer. When to plant: Plant seeds or container plants in fall.
American Senna (Senna hebecarpa) You’ll find this shrubby, tropical-looking perennial east of the Mississippi River; its cousin Maryland senna (Cassia marilandica) reaches farther west from Nebraska to Texas. Give American senna some room, and you’ll enjoy many weeks of mid-to-late summer flowers that bumblebees flock to. American senna is also host to several sulfur butterfly species. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8) Origin: Native from Wisconsin and Illinois east to southern New England and south to Georgia and Tennessee Water requirement: Medium to moist Light requirement: Full to partial sun Mature size: 4 feet tall and wide
Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida) Pale purple coneflower is, perhaps, the easiest coneflower to grow. It is drought-tolerant and blooms before the other coneflowers. In the wild, pale purple coneflower is native to the former tall-grass prairie region. Many types of native bees and butterflies visit its flowers during its early summer bloom. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 28.9 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 8) Origin: Native to central North America, from Iowa south to Texas and east to Indiana in the north and Louisiana in the south Water requirement: Low to medium Light requirement: Full sun (but can take a bit of shade) Mature size: About 3 feet tall and 6 to 12 inches wide at ground level
Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya) We have many Liatris species to choose from, but prairie blazing star may be the most commonly sold. Long-tongued bees and butterflies will be the primary visitors as they seek nectar from this midsummer bloomer. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8) Origin: Native from North Dakota south to Texas and east to Michigan and Mississippi Water requirement: Low to medium Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 4 to 5 feet tall and 1 foot wide
Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) This unusual-blooming native, which resembles mini cauliflower, thrives in slightly moist to slightly dry soil and blooms in early-to-mid summer. Give wild quinine full sun or even half sun in an open woodland setting, and it will be good to go. Herbivores avoid the leaves, which are bitter and like sandpaper. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8) Origin: Native from Minnesota to Louisiana and reaching toward Appalachia Water requirement: Medium to dry soil Light requirement: Full sun to light shade Mature size: 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide
. Smooth Oxeye (Heliopsis helianthoides) Smooth oxeye thrives in a range of soils and will work for you if you have a problem area of damp clay. This plant spreads by seeds, not rhizomes, if there is open soil. You’ll see a diversity of pollinators using this plant, so it’s good to have around. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 42.8 degrees Celsius (zones 2 to 7) Origin: Eastern North America from North Dakota east to Pennsylvania in the north and New Mexico east to Georgia in the south Water requirement: Low to medium Light requirement: Full sun to partial sun Mature size: About 3 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide
Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) You’ll notice that nodding onion slightly bows its flower heads toward the ground as its blooms mature in summer. Primarily bumblebees actively forage on this plant’s pollen in mid-to-late summer. Hairstreak butterflies use nodding onion as a larval host plant. Try it in a massed grouping at the front of a border or in a short prairie. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 8) Origin: Native to the Rocky Mountain states, Washington, Oregon and from Minnesota to Arkansas east from New York to northern Georgia Water requirement: Medium to moist soil Light requirement: Full to partial sun Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall and wide
Tall Tickseed (Coreopsis tripteris) If you like to look up at your plants, then here’s one for you. Tall tickseed stretches up to 8 feet into the sky. Slowly spreading by runners, which are easily transplanted, it will bloom for several weeks in mid-to-late summer when much has succumbed to the heat. I find that butterflies like to perch on its flowers and stems, and several moth species use it as a host plant. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9) Origin: Native to areas from the central and southern Great Plains to the Southeast and central East Coast Water requirement: Dry to moist soil Light requirement: Full to partial sun Mature size: 4 to 8 feet tall and wide
. Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) There are many Baptisia species native to the central U.S., and some have ranges extending to the Atlantic. Like all the species, blue wild indigo has a deep taproot that punches through clay and is, itself, especially suited to dry, sunny conditions. It serves as a host plant to some species of sulfur butterfly. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9) Origin: Native to areas from the central Great Plains to the southeastern and northeastern U.S. Water requirement: Medium to dry soil Light requirement: Full to partial sun Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide
Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) Many of us need a ground cover that can take dry, hot, sunny punishment and keep pushing out flowers all summer long. Purple poppy mallow has a taproot, which comes in handy when bringing up energy stores to create new leaves. Unfortunately, rabbits enjoy eating it. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 4 to 9; find your zone) Origin: Native from Illinois to Wyoming south from Louisiana to eastern Arizona Water requirement: Low to moderate Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade Mature size: 6 to 12 inches tall and 2 to 3 feet wide
Low-water landscaping. Mediterranean-style homes are especially suited to landscapes featuring waterwise plants such as agave, succulents, lavender, rosemary and olive trees, as well as plants native to your local region. Complement the plantings with structured hardscaping — brick or stonework and well-placed rocks make wonderful accents.
There are few plants that possess such a deep shade of green as monkey grass (Liriope spp), shown here. Astoundingly, it stays that lush with little to no irrigation (especially when planted in the shade). It’s not a grass at all, but a tuberous plant in the asparagus family, with dainty purple or white flowers in spring. L. spicata can be highly invasive in some areas, but L. muscari is a well-behaved clumping plant that can be used without fear of its escaping into the wild. It is hardy to zones 6 to 9.
Missouri Botanical Garden SaveEmail Plants with rhizomes, corms and tubers are well adapted to drought. Cactuses and succulents store water in their leaves, but many other species are adapted for storing water underground. Many bulbs burst from the ground in early spring when it is cool and moist, and then go dormant for the rest of the year. Others, such as the comfrey plant (Symphytum officinale, zones 4 to 8), shown here, have thick, fleshy roots that penetrate deep into the subsoil and provide moisture to the leaves during dry periods. Comfrey has some of the largest, lushest leaves for a plant of its size — when it’s grown in the shade, the leaves can reach 2 feet in length.
Mediterranean plants are generally a good bet for drought tolerance. On their own they create an arid look, but some have an incredibly lush feel and can easily be slipped into other planting schemes. Blue-gray foliage is one of nature’s signs of a plant with low water needs, and those plants can be employed to create a cool, soothing tone in the landscape. Powis Castle artemisia (Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’, zones 6 to 8), pictured here, is one of those plants. Its lacy leaves have the texture of silk and emit a heady aroma when you brush up against them.
Look to arid landscapes for inspiration. Gardeners normally think of ferns as moisture-loving plants, but there are many species that can be found in dry habitats. Western sword fern (Polystichum munitum, USDA zones 3 to 10; find your zone), shown here, grows in the forests of the West Coast, where rainfall is virtually nonexistent for six months of the year. It stays deep green nonetheless, pushing out fresh new fronds each spring after the winter rains. Its East Coast equivalent, Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides, zones 3 to 8), is also quite drought tolerant.
Many prairie flowers and grasses (many of whose ranges extend to the Atlantic, where I live) actually prefer clay soil. Why is that? A soil that’s too rich will often lead to plants that are overgrown, flop or otherwise perform poorly.
If you can, try to find local nurseries and seed companies that source from local plants. These open-pollinated plants will also be in sync to bloom for insects who time their life cycle around the plants. But no matter what, ask for natives at your local nursery, and then buy them. Shown: California goldenrod (Solidago californica)
Bring tall and even sprawling plants close to the path. Trust me, they won’t bite, so why not put a 6-foot-tall Joe Pye Weed or coreopsis near a path so people can actually see it, smell it and hear the pollinators? Tall plants don’t always have to go in the back, and short ones don’t have to go in the front. Spice things up — surprise, tickle and tease. Touching plants is a mood enhancer, just like hugging is. And when you’ve got those taller plants knocking into you as the breeze picks up, go ahead and embrace them with a big bear hug — just make sure no one else is looking.
Leave the soil alone. In vegetable beds, it’s a great idea to amend the soil to suit whatever goodies you’ll be growing, matching soil nutrients to plants. But in most gardens, it’s best to use what you have, matching plants to the native conditions. Plus, tilling soil destroys the structure and a lot of beneficial life. (It’s said there are more life forms in a tablespoon of soil than there are people in the world.) In addition, avoid putting “good” soil in a planting hole — all that does is encourage the plant to stay put and languish. And you’ll just create a bowl, so rain will drown the plant (this is especially the case with clay soils come spring and fall).
Don’t evenly space plants. When you’re out walking in a prairie or woodland or desert, does it look like a marching band at a football game? Why do so many landscapes have plants lined in perfectly spaced, straight rows? Certainly, plant tags, which suggest a set spacing, are partially to blame, but so is the idea that a grid of equally spaced plants will cover the area faster. Sure, the area might be covered faster, but in most landscapes such a formal grid just doesn’t mesh with the building structure, hardscape or vista beyond the garden. Dot groupings of plants here and there, and not evenly — maybe in a gaggle of five grasses, have two close together, one farther away and two close together again but not as close as the first two. Play with things. Be natural, not dogmatic, with your plants.
Kingfisher Landscape SaveEmail Eastern versus western exposure. Areas with an eastern exposure have a distinct advantage over other exposures: They can receive six hours of morning sun but can be easily shaded from the scalding afternoon heat with a well-placed shade tree. Western exposure can be the most challenging, because it is where plants will become very dry in the intense afternoon heat. The sun builds radiant heat on the earth’s surface over the course of the day. By late afternoon a lot of heat has built up on surfaces and radiates back into the atmosphere. This can cause plants to languish and wilt. For this reason, western exposures are great for drought-tolerant plants that thrive in the heat. Be sure to add organic matter to your soil and mulch heavily to retain moisture there.
Other new favorites include the purple weigelas (pronounced why-JEE-lah), like Wine & Roses (Weigela florida Wine & Roses, zones 4 to 8), shown here, named for its pink spring flowers that make for a bold combo with purple leaves. Wine & Roses often colors up in a particularly interesting purple that almost veers into chocolate brown, a fascinating color not often seen in plants. Give it sun for best color and average soil, and it will grow to around 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Email
SaveEmail When I think of purple shrubs that have stood the test of time, purple sand cherry (Prunus x cistena, zones 2 to 8) is the first that comes to mind. This little purple shrub has been around the block a time or two, and though it's relatively short-lived (10 years or less), it still packs a wallop. Shining red-purple foliage is accented by fragrant pink flowers in spring. Prune it after it blooms. True to its name, sand cherry prefers well-drained soil, and like most of the others, colors best in full to part sun.
Another favorite of recent years is Diabolo ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius Diabolo, zones 3 to 7), a big, wide-ranging shrub that makes a tough, easy addition almost anywhere, although its color will fade to green. Diabolo grows to 8 feet tall and wide, so give it space or prune it back hard — ninebark can take it. Diabolo's parent species is native to the eastern half of North America.
Purple smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria cultivars, zones 4 to 8) is as common a site on the East Coast as the West, and though this low-water beauty will grow into a tree, it's often cut to the ground in late winter, a practice that prompts it to send up tall new stems with bigger leaves. (Don't cut it down if you'd prefer its smoke-like flowers.) Smoke tree grows 15 feet high and 20 feet wide, but it's usually pruned to be much smaller. Popular purple cultivars include 'Royal Purple', 'Velvet Cloak', and the more reddish 'Grace'. All prefer full to part sun.
Shrubs provide more diverse habitat. Put a shrub in the middle of a flower bed or border and watch the birds perch or shelter in the branches. Many spiders, bees and other insects will also use shrubs as places to feed (if the plants are native), shelter or overwinter. The diversity in structure and texture that we find appealing when we mix shrubs with perennial flowers and grasses is also appealing to wildlife, helping to support them in every season.
Shrubs create winter interest. Letting your spent flowers and grasses stand until spring provides wildlife habitat, protects plants and gives you a stunning view. With the addition of shrubs, a deeper level of architectural intrigue occurs, especially when leaves have fallen off. The bones of deciduous shrubs and the green needles of conifers take on even more sculptural attributes, making a winter garden stand out.
Shrubs add texture and color when flowers fade. Lots of shrubs offer ornamental leaves with various colors and textures, which helps heighten the visual experience. In addition, fall color plays an important role when most of the blooms are long gone (unless you’ve got plenty of asters in the mix). Shrubs can bring one final punch of color to the growing season.
Shrubs add gravitas. Shrubs are anchors in a landscape. Most of the time we see them used in hedges, as borders or on corners. As effective as they can be in these situations, shrubs do so much more. In this image, notice how various shrubs both break up the flowers and help the eye transition from one view to the other. They also are stacked on one another to develop a tiered, layered effect as the eye shifts instinctively from the front to the back of the border.
Offer seasonal interest. Shrubs, like trees, can provide structure to the garden design — especially in winter. Shown here is the very popular redtwig dogwood (Cornus sericea, zones 2 to 7), with bright red twigs in stark contrast to the white snow. Some deciduous shrubs have a flaming red or bright yellow autumn color as well.
Mix it up. On the other end of the pruning, shaping and symmetrical spectrum is a wilder-looking garden, with flowing perennials flanked by woody shrubs. Woody plants are an important element of the perennial and meadow garden because they provide structure and interest year-round. Additionally, there are many understory and woodland shrubs that can grow with a spreading form to create a naturalistic planting design.
Agave growing tips: First select a pot, with a drainage hole, that is a little larger than the root ball, as agaves do better when their roots are slightly crowded. No saucer is needed, and is in fact discouraged, as sitting water can lead to overly moist soil. All agaves require well-drained soil, which can be created using one part compost, one part sand and one part perlite or pumice. Water when the top two-thirds of the soil has dried out. Water deeply, until water runs out the bottom. Watering should be done weekly in summer when temperatures are above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and very little in winter. Fertilize once a month during the growing season, which is typically late spring and summer. Repot every three years or so once the roots have little soil left to grow in.
‘Compacta’ Queen Victoria Agave (Agave victoria-reginae ‘Compacta’) Native to Mexico This smaller version of the slow-growing Queen Victoria agave barely reaches 12 inches wide. The dark green leaves with bright white margins make this species highly desirable. This miniature native of Mexico doesn’t produce offsets (volunteers) like many other species of agave do, and it looks great when planted in groups of three or five. Where it will grow: Hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 12 degrees Celsius (USDA Zone 8; find your zone) Light requirement: Full sun is best, but it can handle filtered shade for a few hours a day Mature size: Up to 8 inches to 1 foot tall and wide
Pathway 6,067 Saves | 3 Questions FESTUCA ‘’SISKIYOU BLUE. Feijoa - Pineapple guava is on the right. Red dracenas: maybe Torbay Red Dracena.
Blue fescue blooms, though somewhat insignificantly, in summer; golden inflorescences add height and a softer texture to the otherwise stiffer structure. When other grasses fade to a soft golden hue in fall, blue fescue keeps its soft blue color. Popular cultivars include 'Elijah Blue', 'Blausilber' and 'Siskiyou Blue
Rounded and mounded forms appear and repeat themselves throughout this dreamy meadow — a rhythmic planting scheme that is alluring and unforgettable. Santolina in shades of silver and green covers the ground, while purple alliums repeat that globe shape on taller stems. The distant wands of dark purple lavender echo the alliums, adding depth.
I will never forget watching a hummingbird in January collect the fluffy down from the seed head of a Japanese anemone. I sat quietly watching it return again and again to gather the downy seed and then fly to a tree to line the nest. Think what I would have missed if I had cut back the spent flowers and foliage when they started to fade in the fall. Here is a picture of Anemone x hybrida with the beautiful soft seeds.
Gardens thrive in all four seasons. When the first spring blooms arise, you won't feel like you missed them (as much), because so much was going on in your garden all winter long — leaving the plants up makes winter seem shorter. Those first spring flowers won't seem as much like a relief as a confirmation that a garden never really sleeps, and you'll be seeing that firsthand in all four seasons.
Protect your plants. Leaving the perennials standing will help them gather snow. That snow in turn will insulate the roots when it gets really cold and also add moisture to the soil. That’s a double win for low-maintenance gardening. Besides, isn’t this image just gorgeous? Viva snow!
Wildlife is hibernating. Lots and lots of insects and frogs, and who knows what else, are out there in your garden overwintering in leaf litter, on twigs, even in the top layer of soil. What happens when you "clean up" the leaves and chop down the plants? You might be tossing out a black swallowtail chrysalis or a mantis egg case, or stepping on a mourning cloak butterfly.
Why work when it's cold? Look, I'm tired; you're tired. So leave the garden alone. Plus it's getting cold out. Do you really want to be outside working? Isn't there a football game on or some pumpkin-spice latte to savor? Let the garden be for your own health and sanity.
Group flowers for pollinators. You can make it easier for bees and butterflies flying overhead to spot a great pit stop. Drifts and masses of blooming plants, like this Rocky Mountain zinnia (Zinnia grandiflora, zones 4 to 7) provide a more powerful beacon than solitary or scattered plants. So when you mass your species — say, in groups of three, five or seven — you’re not just bringing cohesion and balance to your landscape, you’re providing a lighthouse for pollinators. Tell us: How do you use masses and drifts in your garden? Upload photos in the Comments.
Winter matters. Don’t just think about how plants look in summer while in bloom. Look ahead to the cold season when some pretty stunning displays also happen. Long after the petals have wilted, what structure will your plants carry through the winter? What subtle, earthen tones will they hold, and how can you play them off one another?
Ground covers level and focus the visual field. Here’s a great example of how the ground plane, filled with one blooming plant, can draw the eye forward through a design. The gravel path leads us into the larger planting and out to the water, but the creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum, zones 4 to 8) ground cover frames and guides, too, like runway lights. If there were a variety of flowering species down low, we’d get lost in the visual chaos, and the calm and serenity the garden is evoking would be lost. Even though this is a water’s-edge scene, I can’t help but think of a woodland trail. There, you’d see the trail edge filled with a few species all adrift as they move deeper into the forest canopy. Plants shown: Creeping thyme, blue oat grass, Siberian iris (Iris sibirica, zones 4 to 9), Victoria California lilac (Ceanothus ‘Victoria’, zones 8 to 10), Palace Purple coral bells (Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’, zones 4 to 9)
Of course you can be more more formal with succulents too, as in this space, where purple echeveria is woven among grasses. You can clearly see the larger pattern of the drifts forming in this close-up of the garden, and how similar heights help the landscape feel cohesive and thought out. Plants shown: Echeveria (Echeveria ‘Afterglow’, zones 8 to 11), Elijah blue fescue (Festuca ‘Elijah Blue’, zones 4 to 8), blue moor grass (Sesleria caerulea, zones 5 to 9) and blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens, zones 4 to 8), with a mix of blue foxtail agave (Agave attenuata ‘Nova’, zones 10 to 11) and orange Libertia (Libertia peregrinans, zones 8 to 10)
Succulent gardens can play, too. A xeric or desert garden has a different aesthetic than a small front garden border or a larger, meadow-inspired landscape, but you can still use the principles of drifts and masses to mimic and interpret what you’d find in nature. Look at how the plants in this design at The Huntington botanical gardens are at play, with more formal golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii, zone 8) contrasting the spiked Parry agave (Agave parryi var. truncata, zones 4 to 11), and notice how some are evenly spaced and others more haphazardly positioned to reflect how they might appear in the wild.
This is a close-up of a much larger garden, but you can see how drifts and masses are working on both informal and formal levels among the plants themselves. Grasses up front encircle the coneflowers, while both lead up to the taller Joe Pye Weed blooming white. There’s both a formal, stepped succession of height we expect in a tended garden, and a more informal surprise as the viewing angle changes from point to point; the intermingling drifts provide new vistas as we walk the landscape, creating surprise and cohesion at the same time. Plants shown (click photo to see the plants tagged): Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum ‘Bartered Bride’, USDA zones 3 to 8; find your zone), Ruby Star purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Ruby Star’, zones 4 to 9), Shenandoah switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’, zones 4 to 9), Hubricht’s bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii, zones 4 to 9)
Tie a larger landscape together. The balance and weight of plant drifts can anchor a view in a larger landscape and prevent it from overwhelming or becoming visually dysfunctional. A large swath of the same grasses balances the heft of a built structure or grove of trees, or lends a more formal air when flanking a visual centerpiece, like a house.
Keep smaller spaces simple. Going with a smaller plant palette doesn’t mean limiting your choices or garden experience. A small space can quickly become overwhelmed and chaotic when there are too many plant species or their size overwhelms the space. Think about shorter plants and using more of one kind. Let’s say you have a 100-square-foot garden — maybe you’d use four to six different plant species but have 10 of each. Then if you clump them together or have drifts intermingle, you create intrigue and formal style without the perceived visual chaos of more plant species.
Create a wilder look. Nature expresses self-similarity — it repeats itself over and over in patterns that can be mapped mathematically. In other words, nature is a geometric fractal, a pattern that duplicates itself on small and grand scales. Think snowflakes, coneflower heads, trees, mountains and coastlines. In a garden you can intermingle drifts of plants. Toss in a few massed clumps of flowers amid a backdrop of grasses, then repeat that flower and grass pattern elsewhere on a larger or smaller scale — say, three of a kind here, seven of a kind there. If you have a large area, you can do this with bigger plants and more of them; in a small space, choose smaller plants with a more limited species palette.
It’s worth looking at the properties of plants when selecting plants that will not only perform well but also fulfill the requirements of your overall garden design. Form, texture and color are the three main properties of plants to consider when making your aesthetic selection. Form: The shape, whether upright, spreading or rounded. Each shape has its part to play in a planting design. Texture: It’s not always about being tactile, though there is such pleasure in feeling soft, velvety leaves or billowy grass seed heads; it is also about the visual nature of foliage and the combination of different plant textures. Color: The right color scheme for your small garden planting is as subjective as the right paint for your living room. Most small gardens tend to have schemes built around green, as it creates a tranquil backdrop that can be brightened with splashes of hot or cool colors.
Seasonal changes can be a great advantage in urban garden planting, bringing highlights to different parts of the garden at different times of the year. On the other hand, it’s not useful to have plants that look good only for a few weeks of the year and are boring for the rest. Look for small trees and shrubs that will provide amazing spring flower color and then give a second hit in the late summer and autumn with fruit or foliage. Seasonal change can also be highlighted with the selected use of herbaceous perennials to give a splash of color.
Make sure the plants will fit. Size, in the case of planting, does matter. Not only do plants need to handle soil and climate requirements, but they also need to remain at a controllable size, through either pruning or naturally restrictive growth. It is always worth doing some research to check a plant’s height and spread before making a selection. This information should also give you some idea of the plant’s growth rate, generally giving the size after five years for shrubs and 10 years for trees. With this knowledge in hand, you can space the plants to prevent overcrowding when they’re fully developed. It is always a good idea to plan your planting with a scaled drawing, always giving plants enough room to develop. If you prefer, you can always fill the gaps between plants with temporary plantings, like annuals, bulbs or even vegetables, until your permanent plantings reach maturity.
Select plants that are hardy enough to grow in your garden, especially when you have limited space. Though your garden’s climate is set geographically, its design can influence the temperature. Small, enclosed gardens can create a microclimate with higher average temperatures that allow more tender plants to grow. But just as cold and wind can damage plants, strong sun and heat can be just as bad, especially in enclosed courtyard gardens, where reflected heat can be concentrated and retained. At the other end of the scale, surrounding buildings or trees often shade urban gardens and can cause damp or dry shade. Take time to observe your conditions so that you can choose plants that not only are happy to survive but revel in such conditions.
Choose plants that suit your conditions. It is generally not possible to change many of the site conditions in an urban garden, so it’s vital to choose plants that horticulturally fit your location. If you’re planting directly in the ground, check what soil type you have before selecting any plants. Soil that is dry or moist, or acidic or alkaline, gives a clear indication of what plants will happily grow there. Plants suited to your soil conditions will perform best, though the fertility of the soil can be changed and improved through the addition of organic matter, such as manure or garden compost. It is not always easy to find space in an urban garden for a compost heap, but suitable compost or concentrated manure can be purchased in bags. Intensively planted small gardens especially make great demands on soil fertility, so regular feeding is a must.
Make lush borders with tall grasses. Big clumps of grasses creeping over the edges of pathways and other hardscaped areas bring softness to a lawn-free yard. Grasses can also be a good lawn alternative in a front yard, especially paired with paving-stone paths and a ground cover.
Make lush borders with tall grasses. Big clumps of grasses creeping over the edges of pathways and other hardscaped areas bring softness to a lawn-free yard. Grasses can also be a good lawn alternative in a front yard, especially paired with paving-stone paths and a ground cover.
London Garden Designer SaveEmail Add a window. Garden windows are portals to the world beyond. By thoughtfully placing them, you can let a small part of the outside world in on your terms, or provide a way to look out at it.
SaveEmail Creme Fraiche Deutzia (Deutzia graciis ‘Creme Fraiche’) Crisp green and white variegation makes this deciduous shrub the perfect addition to break up expanses of green. Clusters of white flowers in springtime are a bonus, and at just 2 feet tall and wide, this shrub will fit into the smallest of spaces. Where it will grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 5 to 8; find your zone) Water requirement: Average Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 1 foot to 2 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Deer resistant Seasonal interest: Spring to fall When to plant: Spring or fall Distinguishing traits: Variegated foliage White flowers in spring Planting notes: Plant in groups for sparkle in the landscape or as a filler in large containers. It does best in moisture-retentive, well-drained soil. Prune immediately after it blooms to shape.
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