Landscape Ideas
Hidcote Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’) Despite there being so many lavenders available to us today, Hidcote remains a favorite for its compact habit and deep blue summer flowers. Lavender is perfect for lining pathways where its fragrance can be enjoyed daily. It is also effective as a low hedge, as a container plant or as part of a mixed border design, especially since its gray-green foliage remains year-round. Origin: The species is native to the Mediterranean, but Hidcote was hybridized at Hidcote Manor in England. Where it will grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 5 to 9) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 2 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Deer and rabbit resistant; attracts butterflies and bees; fragrant; drought tolerant When to plant: Spring or fall
2. Layer in shrubs and grasses. Orange Rocket Barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Orange Rocket’) In a tapestry of green, blue and gold, this bold splash of ruby foliage is a welcome punctuation point from spring until fall. Orange Rocket is a relatively new introduction, noted for its upright growth habit and striking color; it turns to fiery shades of orange and red in fall. Origin: Garden hybrid Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 4 to 9) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide Benefits and tolerances: Deer and rabbit resistant; drought tolerant When to plant: Spring or fall
Chinese Stewartia (Stewartia sinensis) This small tree has it all — beautiful bark for winter interest, white, fragrant camellia-like blooms in summer and vivid red fall color. The smooth bark of the Chinese stewartia is noted for its mottled appearance, which is revealed as sheets as the outer layers peel away. Plant this beauty in an area with protection from strong winds and late frosts. Origin: Asia Where it will grow: Hardy to -10 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 6 to 9) Water requirement: Average to moist soil Light requirement: Sun or partial shade Mature size: To 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide When to plant: Spring or fall
Apple serviceberry. Amelanchier x grandiflora, or apple serviceberry is, as James Drzewiecki of Gingko Leaf Studio in Wisconsin describes, a perfect tree for smaller suburban yards. "It won’t get so large that it casts a ton of shade over the entire lawn, like large shade trees do, but it is large enough to be in scale with most average-sized homes," he says. "Plus, the purple berries make a marvelous jam."
Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformis) Firecracker plant is a bit more unkempt than the other ground covers listed here, but its airy and transparent demeanor keeps it from becoming too visually obtrusive. It is ideal for slopes or retaining walls, where its billowing and delicate stems can arch downward in a waterfall of tubular red flowers that hummingbirds can't resist. It is drought tolerant enough to be commonly planted in the warmer areas of the American Southwest, and apart from pruning errant stems, there is little maintenance to worry about, especially if you plant it at least several feet away from paths. The long and wispy stems look superb when planted amongst architectural plants like agave and crinum, and firecracker plant can even be trained against walls and trellises in small spaces. Great Groundcovers for the Tropics Where it will grow: Hardy to 20 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 9 to 11), but resprouts in zone 8b Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Partial to full sun Mature size: Feathery stems form a mass up to 3 feet tall. Seasonal interest: Red tubular flowers spring through fall, sometimes in winter When to plant: Spring to fall
Lilyturf (Liriope 'Evergreen Giant') Lilyturf is common in gardens across the world because it gives the eye a place to rest on — much like turf grasses — but without the maintenance. It needs to be trimmed only twice a year, once in late winter before the first flush of new growth, and again in fall to remove the stalks of spent purple blooms and ripening berries. It's not the end of the world if you fail to prune it at all, though, and it will continue to form an even denser deep green mass with each passing year. Clumping lilyturfs like this one are not considered invasive. While I personally haven't had any issues with Liriope spicata, a creeping relative of 'Evergreen Giant', it can spread rapidly via runners and is considered invasive by some. But then again, so are turfgrasses like St. Augustine. It should also be noted that Liriope is often confused with mondo grass (Ophiopogon, zones 5 to 11), and neither is a true grass.
Society Garlic (Tuhlbaghia violacea) Edible garlic-flavored purple flowers on a drought-tolerant and grassy ground cover — what other reasons do you need to replace your lawn with society garlic? Suffering colonies of this plant can be found in parking medians and hell strips wherever it's hardy, but it responds very well to regular watering and an occasional boost of fertilizer, and it can fill in to form a weed-suppressing ground cover in just a couple of years.
Red Bird of Paradise
Hardy Fuchsia (Fuchsia ‘Genii’) I love this fuchsia for its electric color palette that truly lights up a shade garden. Bold golden foliage is the perfect foil for the hot-pink and rich purple flowers that dangle from the branches all summer — a siren to hummingbirds. Origin: Garden hybrid Where it will grow: Hardy to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 7 to 9) Water requirement: Moisture-retentive soil Light requirement: Partial shade Mature size: 4 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Attracts hummingbirds When to plant: Spring or fall
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