I've been beating the drum on Astrantias and Dianthus 'Heart Attack' for a while. H/A is a show stopper. Plus, at a distance the flowers turns black.

And then, it's perennial and easily propagated. Simply take some young stems, stick them in moist soil and keep them in a shady spot. Love that propagation part. Eliminates the "Wait a few years", serial.

Considering our garden centers have gone to hanging pots and very few perennials, I have to buy plants on line for any variety or new "must have". Very nice people at the centers usually, but marketing skills - Nyet with a capital Nee. Online it's fairly serious money per plant so any propagation is a total bonus.

Karin, I also have that Princess Victoria Louise Poppy but I donâÂÂt have an area where it can shine. I let most of them get squeezed out and one came back this year and IâÂÂd forgotten how beautiful they are. I am going to try to collect seed and see what I get and try them again.

I have only one daylily in my garden so I didnâÂÂt realize that they didnâÂÂt like sunny / dry. I grow salvias and nepeta, but my soil is loamy clay and they wonâÂÂt stand up straight for long. The daisy / daylily / rose show sounds pretty. I tried shasta daisies and they didnâÂÂt work for me. I would love to see how they work when the next phase starts blooming for you.

I can understand it would be hard to give TLC to such a lot of plants! As much as some of us aim for âÂÂlow maintenanceâÂÂ, as every experienced gardener told me when I was first starting, sadly, there is no such thing. I am also planning an overhaul, removing some perennials and adding shrubs. IâÂÂm still working on the willingness to let go of some things. Are you going to keep the shrubs and roses low to allow the wall to still be prominent? Have you already found roses that are working out there?

Very interesting project, I will enjoy seeing it progress and develop. :-)

Pam
I'm a big fan of 'Firecracker'. I was proud of myself that I went 'Stella de Oro' with it. Totally stuck what to to do with the other side. I'm going to shamelessly steal from you.

I will post a modest little sign - "Pam thought of it first".

Rouge, that's a lovely garden you have near your deck. You must get a lot of enjoyment sitting out there.

Many fine examples of foliage and shade gardens on this thread. Marquest, I like your garden art. The sooty Dianthus/Astrantia, and the Achillea/Lysimachia combos are very pretty.

Here is one of my favorite combinations each year that grows in the "Xeric" garden and is blooming now - Asclepias tuberosa and Daylily 'Happy Returns'. They bloom at the same time and are about the same size when mature. Both do well in dry, lean, and sunny conditions.

There is a yellow butterfly weed in front of the "Monarch Waystation" sign, started as a seedling of 'Hello Yellow'.

I'm just going to keep adding to this thread rather than start a new one in the fall. Here are Japanese maple, boxwoods and lilies
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miclino, can you post a picture with the perspective of you on the interlock path to the left facing the seemingly long edge of the boxwood border?

Thanks so much, funnthsun and boday, I'm honoured. Just don't ask me for a zoom-out of that particular flower bed.. lol.

Here are some pics from June 2010 that I still love and miss. RIP, weigela, lambs ears, and sambucus Sutherland Gold!

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These three have all gone.

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Marguerite daisies with catmint and lambs ears. These annual daisies are so hard to find now but I always loved how they blended in with my perennials:
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Pam

Upping the ante, I see. That first picture is outstanding. The only thing missing in the picture is the recliner and a mint julep.

I have three to share this morning. The first is a raised planter with hydrangea "Bottstein", hosta "First Frost" and hosta "Great Expectations". I've filled in with some pink and white impatiens.

Next is hosta "Olive Branch", heuchera "Creme Brûlée" and a green NOID heuchera.

Last one today. Hosta "Lemon Lime", heuchera "Hercules", heuchera "Blondie", heuchera "Marmalade" and hosta "June" in the background. I love to mix the heuchera randomly. They just seem to look good no matter where I place them!

Thanks again Boday! Oh and I sure have enough mint for the mint juleps... just that the bourbon doesn't seem to stay around as long as the mint does!

Flower-frenzy, I love your combinations, especially the last one. Your June Hosta looks a lot bluer than mine, love it with that particular Heuchera!

Pam those first two pics are fantastic. Although no fair using pics from previous years :)

Flower frenzy, love the raised planter and the third pic. Trying to do a similar combo myself.

Pam, thanks for the compliments. I love the orange of the Marmalade heuchera and the blue of the hosta June together. Hint: if you want a bluer June hosta, grow it in mostly shade. I've got one in sun and one in shade and they look like 2 completely different plants!

P.S. I love your combo of lamb's ears, marguerite daisies and catmint! So relaxing! It makes me wish I had another flower bed so I could plant it full of those three plants.

This post was edited by flower-frenzy on Mon, Jul 1, 13 at 17:09

Thanks, Miclino! I know, lol, sorry.. I am still living in the past when it comes to some of my deceased!!

Flower-frenzy, my June hosta is in complete shade but it's paired with white - it probably needs something else to bring out the blue undertones. Great excuse to dig up some Lily of the Valley and the euonymus, its other neighbor! I need one of those marmalades now :)

This post was edited by pam_whitbyon on Mon, Jul 1, 13 at 17:35

Yes, definitely get Marmalade. It's got ruffled leaves with great substance. (It can even take afternoon sun here without burning!) I think it is what is making "June" appear bluer. I never noticed it until now. I'd like to say I did this on purpose using my vast knowledge of plants and powerful gardening skills...but....lol

One more combo pic from a portion of my "drama" flower bed. Calluna Vulgaris "Firefly" (heather), Agastache "Apricot Nectar" (hyssop), Dahlia "Mystic Haze" and Cosmos astrosanguineus (chocolate cosmos).

Rouge
Its raining outside so these are the best I have for now. The JM is underplanted with tulips, lilies and hydrangeas (which grow well enough but have yet to bloom in two seasons). The hedge is not actually that long and have mixed feelings about it because I am definitely not a "formal garden" type. Plus I means less space for perennials :) On the plus side, its nice to have in winter.
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Here is one from a new backyard bed [June 30, 2013]. The main characters right now are Tecoma 'Bells of Fire' and Rudbeckia 'Indian Summer', with Salvia 'Amistad' and Agastache for the hummingbirds. You would be shocked at the total list of what is growing in there... A case of what I call gardener overboard? ;^)

[Double post] Oh,well. I'll edit it to show what that bed looked like on March 22, 1013!

This post was edited by Gyr_Falcon on Mon, Jul 1, 13 at 22:46

Pam, those are lovely photos and beautiful combinations. I'm sorry you don't have those plants any more, but you can still take credit for creating a harmonic grouping there.

Miclino, that is a gorgeous Japanese Maple, wow! The texture is so fine and creates a perfect backdrop for the flowers in front.

And Gyr, don't you just love 'Indian Summer'? That plant is a workhorse and is amazing for cutting. Mine have nice heavy buds and I'm looking forward to their summer-long show.

PrairieMoon, sorry I am so late in answering your question about the roadside garden. It is already turning the corner to the next phase but I don't have a photo from this year. Not only do shasta daisies grow well here, they have re-seeded in a lovely way, contributing to a meadow-like effect. They don't split open like so many plants do, so they are keepers! As I add shrubs, the wall will not be as visible from the road, but I think that's an OK tradeoff for some structure to the bed. It's a big area and it looks pretty flat once it's all cut back. Oh, and mentioning that, cutting it all back is a big effort! So shrubs will be good. I don't mind taking out some perennials and in fact I see that as a sign of progress.

Roses do amazingly well here. I have 40-50 plants throughout our yard. So far the roadside garden only has low roses - Nearly Wild and Pink Drift. But I'll be adding Morden Blush, rugosas, and a pair of Carefree Beauty. All of these are coming from other places in the yard. Last year I planted 2 'Summerwine' ninebark but I bought tiny plants so they are still smaller than a daylily. I'm also going to get some conifers going in there. I have a rough plan to do about 1/3 of the bed this year, and then we'll see where we're at.

Here's July a couple of years ago. Those are Nearly Wild roses, Happy Returns daylilies, then shasta daisies, salvia, etc. But I need to get a current picture because there is some new stuff that is looking nice!

Karin, what variety of Salvia is that?

Here's an updated pic of that aster combo I posted above. It's simply blooming it's head off now!

Here's another combo that is still growing in, but I like the colors (or lack thereof, I guess!). Chocolate Eupatorium, Sweet Potato Vine and a Euphorbia I can't remember the variety of, along with Verbena bonariensis that I found growing in another area as a seedling and just moved here. I'm unhappy that something seems to be munching on my Eupatorium, though! Grrrr.

Miclino, I have to say, every time I open this thread and see that first pic you posted, those gorgeous vivid blue flowers pop right out. You have a really pretty arrangement there - I love blue in the garden and your blue ice doesn't look as purple as some I've seen. It's almost like a forget-me-not blue. Just stunning.

Thanks so much for creating this thread - I really enjoy it. It's amazing to see all the variety and character of each garden grouping, notwithstanding all the different zone. I may have learned more from this than from one entire Fine Gardening magazine. Very inspirational!!

Karin - thanks for the compliment!

This post was edited by pam_whitbyon on Tue, Jul 2, 13 at 12:20

Thanks Pam. This thread is an annual feature now I hope :)

Amsonia blue ice is one of my favorites and is long blooming as well. Its one of those perennials that I normally would not have tried but now am glad I did.

I cant help posting this closeup of the previous pic
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And this one is for Rouge, Hydrangea little honey blooming. Its not a heavy bloomer, this is the most I have seen. This is a great year for hydrangeas, lots of rain.
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Nice pic funn.

Karin you will have to post pics of the border later in the season. We can only dream of so much space.

If that little euphorbia is "diamond frost" it is one of the best, hardworking annuals I've ever grown. It takes more shade than alyssum, and is a good size. Never out of bloom.I think of it as a substitute for alyssum as an edger. I can't find any alyssum that's taller than 3 inches, I don't think that cuts it for an effective front of the border edging. Kind of a constipated size and growth habit for a plant that used to have better attributes.
It has the airiness of baby's breath though not big enough to substitute for it. But then it doesn't need a girdle, either. and can take partial shade.

Karin, Very pretty combination there with the daisies, roses and day lilies. Lots of color. The fact that the daisies contribute to a meadow-like effect, is probably what fascinates me about your bed. I am a big fan of meadows. I love that âÂÂMay Nightâ Salvia. It is such a great dark color.

So you do have to cut everything back! Wow! That is a lot of work. lol

Rugosa roses seem like such a natural fit with a roadside garden. And some are so fragrant too. Have you ever considered a yellow rose? I added âÂÂJulia Childâ a few years ago and it has turned out to be a great performer in my organic garden. I also have two Ninebark âÂÂSummerwineâ and I love them. One of my favorite shrubs. They grow fast too!

Look forward to updated photos through the summer. :-)

Flower Frenzy, I love your Hydrangea, Hosta, Impatiens combination! Such a pretty Hydrangea!

Gyr Falcon, love your rock work. 'Indian Summer' is a workhorse and Agastache is one of my favorites too.

Pam, I love that Weigela with the 'Sutherland's Gold'. That Sambucus only lasted a few seasons for me too. I believe it now has a reputation for doing that.

'karin', miclino, 'gyr', 'Pam', 'funn' et al...wonderful pictures. Your plants and gardens are such fun to look at. Thank you.

Ida - nope, it's not Diamond Frost, although I like that annual as well and have it in my pots on my front porch. This one, I thought, was a perennial. It has green and burgundy foilage, but otherwise, looks just like diamond frost. I'll have to hunt that tag down, it hasn't made it to my tag book yet, which means it's floating around somewhere...

Finally thought of a few to share.... nothing here s very impressive (only second year here and everything is kind of in limbo with where its located) but as it stands right now, in front I love the look of the rose champion by the potentilla. They probably wont stay together but for now it looks nice :)

This one's from early may I think... Once the wegeila blooms drop off and the valerian blooms it looks nice next to the wegeila's variegated leaves.
I will say this thread is a major inspiration for me to get in gear in the garden!

Funnthesun, ooh, I just love when penstemon have a touch of real blue in them. That's a beauty - can you tell us the name? (or if you did already, I apologize for losing track!) And to answer your earlier question, the salvia in the roadside garden is Blue Queen, Rose Queen and May Night.

Prairiemoon, agreed, there is something about pure white daisies that is a real win. I think a yellow rose would work well! I'm not sure Julia Child is hardy here, but I will check it out. By next week there will be a league of Happy Returns daylilies to add some yellow to the mix.

I'm glad the idea of rugosas makes sense, because I've been thinking that for awhile. They have 3 season interest and a nice round shape. Plus, deer don't eat them. I have 2 pots of rugosas that are planted with suckers from one of my existing plants. They look really unhappy but I'm hoping I can get them to grow. Anyone tried this? I have so many extra plants that I hate to buy stuff any more.

OK, here is the roadside garden at 6:50 this morning, before the July sun washes out any good photo ops. 'Pink Drift' rose is making the pink splash on the left side. What an awesome performer that is! On the right side we have the salvia/catmint medley with the daisies just starting and some new penstemon that are a cool scarlet color. Behind those is a new red-twig dogwood that will eventually occupy a lot of space and reduce the volume of perennials.

I usually kind of neglect this garden, so you guys have been good to help me realize that it's actually quite lovely and worthy of more of my attention. :)

I am so stealing ideas from all through this thread! lol My reddish Achillea, that was on the yank list, has a new lease as I search for a reddish-leaved partner to play the part of Firecracker Loosestrife. My Rud. Indian Summers (which were a quick-fix planted-plant anyway) are to be moved to deeper in larger beds. The daylily gang is going to be broken up and spread throughout the garden, so that I can pair some better foliage partners in the front entry.

This should keep me busy this fall...

Ohhh man, Karin. I've been staring out my window all afternoon trying to figure how I can emulate your garden! I love it and love the mood it puts me in. The color palette is wonderful.

I sure have the space, even though it's not exactly the roadside. Would you say it took 4 to 5 years to get like that? Or longer?

Aww, thanks Pam! Yes, 4 or 5 years is about right. The garden is about 12 years old now, but honestly it was better before, which is why I'm redoing parts of it.

One of the things that works is a fairly limited plant palette and color palette. The repetition on down the path is what I like most. It looks calming instead of chaotic. Having the same plant sort of alternating on both sides of the path also seems to reinforce the repetition and draw you in. However, that is a total accident of re-seeding. The left side of the path was originally all groundcover plants, but the self seeders jumped across. For that matter, they have jumped all the way across the street and now the whole roadside garden is replicating itself in my neighbors' front yard. Funny!

I am hoping I can reproduce the shapes, repetition and mood but with flowering shrubs as the big plants and perennials in between.

Anyway, I think it's a simple, reliable formula that can be adapted to lots of places. I'm flattered that you are looking to emulate. I love that feeling of gazing out the window contemplating a big design. I think we all love that - it's sort of addictive!

Let us in on your planning when you get some ideas. :)

Using borders for Heuchera bed - Hakonechloa grass, Lamium 'Anne Greenway'and Lamiastrum 'Herman'l Pride'

This post was edited by boday on Wed, Jul 3, 13 at 19:04

Karin, I think it's the salvia that you are wanting an ID for and, if so, it's Cathedral Series Deep Blue. Border hardy here in zone 7b.

Ah! Looked penstemon-y to me, but I appreciate the ID, thanks!

Karin - even your neglected garden is gorgeous! Gyr, I love Rudbeckia 'Indian Summer' too - that is my favorite cultivar of R. hirta, the tetraploid blooms are so voluptuous. Do you get lots of hummers on the Salvia? Funn your aster combo is very nice, and I wonder what is munching on the Eupatorium. David your rose campion looks quite lush.

This thread will fill up soon, hope we can keep it going thru the summer and fall because I'm sure there are lots of lovely combinations left to unfurl in the gardens.

It is unusual terrene, but the Amistad salvia does not stand out as a favorite hummingbird plant in my garden. There are so many different flowers they like to feed at, the favorite varies between individual birds and their mood of the week. One Allen's hummingbird does feed at that bed often, but the nearby Russelia x St. Elmo's Fire, agastache, bottlebush, and feeder seem to outrank that particular salvia.

And in the front yard, where there are almost as many choices, russellia is taking a back seat to the current top draw; a blooming Stromanthe sanguinea. Go figure.

Karin, I just noticed you are in zone 4. Yes, the Julia Child, is only hardy to zone 5 and would need winter protection in zone 4. I assume roses are not easy to find that are hardy there.

David, that Weigela is covered with blooms.

And I love those dark heucheras, Boday.

I like the aster combo, funnthsun.

Thanks for the photo of the 'Little Honey' blooming, miclino. Very pretty.

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Great pics, everyone!

Inherited daylily just IDâÂÂd by the folks in the GW Daylily forum as âÂÂKwanso.â Salvia âÂÂAmistadâ below daylily, Tradescantia pallida âÂÂPurple Heartâ in background. 'Amistad' is expected to be at least root hardy in my climate. Others are old, easy care perennials - my fave!

This post was edited by river_crossroads on Fri, Jul 5, 13 at 1:56

I love that day lily! They really are great plants.... I'm just so sick of the ugly ones I have lol

I just spent the last half hour staring at all the amazing pictures in this thread. There are a lot of fantasticgardeners here!

Here's a picure of what I call my cottage garden from two years ago. Sadly, I lost a lot of plants this past winter, so currently it looks pretty sad.

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I just noticed you are in zone 4. Yes, the Julia Child, is only hardy to zone 5 and would need winter protection in zone 4. I assume roses are not easy to find that are hardy there.

I would bet that JC will be just fine in zone 4. I say this as I have no winter die back for 3 of them in my cdn Z5 (with the thought that cdn Z5 is very similar to a USA Z4).

Miclino - Any chance of starting a new thread? For those of us with a slower internet connection this thread takes quite a while to load, but I don't want to step on anyone's toes by taking over your thread and starting a new one.

Heh I won't be offended if you started a new thread :)

I was thinking of just carrying on with the same thread since we could see the progression of the seasons but you bring up a very valid point. I will start a new thread. This one is getting pretty big

Nice thread - bumping for your reading pleasure!

It sure is! I hope it gets some new pictures added soon.