Choosing Plants

PERENNIALS, TREES & SHRUBS SUITABLE FOR BOG-LIKE & WET AREAS

Water IrisAcorus – Sweet Flag
Andromeda – Blue Ice Bog Rosemary

Aruncus – Goatsbeard
Astilbe – False Spirea
Boltonia – Bolton’s Aster
Campanula glomerata – Canterbury Bells
Chelone – Turtlehead
Cimicifuga – Bugbane
Cornus – Dogwood, Red Twig Dogwood
Dicentra – Bleeding Heart
Doronicum – Leopard’s Bane
Eupatorium – Joe Pye Weed
Ferns
Filipendula – Meadow Sweet
Galium – Sweet Woodruff

Hibiscus – Rose of Sharon
Hosta
Houttuynia – Chameleon Plant
Iris ensata, pseudacorus, versicolor

Kniphofia – Red Hot Poker
Liatris – Gayfeather

Ligularia – Rocket

Lobelia cardinalisLiriope – Lily Turf
Lobelia – Cardinal Flower
Lysimachia – Circle Flower
Mazus
Mentha – Mint
Mertensia – Virginia Bluebells
Monarda – Beebalm
Myosotis – Forget Me Nots
Phalaris – Ribbon Grass
Physostegia – Obedient Flower

Polygonum – Jacob’s Ladder

Rodgersia – Rodger’s Flower
Salix – Pussy Willows
Sambucus – Elderberry
Tradescantia – Virginia Spiderwort
Vinca – Myrtle

ATTRACTING BUTTERFLIES TO YOUR GARDEN

BUTTERFLY PLANTS:
ANNUALS
     
                                  PERENNIALS

Ageratum                                           Aster                  Butterfly Bush
Cosmos                                             Coneflower          Coreopsis (Tickseed)
Dahlia                                                Phlox                  Pardancanda
Johnny Jump Ups                               Beebalm              Forget-me-nots
Nicotiana                                            Hydrangea           Physostegia
Pansy                                                Hesperis              Rudbeckia
Zinnia                                                 Lavender              Chives
Lantana                                              Helenium             Lunaria Money Plant
Pentas                                               Loosestrife           Verbena
Lily                      Sedum (Autumn Joy)
Asclepias             Joe Pye Weed
Liatris

*Butterflies tend to hover on sheltered, sunny areas, so that’s the number one requirement you need to fill.
*Make sure your garden gets at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.Butterfly
*Adding rocks to your garden gives them a place to bask and warm up, and helps them start flying earlier.
*Cultivate tall plants such as hollyhocks and lilacs to shield the fragile creatures’ from the wind and hide them from predatory birds.
*Choose plants of differing heights and plants that bloom at different times of the year.
*Keep an area of your garden wet.  Butterflies need moisture and use a method called ‘puddling’ to extract nutrients from the soil.
*If you want even more butterflies in your garden, provide food for caterpillars during the larval stage (like parsley, fennel & butterfly weed).
*Above all, avoid using insecticides or pesticides in your butterfly garden!

ATTRACTING HUMMINGBIRDS TO YOUR GARDENHummingbird on Cardinal Lobelia

Tiny, iridescent hummingbirds can be an exciting addition to your backyard wildlife habitat.  Attract them by planting red, tubular flowers.  As a supplementary source of food, hummingbird feeders can be used.  Sugar water (1 cup water, ¼ cup sugar), boiled and cooled, is extremely attractive to hummingbirds.  No red food coloring is needed.  Below is a listing of plants that the Ruby Throated Hummingbird finds irresistible.

HUMMINGBIRD PLANTS:
PERENNIALS
                                         ANNUALS

Beebalm Monarda                                                 Impatiens (red)
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)                                    Scarlet/Pineapple Sage

Bleeding Hearts                                                     Petunia
Cardinal Lobelia                                                     Morning Glory
Coral Bells                                                               Ivy Geranium/single
Columbine                                                               Pentas (red)
Rose Campion Lychnis                                        Verbena (red)
Penstemon                                                             Geranium (red)
Phlox                                                                        Salvia
Red Hot Pokers                                                      Fuchsia
Hosta                                                                         Mandevilla Vine
Bergenia                                                                   Cuphea – Cigar Plant
Foxglove                                                                   Cardinal Vine

BLOOMING SHRUBS MONTH BY MONTH

JANUARY
Heather (Erica)

FEBRUARY
Arnold Promise Witch hazel, Heather (Erica)

MARCH
Arnold Promise Witch hazel, Cornelian Cherry Dogwood, Heather (Erica), Ann, Jane & Star Magnolia

APRIL
Flowering Quince, Cornelian Cherry Dogwood, Forsythia, Pieris Andromeda, White Forsythia, Exochordia (Pearl Bush), Camellia, Dogwoods, Nandina

MAY
Azalea, Barberry, Flowering Quince, Fothergilla, Kerria, Purple Leaf Plum, Flowering Almond, Bridalwreth Spirea, Lilacs, Crabapple, Rhododendron, Viburnums, Scotch Broom, Deutzia, Kousa Dogwoods, Tree Peony

JUNE
Carolina Allspice, Fringetree, Smokebush, Cotoneaster, Virginia Sweetspire, Privet, Mockorange, Potentilla, Spirea, Viburnum, Weigela, Winterberry, Deutzia, Kalmia (Mt. Laurel), Sambucus (Elderberry), Rhodotypos (Black Jetbeard), Styrax (Snowbell), Peony

JULY
Butterfly Bush, Clethra, Hydrangeas, Potentilla, Spirea, Abelia, Diervillia (Summer Stars), Crepe Myrtle, Knock Out Roses, Ninebark

AUGUST
Butterfly Bush, Caryopteris (Blue Beard), Clethra, Rose o Sharon, Hydrangea, Potentilla, St. Johns Wort, Crepe Myrtle, Knock Out Roses, Vitex

SEPTEMBER
St. Johns Wort, Hydrangea, Beauty Berry, Crepe Myrtle, Knock Out Roses

OCTOBER & NOVEMBER
Common Witchhazel, Knock Out Roses

SUN PERENNIALS SHADE PERENNIALS
Yarrow                   Aster
Baptisia                 Boltonia
Hollyhock              Campanula
Amsonia                Centranthus
Artemesia              Chelone
Shasta Daisy         Coreopsis
Dianthus                Foxglove
Gaillardia               Gaura
Eupatorium            Geum
Geranium (Cranesbill)
Baby’s Breath        Rock Rose
Helen’s FLower      Heliopsis
Kalimeris               Red Hot Poker
Liatris                    Cardinal Lobelia
Lupines                  Lychnis
Lysimachia             Malva
Prunella                  Grasses (Most)
Peony                    Prickly Cactus
Poppy                    Blackberry Lily
Phlox                     Balloon Flower
Penstemon             Rudbeckia
Salvia                     Herbs (All)
Lambs Ear              Sedum
Verbena                  Veronica
Hyssop                   Lavender
Daylily                    Scabiosa
Crocosmia              Buddleia
Blue Flax                Maclayea

 SUN GROUND COVERS
Aegopodium
Ajuga
Ornamental Strawberry
Creeping Veronica
Woodland Phlox
Lambs Ear
Creeping Sedum
Rock Rose
Missouri Primrose
Plumbago

Lady’s Mantle
Columbine
Bergenia
Astilbe
Foxglove (partly shaded)
Chelone (partly shaded)
Bleeding Heart
Ferns
Christmas Fern
Daylily (Partly shaded)
Coral Bells
Hosta
Money Plant
Forget Me Nots
Woodland Phlox
Obediant Plant
Solomon’s Seal
Foam Flower
Spiderwort
Anemone
Violets
Brunnera
Campanula (Partly shaded)
Gaura (Partly shaded)
Yellow Loosestrife (Partly Shaded)
Beebalm (Partly shaded)
Amsonia (Partly shaded)
Primrose

SHADE GROUND COVERS
Aegopodium
Ajuga
Lamium
Forget Me Nots
Hosta
Violets
Lysimachia (Creeping Jenny)
Lily Of The Valley

WHY PLANT NATIVES

MertensiaWhat is a Native Plant? 
Native plants (also called indigenous plants) are plants that have evolved over thousands of years in a particular region. They have adapted to the geography, hydrology, and climate of that region. Native plants occur in communities, that is, they have evolved together with other plants. As a result, a community of native plants provides habitat for a variety of native wildlife species such as songbirds and butterflies.

Why Should I Use Native Plants? 
Native plants provide a beautiful, hardy, drought resistant, low maintenance landscape while benefiting the environment. Native plants, once established, save time and money by eliminating or significantly reducing the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and water and lawn maintenance equipment.

Native plants provide shelter and food for wildlife. Native plants attract a variety of birds, butterflies, and other wildlife by providing diverse habitats and food sources. Closely mowed lawns are of little use to most wildlife.

    • Plants are great at fighting off disease and infection when they are in their natural habitat. They have adapted over time to survive almost anything they encounter in that area. Also, native plants are adept at surviving any natural disasters you may encounter. They have been surviving in your area for centuries and have seen the worst of it, yet still survived.
  • Native plants tend to grow looking naturally beautiful with little or no design work or maintenance on your part. This is because those plants belong there, and therefore just seem to fit in to our eyes. The plants rarely look out of place, if they truly are in their natural environment.

Which Plants Attract Birds and Butterflies? 

There are several species of native wildflowers and grasses that will attract particular birds and butterflies.

For song birds: sunflowers*, blazing star*, compass plant,  big bluestem, little bluestem, sideoats grama, switch grass,  serviceberry, coneflower, penstemon,aronia, blueberry, viburnum,dogwood, juniper*,
elderberry,
For hummingbirds: columbine, jewelweed*,  phlox*, honey- suckle, salvia, bee balm and
cardinal flower.
For butterflies: milkweed*, aster*, purple cone-flower*, blazing star*, phlox*,
black-eyed Susan*, dogbane*,, coreopsis*, joe-pye weed*, goldenrod*, and ironweed*.
GARDENING WITH DEER

White tailed deer are beautiful animals, but very destructive to gardens.  The best thing for deer control is the most often recommended repellent Liquid Fence  it works the best and lasts the longest.  The other option is fencing to exclude them,  Ther is a good deer fence product called Deer Netting which is less than 30 dollars for a 7′ by 100′ piece.  Certain plants are naturally repulsive to deer. In general, deer avoid eating coarse, fuzzy or spiny plants, orDeer Eating Tree those with strong aromas, especially lemony and minty ones.  Although, as you may already know, if they are hungry enough, deer will eat just about anything.  Below is a list of rarely eaten good plants to try when gardening with a deer problem.

DEER RESISTANT PLANTS:
ANNUALS

Ageratum                     Lantana
Angel Trumpet              Marigolds
Begonia                       Petunia
Cosmos                      Salvia
Dusty Miller                 Sunflowers
Dahlia                         Strawflowers
Geranium                    Vinca
Heliotrope                    Zinnia
Lobelia                        Herbs

Joe Pye WeedDEER RESISTANT PERENNIALS:
Yarrow                  Daffodils              Turtlehead
Monkshood           Bleeding Heart      Helleborus
Allium                   Foxglove              Lamiastrum
Anemone              Delphinium            Lavender
Anise Hyssop        Echinacea            Shasta Daisy
Artemesia             Geranium              Liatris
Butterfly Weed      Gypsophila            Rose Campion
Astilbe                  Geranium              Circle Flower
Bergenia                Gallium                Lonicera Vine
Brunnera                Monarda              Herbs
Campanula             Mertensia            Salvia
Centaurea               Myosotis             Stokes Aster
Columbine              Narcissus            Verbascum
Bugbane                 Poppy                 Veronica
Clematis                 Obedient Plant
Lily of Valley            Potentilla
Coreopsis                Pulmonaria
Turtlehead                Rudbeckia (Fuzzy)
Crocosmia                Santolina

Some other suggestions:  Block their way with fencing.  Deer can’t eat what they can’t reach.
Interplant aromatic herbs and plants to confuse their sense of smell.
Spray Liquid Fence to repel them.  Repeat often and after rain.
Use nets, radios, sprinklers, & lights.  But deer will eventually get used to all of them.

DEER RESISTANT SHRUBS:
Aucuba – Golddust                                   Kolkwitzia – Beautybush
Berberis – Barberry                                   Peony
Buddleia – Butterfly Bush                          Philadelphus – Mock Orange
Buxus – Boxwood                                     Picea glauca – White Spruce
Cedrus – Cedar                                         Salix – Pussy Willow
Clethra – Summersweet                             Sambucus – Elderberry
Chaenomeles – Quince                              Spirea
Hibiscus – Rose of Sharon                         Syringa – Lilac
Hollies – All                                               Weigelia
Hydrangea                                                Yucca
Hypericum – St. John’s Wort                       Wisteria
Juniperus – Juniper
Kerria

PERENNIALS FOR PROBLEM AREAS

SEASHORE OR COASTAL GARDENS:                   HOT DRY SOILS – FULL SUN
Achillea                              Limonium                         Achillea                      Iberis
Allium                                 Oenothera                        Arabis                        Kniphofia
Armeria                              Ornamental Grass             Artemesia                   Lavender
Artemesia                           Painted Daisy                   Asclepias                   Liatris
Aster                                  Penstemon                       Alyssum                    Linum
Bergenia                             Perovskia                         Campanula                 Lychnis
Dianthus                             Potentilla                          Cerastium                  Penstemon
Echinops                            Sedum                              Coreopsis                  Potentilla
Erigeron                             Sempervivum                      Dianthus                    Salvia
Eryngium                           Stachys                             Echinacea                  Santolina
Euphorbia                           Veronica                            Echinops                   Sedum
Gypsophila                         Yucca                                Eryngium                   Sempervivum
Heuchera                                                                    Euphorbia                   Stachys
Iris                                                                             Gaillardia                     Thyme
Kniphofia                                                                    Gypsophila                  Veronica
Helianthemum             Yucca
Hemerocallis

MOISTURE TOLERANT PERENNIALS:                    PERENNIALS FOR DRY SHADE:
Aegopodium                       Iris kaempferi                      Alchemilla                     Pachysandra
Aquilegia                            Iris siberica                         Brunnera                       Polygonatum
Arenaria                             Liatris                                 Epimedium                    Pulmonia
Aruncus                             Ligularia                              Geranium                      Stachys
Astilbe                               Liriope                                 Lamium
Baptisia                             Lysimachia
Bergenia                            Lythrum                               POOR SOIL & FULL SUN:
Brunnera                            Mertensia                            Achillea                         Gaillardia
Campanula                         Monarda                              Arabis                           Hemerocallis
Centranthus                        Nepeta                                Artemesia                      Liatris
Digitalis                              Oenothera                           Asclepias                       Linum
Epimedium                         Papaver                               Aster                             Potentilla
Filipendula                          Peony                                 Alyssum                        Rudbeckia
Geranium                           Phlox                                   Baptisia                         Santolina
Hemerocallis                      Physostegia                          Centauria                       Saponaria
Heuchera                           Pulmonaria                            Cerastium                      Sedum
Hosta                                Tradescantia                          Coreopsis                      Thyme
Iberis                                                                             Echinops                        Yucca
Euphorbia

TREES & SHRUBS SUITABLE FOR SHADE AREAS

Aronia – Choke BerryRed Dogwood Tree
Aucuba – Gold dust Plant – Evergreen
Azaleas, Deciduous & Evergreen

Camellia – Evergreen flowering shrub
Clethra – Summersweet
Cornus – Dogwoods, Red Twig Dogwood, Kousa
Diervillea – Bush Honeysuckle
Hydrangeas, Climbing Hydrangea

Hypericum – St. John’s Wort
Ilex crenata – Japanese Holly – Evergreen
Itea – Sweetspire

Kalmia – Mountain Laurel – Evergreen
Leucothoe – Evergreen
Lonicera nitida – Dwarf golden Honeysuckle – Evergreen

Microbiota – Siberian Cypress – Evergreen
Nandina – Heavenly Bamboo – Evergreen
Pieris – Andromeda, Lily of Valley Shrub – Evergreen
Rhododendrons – Evergreen
Skimmia – Evergreen
Taxus – Yew – Evergreen

PERENNIAL PLANTS OF THE YEAR
2020  Aralia ‘Sun King’
2019   Stachys ‘Hummelo’
2018   Allium ‘Millenium’
2017   Asclepias tuberosa
2016   Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’
2015   Geranium ‘Biokova’
2014   Panicum ‘Northwind’
2013   Polygonatum variegatum
2012   Brunnera Jack Frost
2011   Amsonia hubrectii
2010   Baptisia australis
2009   Hakonechloa ‘Aureola’
2008   Geranium ‘Rozanne’

2007   Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’
2006   Dianthus ‘Firewitch’
2005   Heleborus Lenten Rose
2004   Japanese Painted Fern
2003   Leucanthemum ‘Becky’Shasta Daisy’
2002   Phlox ‘David’

2001  Calamagrostis Grass ‘Carl Foerster’
2000  Scabiosa ‘Butterfly Blue’ Pincushion Flower
1999  Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ Black Eyed Susan
1998  Echinacea ‘Magnus’
Purple Coneflower
1997  Salvia ‘May Night’
May Night Sage
1996  Penstemon ‘Husker Red’

1995  Perovskia atriplicifolia  Russian Sage
1994  Astilbe ‘Sprite’
1993  Veronica ‘Sunny Border Blue’  Speedwell
1992  Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ Tickseed
1991  Heuchera ‘Purple Palace’ Coral Bell
1990   Phlox stolonifera Woodland Phlox

 PERENNIALS BLOOMING 4 WEEKS OR LONGER

pretty flowers

Achillea (Yarrow) ‘Coronation Gold’
Anaphalis (Pearly Everlasting)
Armeria (SeaThrift)
Astilbe
Brunnera
Campanula (Bell Flower)
Cimicifuga (Bugbane)
Coreopsis
Dicentra (Bleeding Hearts)
Echinacea (Coneflowers)
Geranium (Perennial)
Heliopsis (False Sunflower)
Lysimachia (Gooseneck Loosestrife)
Lythrum
Monarda (Beebalm)
Phlox (Summer Blooming Plox)
Platycodon (Balloon Flower)
Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susans)
Salvia ‘Superba’
Sedum (Live Forevers)  ‘Autumn Joy’
Sedum ‘Brilliant’

STEPABLES

Below is a listing of resilient perennial plants that can be walked upon or planted between pavers or in stone & brick pathways and borders:

Mazus Stepping StonesAjuga ‘Chocolate Chip’
Arabis – Rock Cress
Arenaria – Sandwort
Armeria – Sea Thrift
Cerastium –Silver Snow In Summer
Gypsophila rosea – Creeping Baby’s Breath
Gypsophila cerastoides–Mouse Ear Baby’s Breath
Hedera – Ivy
Lysimachia  – Creeping Jenny
Lysimachia ‘Persian Chocolate’
Mazus – White & Purple
Sagina – Irish Moss

Sedum – Angelina, Dragon’s Blood,
                  Blue Spruce, Acre
Silene Druette’s Variegated
Stachys – Lamb’s Ear
Thyme Creeping & Wooly
Veronica ‘Baby Blue Eyes’ & ‘Waterperry Blue’
Violet – Labrador Violet

CUTTING GARDEN FLOWERS & PLANTS

Red Hot PokersAster                                                Liatris
Boltonia                                            Echinacea
Astilbe (False Spirea)                         Rudbeckia
Gaura                                               Ferns
Delphinium                                        Candy Lily
Scabiosa (Pincusion)                         Joe Pye Weed
Campanula (Cut & Saucer)                 Veronica
Heliopsis (False Sunflower)                 Flax
Lobelia                                              Balloon Flower
Shasta Daisy                                     Verbascum
Lupines                                             Circle Flower
Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)                  Hesperis
Penstemon                                        Phlox
Stoke’s Aster                                     Foxglove
Physostegia (Obedient)                      Red Hot Poker
Coreopsis                                          Yarrow
Chelone (Turtlehead)                           Mt. Bluet
Crocosmia                                         Rose Campion

PLANTS FOR CLAY SOIL

BEST TREES FOR CLAY SOIL

Apples & Crabapples
Norway & Silver Maple
Common Honey locust
Aspen & Cottonwood
River Birch
Elms
White, Black, Green Ash
European Larch
Ohio Buckeye & Horsechestnut
Hawthorn
Lindens
Bur Oak & Eastern Pin Oak
Willow
Swamp White Oak

BEST SHRUBS FOR CLAY SOIL

Alpine Currant
Honeysuckle
Arborvitae
Lilac
Chokeberry
Ninebark
Arrowwood Viburnum
Redtwig Dogwood
Potentilla
Cranberry Viburnum
Forsythia
Russian Olive
Willow

TREES THAT TOLERATE CLAY
Balsam & White Fir
Norway & Black Hills Spruce
Austrian, White & Scotch Pines
Japanese Tree Lilac
Gingko
Black Walnut

SHRUBS THAT TOLERATE CLAY

Barberry
Winged Euonymus (Burning Bush)
Serviceberry
Diervilla
Junipers
Sumac
Pagoda Dogwood
Winterberry