Landscaping
Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) Native to prairies, pine barrens and open woodlands from Massachusetts to Kansas south to Florida and Texas It's difficult to find a native grass that puts on a show as dramatic as pink muhly. In fall the medium-green, fine-textured grasses explode with clouds of pale magenta blooms, best appreciated when planted in drifts and masses. Despite their delicate appearance, the plants are tough - able to withstand high summer temperatures (particularly in partial shade) and grow in poor soil. Try pairing pink muhly with blue-green agaves for dramatic form and color contrast. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 20.6 degrees Celsius (zones 6 to 9) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide
5. Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) Native to New Brunswick in Canada, south to Georgia and west to Michigan With cloud-like blossoms from white to light pink in late spring, this woodland ground cover forms a bright carpet in shaded garden settings. Plant foamflower where you don't mind a natural carpet. Plant heartleaf foamflower (T. cordifolia var. collina) where spreading is not desired, as it stays put in a clump. Also plant colorful Tiarella hybrids in beds for more interest once the blooms of the natives fade. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9) Water requirement: Moderate to regular; keep soil consistently moist Light requirement: Partial to full shade Mature size: 8 to 15 inches tall and 1 to 2 feet wide; some selections are more aggressive spreaders
While growing fruits and vegetables at home has been on the rise, Reader predicts it will become even more popular. “As people reengage with their gardens, they’re finding joy in working the soil to plant seeds and fruiting plants that then grow into food they can harvest,” he says.
Bluestone Terracing The team installed long stair treads leading from the patios down to the lawn area, to create interesting levels as well as depth and dimension. “We pour lines of concrete, and then take several bluestones and turn them up on their ends and set them in a mortar bed, so it reveals the riser of the step is bluestone,” Carter says.
Stucco planters
Ipe planters
Plants in rocks on side of fence?
Side of house with stone and raised planters
Snowflake (Leucojum spp.) Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8) Bloom period: Winter to midspring Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall Water requirement: Regular water from planting until the foliage dies back; periodic moisture during summer Light requirement: Full sun when in bloom; light shade or filtered sun during hot summers
Grape Hyacinth (Muscari spp.) Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 34 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8) Bloom period: Early spring Mature size: Usually 6 to 8 inches tall, though some can reach 12 inches, and 3 to 8 inches wide Water requirement: Regular from fall to spring unless covered in snow Light requirement: Full sun; can handle partial shade When to plant: Plant bulbs when they first become available in September and October. You can wait a bit longer in regions with warm-winter climates.
Maximilian Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) Native to most of North America Gardeners, and pollinators, across North America can enjoy Maximilian sunflower’s towering stalks of summer blooms. Maximilian blooms in late summer into fall, during a lull in the blooming season, and provides necessary nectar and pollen for pollinators. It tolerates many soil types, with the exception of heavy, wet clay. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 42.8 degrees Celsius (zones 2 to 8) Water requirement: Low to moderate Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 3 to 10 feet tall and 3 feet wide When to plant: Spring
Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata) Native to eastern North America, from Vermont to Florida and west to Minnesota and New Mexico Spotted beebalm is a resilient, low-maintenance and long-blooming perennial that attracts important pollinators, including bees and wasps, as well as other beneficial insects. Colorful bracts extend the length of time the plant appears to be in bloom. While spotted beebalm is considered to be a short-lived plant, lasting only about three years, it is a vigorous reseeder. It’s also deer-resistant. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 8) Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun to partial sun Mature size: 1 foot to 3 feet tall and wide
Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii) Native to Southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico Southern California’s iconic Cleveland sage invites hummingbirds, butterflies and bees all summer long. Plant it for its floral scent, which recalls native California chaparral. Cleveland sage is also drought tolerant and a fire-wise choice. Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 degrees Celsius (zones 8 to 11) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 3 to 5 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide
Blue Sage (Salvia azurea) Native to the central and eastern U.S. Moving into fall, blue sage fuels hummingbirds on their migration south and attracts beneficial bees with its tubular blooms. This true blue flower dramatizes the native prairie garden oh so subtly. Blue sage is easy to grow from seed, reseeds and is relatively drought tolerant. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9) Water requirement: Low, but looks best with regular water Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide
Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium) Native to rocky slopes in the western U.S. This unsung native shrub attracts bees, butterflies and birds with its fragrant foliage and petite white flowers. Tolerant of heat and drought, fernbush adapts to most soils. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8) Water requirement: Very low once established Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 4 to 6 feet tall and wide When to plant: Plant cuttings or sow seeds spring through fall.
Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) Native to the Eastern Plains, northern Midwest and eastern Midwest into New England The wildlife value of Culver’s root tops many gardeners’ lists. Don’t let the “root” part fool you; this plant has spiky white flowers that butterflies, moths and bees adore. This plant’s tolerance of wet soil makes it a perfect rain garden addition.
Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.)
Translucent panels for screening / fence
Pot combination.The dramatic oversize leaves of elephant’s ear (Alocasia sp.) are the clear stars of this container vignette by B. Jane Gardens beside the front entry of a home in Austin, Texas. The designer used other plants as supporting acts to add foliage variation, including boxwood (Buxus sp.), purple heart (Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’) and variegated flax lily (Dianella tasmanica ‘Variegata’).
These custom raised planters and trellis for future fruit trees are finely-crafted of yellow alaskan cedar.
The plantings, designed by Bliss Garden Design, include mounds of purple catmint (which bees adore), golden tufted hairgrass and low-growing thyme and stonecrop. Bliss Garden Design, LLC Plants include: Catmint (Nepeta sp.) Tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa, zones 4 to 9) Blue fescue (Festuca glauca, zones 4 to 8) Stonecrop (Sedum sp.) Fountain grass (Pennisetum sp.) Sage (Salvia sp.) Phlox (Phlox sp.)
Keep it simple with an elegant white-and-blue color palette of flouncy, mop-head hydrangea and the lavender-blue spikes of Russian sage.
The perennial beds surrounding a lake house in Madison County, New York, abound with color from spring through fall. The planting design by A J Miller Landscape Architecture includes a diverse range of native and ornamental perennials, many chosen to attract bees and butterflies. The long season of staggered blooms provides interest for months and also ensures a steady food source for pollinators. Plants include: Beebalm (Monarda ‘Scorpion’, USDA zones 4 to 9; find your zone) Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum, zones 3 to 8) Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’, zones 3 to 8) Hyssop (Agastache sp.) Masterwort (Astrantia major ‘Moulin Rouge’, zones 4 to 7) White turtlehead (Chelone glabra, zones 4 to 7) Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Fatal Attraction’, zones 3 to 9)
Cool custom wood planters
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