Six Elements of a Beautiful Fall Garden

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Scott Vogt

I have said it before that fall is my favorite time of the year. It means that the hottest days of summer will be replaced by autumn’s cool mornings and warm afternoons. The landscape is transformed by subtle, incremental changes that are unique every year. I have seen hints that these shifts are already happening, which is exciting. As a gardener, I gain a deeper appreciation of autumn’s exquisite beauty each year.

Fall should be the crescendo of your garden. The culmination of your time and effort with every element fitting harmoniously together. So how do you set the stage to make a grand statement with your landscape in the fall? Here some essential elements that I consider as I design a garden, especially if you want to create a show later in the season.

Textures and seedheads

When you look at a prairie in the fall, native grasses dominate the landscape. They are in full bloom with interesting seedheads and colorful stems. Grasses provide texture and movement in the garden, plus they are extremely hardy. They move with the gentlest breeze and rustle as the north wind ushers in cooler weather. I like to use grasses as backdrops for other perennials. The dark brown coneflower seedheads really stand out in the slender red stems of little bluestem. The red leaves of Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’ look great with Panicum ‘Northwind’ switchgrass. Mix and match grasses with perennials both tall and short. You really can’t go wrong by taking advantage of different types of leaves and including native grasses in your design.

moblkeyedsusan_littlebluestem_3-6-03-eweaver

Little Bluestem and Coneflower Seedhead Photo by Emily Weaver

Layers of Plants

Layering plants is the best way to mimic nature. It is critical to have the canopy of trees stair stepped down to understory trees and shrubs extended outward with native wildflowers and grasses. Each of these layers can have a diverse selection of plant material that adds form, structure, and beautiful fall colors. Everything that wildlife needs for survival can be included in these layers as well. Place maples and oaks in the back with dogwoods, viburnums, serviceberries and crabapples in the middle layer, and a host of wildflowers, grasses, and shorter shrubs such as sumac spreading into the sunlight away from the shadow of the trees.

October Skies Aromatic Aster, Purple Dome New England Aster and Little Bluestem

Interesting Lines

I develop eye-catching lines and curves either through the use of plants or edging. Curves can lead you through the garden or take you gently around a corner to reveal a piece of art or focal point. Rather than straight lines, try undulating your borders. It gives the illusion of extra space while drawing your eye along the border. Also, curves relieve the linearity of most gardens. I use ‘October Skies’ aromatic aster or shorter grasses such as Bouteloua ‘Blonde Ambition’ or prairie dropseed along these borders for dramatic effect.

Fall Color

You can enjoy a colorful fall garden through leaf color or blooms. Maple trees like ‘John Pair’ or ‘Autumn Splendor’ develop beautiful fall color. I love the blooms of Asters and goldenrods late in the season. They extend the blooms well into September and October. Native grasses are transformed from green to splendid shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. Amsonia hubrichtii turns butter yellow and a large mass of them is quite stunning. This is one of my favorite plants because it has multiple seasons of interest.

PanicumVirgatumAndSolidagoRigida_EWeaver_13Sept2002_00274

Switchgrass and Rigid Goldenrod Photo by Emily Weaver

Amsonia hubrichtii Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.

Use of light

The lower angle of the autumn sun can transform a garden. Take advantage of its glow with bright fall colors and interesting forms. The late evening light illuminates native grasses in exquisite ways. ‘Tiger Eyes’ sumac with its chartreuse foliage that changes to oranges and yellows as the season progresses can brighten up a dark corner of your garden.

Frame the Views

Look for areas in your garden worth highlighting such as an arbor, a bench or a piece of art. You can leave a narrow swath of lawn with perennials and shrubs on either side that lead to this focal point. Interesting lines and diverse plants will only add to the intrigue and beauty of this space. It is another trick you can use to draw people into the garden.

In fact, all these elements will draw you into the garden this fall. They will help you transform your landscape into a beautiful and functional space. By thinking about or adding just of few of these elements, you will be rewarded as your garden transitions from summer to fall.

Native Plant Selection Made Easy

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Scott Vogt

I have found that a beautiful native landscape doesn’t magically appear. It starts with a plan. By choosing the right plants that grow well together in your setting, you will avoid many of the challenges homeowners face after the plants are established. Plant selection is the most important step in the process of developing a native landscape, but it can also be the most challenging. How do you select the best plants for a particular setting? What do you need to do to insure their success? Here are the steps I use to choose the best plants for a site and design a landscape that is both functional and beautiful.

Analyze the Location

You know your garden better than anyone. You know the soil type. Does it stay wet or is it extremely dry or something in between? You know how much sun your area receives during the day and throughout the year. You know where the water flows. Are there areas that you can utilize as a background or backdrop? Is there something you are trying to screen? Is there an area you are trying to develop? These are important questions that ultimately affect the types of plants you will choose.

Prepare the Site

Site preparation doesn’t have much to do with plant selection, but it is an important step to consider as you develop your native landscape. You need to get perennial weeds such as bindweed and Bermuda grass eradicated before you plant your garden. If these weeds are not eliminated, they will overrun and out compete anything you plant. Trust me on this. I am still fighting these weeds in certain areas in my yard because I didn’t complete this step.

It is also good to define the area with some kind of border. I have used metal edging, brick, limestone or landscape stone. Edging makes your native garden look intentional. Develop an area you can manage and fits your lifestyle. You can always expand, but a bed that is too large can quickly become overwhelming.

Choose the Plants

Once you have gathered all this information about your site and all the initial work has been done, you are ready to decide which plants will grow well together. The most important step in the selection process is matching plants to the site. You need to become familiar with every aspect of the plants through investigation, research and experience. I often start with one or two plants I know will grow in this location. Once I have established them as the foundation, the other plant combinations come easier.

I design each landscape with the finished picture in mind. I consider heights, bloom time, habit, forms and textures. We often only think about these plants when they are in bloom, but don’t forget their other qualities, such as seed heads that provide visual interest in the winter months. It provides you an opportunity to highlight these qualities with another perennials or native grasses (e.g. coneflower seed heads against little bluestem). I group plants together for visual affect and stagger blooms throughout the season. You want something coming into bloom and going out of bloom from spring through fall. I include grasses for texture and movement during the winter months.

Why plant a garden if you can’t enjoy it? I predict that your native landscape will be a hub of pollinator and butterfly activity. It will be an important link to other gardens in your neighborhood. It may even inspire you to establish other prairie gardens in your landscape. Your success may influence others to follow your example. A native plant garden should be cherished, because you are helping the natural world in so many far-reaching ways. Believe it or not, your garden will have a positive impact. So get started! Let your imagination and creativity inspire your design.

Bearer of the Ammonite by Paul Friesen-Photo Courtesy of Jen LeFevre

Photo Credit

Shrubs for Bees

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Scott Vogt

A well-designed garden has many different forms, colors, heights, bloom times and textures. Plants are integrated in ever-changing combinations that should be appealing to us and the wildlife we are trying to attract. Obviously, pollinators depend on diversity of plants and being able to find the food they need. Shrubs are an important nectar source for many different pollinators, particularly for bees. By including just a few of these in your own landscape, you can have a beautiful and productive garden that makes a difference in their survival. Here is a list of shrubs for bees to feast upon.

Small Deciduous Shrubs (1-3 feet tall)

Black Chokeberry–Aronia melanocarpa-The tiny white blooms of this ornamental shrub attract many different types of bees. The black fruit is a bonus to be eaten fresh or left for wildlife. Look for varieties like ‘Autumn Magic’, ‘Iroquois Beauty’ or ‘Viking’ to add to your garden.

Black Chokeberry

Western Sand Cherry–Prunus besseyi ‘Pawnee Buttes’-This wonderful, easy to grow landscape plant has an abundance of sweetly scented flowers in the spring followed by black cherries in the summer. The glossy green leaves turn shades of red and purple in the fall. It only grows to 18 inches tall by 4-6 feet in spread making it a fantastic ground cover.

Coralberry–Symphoricarpos sp.-This is a shrub that is grown for its ornamental berries. However, the tiny blooms are gladly used by bees. The summer’s flowers swell into pinkish white pearls along arching stems. The fruit is persistent well into winter. “Candy™’ or ‘Galaxy™’ are forms with great fruit clusters.

Lead Plant–Amorpha canescens-This is a great butterfly bush alternative. The purple flower spikes in late spring atop the silvery gray foliage are extremely attractive. Bees cover these plants while blooming. It is a native wildflower that thrives in a sunny spot.

Lead Plant

Medium to Large Deciduous Shrubs (4-10+ feet tall)

Buttonbush–Cephalanthus occidentalis-The unusual, fragrant flower balls of this native shrub are magnets to a host of pollinators. I have seen up to two dozen swallowtail butterflies on one plant when in bloom. ‘Sugar Shack®’ is a shorter form that works well in the landscape.

Buttonbush

Elderberry–Sambucus canadensis-As you drive the highways in summer, this shrub is everywhere. The creamy white blooms pop out of the landscape especially against the glossy green foliage. These flat topped clusters of flowers make great landing pads for bees. The fruit is tasty and very high in antioxidants. ‘Adams’ and ‘York’ are native forms selected for their larger fruit. Other non-native forms like ‘Black Lace’ and ‘Lemony Lace’ are more refined alternatives for the landscape.

Elderberry

Spicebush–Lindera benzoin-We have had success growing this as an understory shrub. The tiny yellow flowers attract bees and the leaves have a spicy smell when crushed. Plants develop a nice yellow fall color.

Viburnums-There are too many of these shrubs to mention, but I will highlight our native to Kansas varieties, which have beautiful white flowers in the spring followed by clusters of purplish fruit that develops later in the summer. Viburnum prunifolium has smaller oval leaves that develop reddish-purple fall color. Viburnum rufidulum has shiny leaves that turn burgundy-purple fall color. Each of these shrubs can grow to 12 feet tall.

Blackhaw Viburnum-Viburnum prunifolium

Certainly, there are other shrubs for the landscape such as Beautyberry-Callicarpa americana, sumac (Rhus sp.), Roughleaf Dogwood-Cornus drummondii, American plum-Prunus virginiana, Clover Currant-Ribes odoratum, and serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.) that deserve more use in landscapes. Many of these shrubs have been pushed aside for ornamental varieties that are nice to look at, but offer nothing to wildlife because the flowers are sterile. By strategically choosing plants that are both beautiful and alluring to bees and other wildlife, your garden will become a haven for pollinators.

Shrubs for Bees Photo Credit

Trees for the Bees

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Scott Vogt

Are native wildflowers the only plants that bees love? I knew the answer to this question is no, but needed a reminder. The other day as I was giving a tour at the arboretum. We had stopped next to a Littleleaf Linden tree (Tilia cordata). It was extremely fragrant. It was also covered by pollinators including many different types of bees. The hum as they busily worked over the flowers was amazing. It made me think – Are there other trees that pollinators use throughout the year?

Littleleaf Linden

The plight of bees and other pollinators have been in the news lately. Beekeepers struggle with colony collapse. Pollinator populations continue to decline. Habitat loss and dwindling sources of pesticide-free plants make it harder for insects to find the food they need for their very survival. Wildflowers are promoted as the elixir for these endangered pollinators, but in reality a diverse network of food has never been more important. Trees are a vital food source for all sorts of insects. The abundance of flowers at a single location provide bees and other pollinators with valuable sources of nectar. Trees can be part of the solution to these problems. Here is a list of trees that pollinators will flock to when in bloom. Besides helping the pollinators they may give you some shade.

Black Cherry-Prunus serotina

This native tree can be found in the eastern half of the United States. Black Cherry is not a specimen tree, but offers fragrant, nectar-rich flowers followed by tangy fruit that wildlife enjoy. Plant along the outskirts of your property so it has adequate space, ultimately reaching 50-75 feet tall. Other cherry trees and fruit trees offer pollinators nectar early in the year. We certainly benefit from their work.

Black Cherry

Basswood-Tilia americana

This deciduous tree is a bee magnet. The clusters of fragrant yellow flowers in June and July attracts pollinators from all over the neighborhood. The foliage is heart shaped, which provides dense shade. It has an upright habit that develops into a broad spreading tree over time to 75 feet. The smaller (to 40-50 feet) non-native cousin Littleleaf Linden is just as alluring to pollinators. The variety ‘Redmond’ is one of the most common available at your local garden center.

Willows-Salix sp.

This is often overlooked as a group of trees, but it is extremely important to a wide variety of pollinators. Consider planting a pussy willow or weeping willow in your garden, especially if you have a wet spot. I grew up fishing around and under Black Willow trees along the East Emma Creek. I can still remember being scolded and even dive bombed by a Red-winged Blackbird that was protecting its nest in one of these Black Willow trees. They are not very ornamental, but valuable to a host of wildlife along with many different pollinators.

Pussy Willow

Catalpa-Catalpa speciosa

This is a tree that deserves wider use because it is very adaptable and tough. The showy, white flowers in June are sought by bees. These flower clusters develop dangling cigar-like seed pods. The heart-shaped leaves are attractive along with the irregular branching of the tree. It as many unique features that may be worth a try in your garden.

Catalpa

Black Locust-Robinia pseudoacacia

This native tree makes fantastic honey. The creamy white, fragrant flowers dangle from the branches in long 4-8 inch racemes. Bees flock to the flowers that are rich in nectar and pollen. The black locust tree is quite adaptable but needs full sun for best growth. Most trees reach 30-60 feet tall at maturity. Look for varieites called ‘Frisia’ or ‘Purple Robe’ to establish in your garden.

Black Locust

Diversity is the key to pollinator success. The pollinators needs a variety of plants that bloom a different times all through the year. Blooming trees literally take pollination to a new level. Your bee-friendly habitat needs some blooming trees.

Trees for the Bees Photo Credits

Plant profile: Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Scott Vogt

Several years ago as I was preparing for our fall plant sale, I noted that I had a flat of 32 golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) ready for the sale. I went back three days later and could not find the plants anywhere. I thought somebody had moved them, but later discovered the flat of plants had been eaten to the soil line by Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. They were on several other plants in the gardens as well as a few random plants within the nursery. I was amazed at how voracious those caterpillars were. They literally ate the plants to the ground.

The beautiful bloom of Golden Alexander

Golden alexander (Zizia aurea) is the Kansas Native Plant Society 2016 Wildflower of the Year. They are most often found in prairie savannas, woodland edges, wooded bottomlands, stream banks, moist meadows, and floodplains. They are quite adaptable once established surviving even the driest summers.

The deep green leaves of golden alexanders are distinctly divided and tough. This wildflower grows between 12″ to 36″ tall with yellow flowers in flat topped umbels forming in May and June. The seeds that develop resemble dill seeds. Be careful! If it is happy, it will self-seed and colonize an area.

Zizia aurea is an important plant whether in bloom or not blooming. It is a member of the parsley/carrot family, which are host plants for Swallowtail butterflies. When in bloom, many other pollinators are attracted to the bright yellow flowers. It is a pollinator magnet.

Blue False Indigo with Golden Alexander in the foreground and background

This native wildflower is extremely easy to grow in either full sun or partial shade. I tend to plant it in areas that receive morning sun and then are shaded during the hottest part of the day. It can thrive in clay soils and the shiny foliage and vivid yellow flowers make this a welcome addition to your wildflower garden. Plant a few as an offering to the Swallowtail butterflies. In my opinion, this is a plant that should be in every garden.

The Prairie Paradox

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Scott Vogt

“Reversing deforestation is complicated; planting a tree is simple.”

– Martin O’ Malley, Former Governor of Maryland and Mayor of Baltimore.

When I first read this saying, I automatically changed it in my mind. I changed it to “reversing prairie degradation and loss is complicated; planting a wildflower is simple“. Granted, we appreciate trees in Kansas. But more than trees, we need to plant prairie to reverse the losses to our signature landscape. Only one percent of the original prairie remains—99 percent of prairies are gone. The rich prairie land is now used to produce crops and raise livestock. Only a few pockets of prairie still survive in their original form, including the Flint Hills.

I grew up on a farm and learned so much from farm life. I know the value of the land. I understand how hard it is to eke out a living working the land. There is a richness of the soil precisely because it was once prairie. Conservation of the soil is vital to the success of any farm. Stewardship of the land is understood. We can’t take the land away from the farmers and landowners, but we also can’t let the prairie disappear forever either. We need the food that this land produces and we need to save this almost extinct ecosystem. It is complicated on so many levels.

Big Bluestem growing in the Prairie Window Project

I believe the solution to the prairie paradox is to allow for and encourage individuals to make small steps, such as choosing to plant native wildflowers and grasses in our own yards and landscapes. Just like remnant prairies that dot the landscape, our small gardens can have an impact. This impact can be multiplied with each new wildflower and each new garden that is established. By choosing to establish just a few native plants, we can begin the slow process of reclamation, rejuvenation and renewal of this lost landscape. Large expanses of prairie are never coming back, but a patchwork landscape of our own native plants seems doable.

Larger prairie restorations are a challenge. They can take years to get established and even then the results will almost always fall short of the original prairie. I can remember looking at a prairie restoration in Wisconsin that had been seeded over 20 years earlier. The guide noted that the prairie had just started looking like the original prairie. It took that long to develop into something that resembled a true prairie. I am not saying that we shouldn’t plant new prairie. If anything, we should start now so the transformation can begin. A “new prairie” does not develop overnight. It takes time and is complicated by so many different factors. We should have realistic expectations and be patient.

Burning the Prairie Window Project-Spring 2016

Even our Prairie Window Project is continuing to mature. It is now nearly 10 years old. We have worked hard to keep the trees and yellow sweet clover out of the prairie. We planted the prairie with good diversity of wildflowers and grasses but even that is no guarantee of success. The impact of farming on the land, weed competition with new native seedlings, management regiments and many other influences can have detrimental effects on a prairie reconstruction slowing the transformation. These examples demonstrate how complicated it can be to change a farm field to a prairie. It is costly, time consuming and unpredictable.

Earth Partnership for Schools Native Planting

We should keep planting native plants because it is the right thing to do. Plant a prairie if you can. Reclaim a prairie if you can. The prairie ecosystem, unique to North America, is an important part of our natural heritage. Native pollinators need these plants for their survival. Native wildflowers and grasses create habitat for wildlife. We should be aware of the many benefits of native plants. Obviously, native plants are worth the effort. Remember, planting a wildflower is simple –why not start today?

This is a landscape worth saving!

A Day on the Prairie is Good Medicine

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Scott Vogt

Well, it happened again! I spent another beautiful day in the Flint Hills. After several weeks of busyness, I needed some quiet and solitude – time away from the office to refocus my thoughts and recharge my batteries. I knew just the place to go.

Deep in the heart of the Flint Hills there is a secluded pond that is stocked with Largemouth bass. It is rare that you don’t catch a fish and this particular day was no exception. The fish were biting, but more importantly the sun was shining, the breeze was light and the spring wildflowers were in bloom. It was a picture perfect day.

We who live in Kansas often get criticized for the lack of beauty in the state. While it is true that we don’t have mountains and we don’t have large forests and we don’t have beautiful sand beaches, what we do have is open prairie. We have an unobstructed, open view of the blue sky. We have some of the best sunrises and sunsets in the world, with colors and hues that change from one minute to the next and reach from west to east. I am amazed each and every time I pause to appreciate the beginning and the end of the day. They are truly works of art and a gift to be appreciated.

Quivira Wildlife Refuge at dusk. Photo by Brad Guhr.

Quivira Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Brad Guhr.

This particular day my senses were heightened. The Flint Hills prairie was spectacular. I was keenly aware of the various sights and sounds all around me. I noticed the Meadowlarks singing on the fence posts and the various birds in the Cottonwood trees near the pond. The scissor-tailed flycatcher was doing his thing over the grasses and I could hear the call of a pheasant in the distance. The prairie was alive with activity.

Chase State Fishing Lake. Photo Courtesy of Bob Regier

I walked through the prairie noticing all the spring wildflowers blooming. There was tremendous diversity from tiny violet woodsorrel (Oxalis violacea) to yellow grooved flax (Linum sulcatum) to Milkvetch (Astragalus sp.) to larger wildflowers like Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis var. minor) and Green Antelopehorn Milkweed (Asclepias virids). The prairie I was walking through had been burned this spring, so individual wildflowers stood out amongst the dark green grass blades.

I believe people from other states and landscapes would change their minds about Kansas if they could have been with me that day.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Photo by Brad Guhr.

In my opinion, we take the Kansas landscape for granted, with its striking beauty, its stunning complexity and diversity and its open expanse stretching to the horizon. It is a landscape worthy of appreciation and admiration.

If you have a chance, take a drive and spend a day on the prairie. Why not this week? It may be just what you need. It certainly helped me to reconnect and left me refreshed. It was good medicine.

Try these links to set your prairie itinerary. Natural Kansas , Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve , Cimarron National Grasslands , Konza Prairie , Maxwell Wildlife Refuge , The Nature Conservancy of Kansas .

Plant Profile: My Run-in With A Texas Buckeye

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Scott Vogt

There are some experiences we will always remember and others we need to be reminded of from time to time. One of those experiences happened for me with the Texas Buckeye near the Arboretum parking lot. Each spring when it blooms, I am reminded of the time I about killed that tree.

Texas Buckeye Blooms

It was one of the first years I was working as the horticulturist/grounds manager. I was mowing close to that tree, which had been planted the year before. It was supported with wires from the trunk to stakes in the ground. I turned the mower and WACK! The top of the tree hit me on the head.

Have you ever had the sudden realization that something isn’t right? Have you ever had that feeling in the pit of your stomach to not turn around? I turned around to see that the back of my mower had caught one of the wires and pulled the tree over, breaking the trunk about two feet off the ground. I wanted to crawl in a hole.

The Texas Buckeye (Aescules glabra var. arguta) tree, which was now laying horizontal, had been sought diligently for this specific spot. In one second, I had killed it.

Have you ever had thoughts of hiding something you did wrong? That thought flashed into my mind. Will anyone notice? I was in a jam. So, I decided to take my lumps.

I walked into Larry Vickerman’s office, who was the director at that time, and told him the bad news. To his credit he didn’t yell at me, but I certainly would have deserved it. He took a look at it and we decided to try to set it upright again. We gently unhooked it from the mower and made it vertical and then wrapped the place where it bent over with tree wrap. We crossed our fingers that it would survive. It did survive the rest of that year and bloomed the next year. It has continued to bloom each year since and each spring I am reminded of the time I was hit upside the head. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned in this story. Maybe I need to be hit upside the head from time to time.

Anyway, if you look close, the scar is still visible, but it has fully healed. This beautiful small tree has palmately compound leaves that will turn yellow-orange in the fall. The real show in is May when the creamy, yellow flower panicles emerge. The blooms are spectacular and very eye catching, because they appear at the ends of the branches. It is an understory tree, which becomes most visible when in bloom. The leathery seed pods develop later in the year and contain tannish-brown, shiny seeds that look like “buck (deer) eyes” . The seeds are known to be poisonous along with all parts of the plant as well. If the tree becomes really drought stressed, it will prematurely drop its leaves. Ultimately reaching 20-25 feet tall and 15-20 wide, it is a wonderful small tree for the landscape.

This is a great native small tree that deserves more use. Each year, I get a renewed sense of relief, because I know what I did to it, yet is still thrives. If this Texas Buckeye can survive being toppled by a mower, it can survive anything you throw at it.

Native Plant Combinations for the Landscape

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Scott Vogt

Many people who visit our FloraKansas Plant Sale are very interested in converting their gardens to using native plants, but they often are unsure of which plants to put together and in what configurations. Here are a few tried and true combinations that I have enjoyed, both in our plantings at the Arboretum, and at my home. I hope these suggestions start to get your creativity flowing.

(In addition, you may want to check out these other resources: Landscaping Recipe Card, Establishing Native Plants, and Other Native Plant Landscape Designs)

Perennial Gardens Using Natives

Use these native plant combinations in either a foundation or island planting. Each garden can be modified to fit your space. These plant combinations have been carefully selected to provide year around interest with minimal maintenance required, and will attract a diverse group of pollinators.

PERENNIAL BORDER-SUN

Five Panicum ‘Northwind’ and five Baptisia ‘Pink Truffles’ in the back row, alternating
Seven Aster ‘Raydon’s Favorite’, middle back row
Seven Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’, middle front row
Seven Solidago ‘Little Lemon’ and seven Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’ in the front row, alternating

PERENNIAL BORDER-SUN Less than 36 inches tall

Seven Panicum virgatum Cheyenne Sky’ in the back row
Seven Agastache ‘Summer Love’ in the middle back
Five Echinacea paradoxa and five Schizachryium ‘Standing Ovation’, alternating in the middle front
Five Aster ‘Snow Flurry’, five Callirhoe involucrata and five Bouteloua ‘Blonde Ambition alternating in the front row

Purple Poppy Mallow and Blue Grama

ISLAND PLANTING-SUN

Three Cephalanthus ‘Sugar Shack’ (Center)
Five Schizachyrium ‘Blue Paradise’, five Liatris spicata ‘Alba’, three Butterfly weed, alternating in the middle row back
Five Aster ‘October Skies’’ and three butterfly weed middle row front
Seven Oenothera macrocarpa and seven Prairie Dropseed, alternating front row

Butterfly weed and Shasta Daisy

SHADE

Three Oakleaf Hydrangea, back row
Five Solidago caesia, middle row back
Five Aquilegia canadensis and five Polygonatum biflorum, middle row front, alternating
Nine Carex eburnea, front row

Plants for containers

These combinations will provide interesting colors, textures and blooms throughout the growing season. Each list of plants are for larger pots that are at least 12-18 inches in diameter. Place center plants in pot first, then arrange other perennials evenly around the rim of the container. I really enjoyed my potted native plants last year. It was amazing to watch the pollinators come up to my back deck. It was like having a front row seat.

SUN

Three Coreopsis ‘Cosmic Eye’
Two Heuchera
One Gaura ‘Rosyjane’
One Schizachyrium ‘Twilight Zone’ (Center)

Three Agastache ‘Raspberry Summer’
One Panicum ‘Northwind’ (Center)
Three Monarda ‘Grape Gumball’

One Physocaprus ‘Tiny Wine’
Three Agastache ‘Kudos Yellow’
Three Bouteloua ‘Blonde Ambition’

SHADE

Three Heuchera ‘Autumn Leaves’
Three Carex appalachica
One Solidago odora (Center)

Three Native Ferns
Two Wild Ginger
One Aruncus ‘Misty Lace’ (Center)

PART SUN

One Rhus ‘Tiger Eyes’ (Center)
Two Heuchera ‘Obsidian’
Two Aster divaricatus ‘Eastern Star’

These are do it yourself native plant combinations that will work well, if matched to your landscape. They will provide easy care, attract a wide variety of wildlife, while providing beauty for your garden. Just choose a set of plants that fit your area or pot.

As the saying goes, “…if you build it they will come” or in this case “…if you plant it they will come.” Have fun in your garden this year.

Gardening as Entertainment

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Scott Vogt

For me, there’s something fun, exciting, and even entertaining about gardening. It is an adventure every year. I love the journey of taking a plant, any plant, and making it grow. To see a plant transformed into something that produces a crop for me to use or a flower for me to enjoy is extremely gratifying. It’s a very personal journey, because of the time you spend and the choices you make. Actively gardening appeals to the senses. I don’t want to get all sappy, but to touch, see, hear, and watch the landscape change with a little input and time from me is very fulfilling.

How do we make gardening landscaping more enjoyable? I have thought quite a bit about this question – particularly about making landscaping with native plants more appealing to the general public. What would motivate someone to spend time and energy developing a native landscape? Ultimately, it is their choice, but if it were viewed as entertainment, we couldn’t produce enough plants to meet the demand.

So let’s look at gardening as entertainment. We all want to be entertained. At least I do. So here are some ways tending a landscape can entertain you.

Changes throughout the year.

Where else can you go and get year-round beauty? If you go to the Konza Prairie near Manhattan, you can experience the natural beauty that occurs as the seasons progress. Every couple of weeks you will see something new. Subtle changes to the landscape provide surprising beauty. It is no different in our own landscapes. If you have just three to four plants in bloom during each season of the year, combined with some native grasses, you can mimic that larger landscape on a much smaller scale. Think of your landscape as a canvas with constantly changing colors, shapes, patterns and textures. Sounds very attractive, doesn’t it?

Wildlife.

To watch a monarch butterfly flit from flower to flower is amazing. To see a hummingbird sipping the nectar from a tubular flower can be mesmerizing. Blazing stars (Liatris aspera) covered with ten different pollinators at the same time captures your attention. Just think about the many benefits of native plants. One of the most important benefits to pollinators is the symbiotic relationship plants and wildlife have with each other. If you enjoy live entertainment, watching wildlife in your garden can captivate your attention.

Relaxation.

We are all living increasingly busy lives. We don’t have enough time to step back and unwind. Gardens give us the space to relax. Plant a garden that is manageable. If you are really busy focus, on a small area you will use the most or see the most from your home. For me, my garden is entertainment. An oasis from a hectic life. A chance to get my hands in the soil. The smell of freshly turned soil is soothing. My garden draws me away from personalities, stress, and performance and brings me back to my roots. Gardening is about touching things that are real and alive, engaging the senses, and enjoying the journey year after year.

Gardening is a choice worth making. Your landscape can touch your senses, give you a place to go and get the recovery you need and entertain you. A choice to garden and create a landscape for your enjoyment is never unwise. Embrace the journey!