Garden paths
Might be invasive. Botanical name: Symphytum x uplandicum ‘Axminster Gold’ Common names: Gold variegated comfrey, Axminster Gold comfrey, Russian comfrey Origin: A naturally occurring hybrid found in the Caucasus Mountains in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 4 to 7; find your zone) Water requirement: Average Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade (does best protected from hot afternoon sun in warmer climates) Mature size: The foliage rosette is typically 18 inches tall and 2 feet wide, but the flower spikes may rise to 4 feet. Benefits and tolerances: Deer resistant; rabbit resistant (so far in my garden); attracts butterflies Seasonal interest: Spring through fall When to plant: Spring or fall
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (zones 4 to 8) Water requirement: Average to low; drought tolerant once established Light requirement: The growers recommend shade or partial shade, but my plant grew well in full sun (Seattle-type full sun) from sunrise until 3 p.m. each day. Mature size: 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide Benefits and tolerances: Deer resistant; low maintenance Seasonal interest: Spring to fall When to plant: Spring or fall Distinguishing traits:◦More resistant to sun scorch than other varieties ◦Blue flowers in spring ◦Stands up to heat and humidity Planting notes: ◦It’s perfect for woodland gardens and shade containers. ◦Plant it in rich, fertile soil that drains well.
Vine on trellis 6" away from shed. Choose the right vine. One way to minimize damage is by choosing a type of vine that is less likely to damage your home. Avoid English ivy, which has very tough clinging roots and is known to be invasive. Boston ivy or Virginia creeper would be a better choice for a classic vine-covered look, or try a climbing variety of clematis if you prefer something that flowers
Botanical name: Ajuga reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant’ Common names: Bugle weed Origin: Europe Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 4 to 9; find your zone) Water requirement: Adaptable to either drought or saturated soils Light requirement: Partial shade is ideal, but will tolerate full sun in moist soil Mature size: 6 inches tall; spreads indefinitely
Here’s a sedge that keeps its color even in snow (many do, but this one is especially good, I’ve been told). It’s long-beaked sedge (Carex sprengelii). It gets nice flowers in spring to early summer, like most sedges, and its leaves are a bit wider. In drier, sunnier spots, it might only be 1 foot tall, whereas in wetter or shadier spots, it could reach 3 feet tall. This sedge is native from the central and northern U.S. up into Canada.
Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa). That’s it on the right, with the long, black, fuzzy seed heads that look like electrified worms in sunlight. Pretty neat, huh? In summer wild senna blooms yellow for a month. It prefers medium to moist soil in sun and gets to 4 feet tall and wide. It’s native to the northern Midwest all the way to the East Coast.
Botanical name: Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ Common name: Coral bark Japanese maple Origin: Native to Asia Where it will grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 5 to 8; find your zone) Water requirement: Medium Light requirement: Sun to partial shade Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall, with an equal spread Benefits and tolerances: Slow growing; small-scale trees are insect and disease resistant Seasonal interest: Outstanding winter color, attractive light green foliage in spring and summer When to plant: Spring to fall
Botanical name: Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ Common name: Coral bark Japanese maple Origin: Native to Asia Where it will grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 5 to 8; find your zone) Water requirement: Medium Light requirement: Sun to partial shade Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall, with an equal spread Benefits and tolerances: Slow growing; small-scale trees are insect and disease resistant Seasonal interest: Outstanding winter color, attractive light green foliage in spring and summer When to plant: Spring to fall
water catcher outside of kitchen garden
Paintbox Garden From September to November there's a changing palette — Eastern showy aster (Eurybia spectabilis) is a standout, with masses of light purple flowers, and a tall dark purple New England aster called 'Marina Wolkonsky' caught my eye in the Native Border. Asters are found growing throughout North America east of the Rocky Mountains, and New England asters grow widely through the Northeast.
Bees of all kinds are drawn to tall blazing star (Liatris aspera), which also attracts finches that eat the seeds. It's growing with purple love grass (Eragrostis spectabilis), which has a habitat range that extends from Maine to Florida.
As you come up the path through the Dry Meadow, an enormous granite specimen looms — called Split Rock. It's a prominent focal point, sited in the path so that visitors can easily touch its contours, peer into the space where the rock has split in two and learn about the local geology.
railing!
Bird bath behind pond's bridge, near shed
Patio area below & around deck - landscape stone-work
Put stepping stones in front of bench
Hang old light fixture or hanging basket from pergola
Mix up your materials. Perhaps you have an existing patio, or are considering adding one but are unsure how to make it feel like a natural part of your garden. Take a cue from this backyard. The gravel covering the path leading to the patio is the same color as the bluestone patio. Bands of bluestone have been placed within the pathway, creating continuity and a peaceful transition.
Repeat key elements. The use of a key element repeated throughout a garden gives it peaceful continuity. This technique is especially effective when the key element crosses over a pathway into the parallel bed, moving the eye back and forth throughout the space. Notice how this shady mixed border carries the eye through the space. Even though this garden relies heavily upon hostas for interest, it is the large-leafed hostas (Hosta cvs, USDA zones 3 to 8) that punctuate the space from side to side and move the eye down the pathway.
Going toward pergola
Where kitchen garden is
Hardy True Geranium Familiar geraniums, which are really pelargoniums, may have stolen the name and the spotlight, but the true geranium is making a name for itself amongst gardeners. This mounding perennial adds color to the garden from summer into fall. Different species have different bloom times, but for flowers into the fall, good choices include ‘AnnFolkard’, G. x riversleaianum (a good ground cover choice) and ‘Johnson’s Blue’. Common names: Hardy geranium, cranesbill Botanical name: Geranium USDA zones: 3 to 9 Water requirement: Regular Light requirement: Full sun to filtered shade Mature size: 1 foot to 2 feet Growing tips: True geraniums prefer cooler summers, filtered shade where it’s hot and well-draining soil. The plant will spread easily; deadhead it regularly to keep it blooming and looking good.
Complex Toad Lily The name may not be inviting, but toad lily is the perfect addition to a woodland garden. It fits in well with shade-loving foliage plants, such as ferns, its pale green leaves contrasting with darker greens around it. At the end of summer, almost orchid-like white, pink or purple blossoms spotted with darker purple markings appear along the leaves from base to tip, adding a pop of unexpected color to a shady area. Common name: Toad lily Botanical name: Tricyrtis hirta USDA zones: 4 to 9 Water requirement: Plenty Light requirement: Light to full shade Mature size: 3 feet Growing tips: Provide rich organic soil and plenty of water, especially in sunnier areas. Some varieties have gold-edged leaves, which can really shine in the shade.
Common name: Russian sage Botanical name: Perovskia atriplicifolia USDA zones: 4 to 9 Water requirement: Little to moderate Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 3 to 5 feet Growing tips: Russian sage will take almost any soil and often spreads easily. If you're planting it en masse, place the plants close enough that they can support one another, as single plants may droop. For best blooms, cut the plants back near the ground before they begin to flower in spring.
Cloudlike Russian Sage Looking like a cross between lavender and Mexican bush sage, Russian sage combines fragrant grayish leaves with light purple flower spires, and it has a long bloom season. While it will start blooming in spring and summer, keep cutting off the flowers and you'll get blooms into fall. Once established, Russian sage grows easily, especially in areas with hot summers and little water. In the garden it can be treated as a showy single plant or massed together to create a soft cloud of color that seems to float over nearby smaller plantings.
Easy-Care Sedum When a plant has a variety named ‘Autumn Joy’, there’s no doubt that it belongs in the fall garden. While ‘Autumn Joy’ is one of the best known of the sedums, a lot of options are available. For the fall garden, hybrid varieties and Sedum spectabile are favorites for humans as well as birds, butterflies and hummingbirds. Common name: Stonecrop Botanical name: Sedum USDA zones: 3 to 10 Water requirement: Regular to moderate, especially once established Light requirement: Full sun; can take partial shade Mature size: 9 inches to 3 feet Growing tips: Sedums are easy to grow and do better in poor dry soil with good drainage than in areas that are very wet. They are reasonably drought tolerant once established. Once the flowers are past their prime, let them dry and use them for indoor flower arrangements. You can cut the plants to the ground in fall or keep them in the garden for winter interest, then cut them back in late winter or early spring.
The Other Coneflower There are plenty of Echinacea species available for home gardeners, but purple coneflower, now available in other colors, is the most popular. It's a hardy perennial with a long blooming season. Not only do the flowers attract butterflies and bees, they’re great cut as well. Take a look at the new hybrids that are even hardier and sport even more colors and flower shapes. Common names: Purple coneflower, coneflower Botanical names: Echinacea purpurea, E. hybrids USDA zones: 3 to 9 Water requirement: Regular to moderate Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 2 to 4 feet Growing tips: Provide well-drained soil, but otherwise coneflowers will do well almost anywhere in full sun or, in the hottest area, some light shade. They can handle drought conditions as well. Deadhead to keep the flowers coming. Keep the seed heads in place after the flowers fade for birds to enjoy.
Decorative Flowering Cabbage and Kale What were once underappreciated vegetables have found their niche as stars of the ornamental fall and winter garden.Their oversize rosette or leafy heads in shades of white, cream, red and purple look like transplants from a giant’s garden. Grow them just as you would their edible cousins, either in the garden or in containers, and don’t worry as the colder weather approaches. They only look better with a touch of frost, as it brings out their color. Common names: Flowering or ornamental cabbage and kale Botanical name: Brassica oleracea USDA zones: All; provide shelter from the sun in hot climates Water requirement: Regular Light requirement: Full sun is preferred, but they can take shade. Mature size: 1 foot to 1½ feet Growing tips: Set your plants about 1½ feet apart in the garden or add them to containers after the hot weather cools; lightly fertilize throughout the garden season. If you're planting them in the garden, choose a new spot each year, as soil diseases can be a problem. As a plus, while these are “flowering” varieties, their leaves are edible.
Sturdy Aster Following closely on the heels of mums in popularity are the asters. There’s a reason these perennials are favorites: Their pink, blue and purple flowers (usually with a bright yellow center) offer a cool contrast to the warmer autumn colors of the changing leaves and grasses. They’re also hardy in almost every climate. Aster x frikartii ‘Monch’ and ‘Wonder of Strafa’ bloom from summer to well into fall, and even through winter in the mildest areas, but they don’t always live as long as other species. The New England aster varieties are notable for their range of colors and their adaptability to wet soils. The similar New York aster, sometimes called a Michaelmas daisy, can range in size from under a foot to 4 feet tall. Common names: Aster, New England aster, New York aster, Michaelmas Daisy Botanical names: Aster x frikartii, A. novae-angliae, A. novi-belgii USDA zones: 3 to 10 Water requirement: Regular Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 1 foot to 5 feet
Block view of Sun Hill Lane
Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’, or Bloodgood Japanese maple
off of back deck
Siberian iris
off of back deck
Area past pergola - to hide view of street beyond.
In front of shed
Solidago 'Fireworks' = yellow ground cover
rain barrel
To block view of Sun Hill Dr.
fire pit.
Fire pit - shape & choice of rocks
Firepit shape
Firepit - stones/rocks
firepit
a sea of yellow flowering sedum
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