Pushing Ranges With Nearly Native Plants

Do you have a rough (or maybe quite organized) plan for your garden? From the start of our time at this property, I've aimed for an informal three-section plan for this garden:

• Near/around the house: annuals, perennials, potted plants, and vegetables;
• Middle section: cultivated perennials, both native and non-native; and
• Back woodland: native trees and plants.

Most of the perennials in the middle and back sections were here when we moved in. Over time, I've tried to incorporate more native plants in all three sections. And while it's nowhere near a devoted native plant garden, it has moved in that direction. In recent years, I've rarely added non-native perennials, with the exception of Alliums (because the rabbits won't eat them) and a few other plants that don't spread much, including Hellebores, a few foundation plants, and some potted plants.

In addition, I've added a few favorites that are nearly native to my area, including:

Woodland Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica), which is native starting just south of here, from Illinois south to Texas and Florida. It's hardy in USDA zones 5-9. A colorful shade plant (which is rare), it offers midsummer dramatic blooms, and it forms a pleasant ground cover. I cage these plants in a few locations, because the rabbits sometimes eat them.



Climbing Prairie Rose (Rosa setigera) has a similar range. While it's native in the state, its original range started just south of my area, extending further east and northeast, as well as south. It's hardy in USDA zones 5-8. This one is an old-fashioned beauty that climbs up and down the arbor. Though the scent is subtle, it's pleasant, and the blooms last for several weeks in midsummer.



Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) also is native from Illinois south through Florida, and areas east and slightly west. It's hardy in USDA zones 5-9. I could study its incredibly unique blooms for hours. I didn't even realize I could overwinter it here until a few years ago. I keep one potted in the sunroom all winter and outdoors on the front porch in the summer. The other plants--which are outdoors all winter--go dormant, then in spring and summer they spread out along a trellis on the western, sunny side of the house.



Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), which I've had in my garden from the beginning, is native in most states surrounding Wisconsin, but not technically native here. Other species of Echinacea are more commonly native in Wisconsin. This one is hardy in USDA zones 3-8. It's definitely a standard garden beauty, a great cut flower, and a favorite of the pollinators.



Finally, Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) is native to states nearly surrounding Wisconsin, and even up into some Canadian provinces north of us. It's hardy in USDA zones 5-10. I have a complicated relationship with this plant. It's a unique, beautiful shade of lilac/pink, and it blooms in late summer/early fall. The blooms are gorgeous and they're wonderful cut flowers. What's interesting is that the rabbits eat Blue Mistflower when it's not protected, but where they can't reach it in a protected area it tends to take over the garden. Apparently, there's no halfway with this plant, in my garden anyway. (But I still love it.)

I'm so pleased that these beauties grace my garden. They're lovely, most are great cut flowers, and they feed the pollinators. And I'm so happy that they have a place here.

*Note: All native ranges are sourced from the Biota of North America Program (BONAP); all hardiness zones are from the Missouri Botanical Garden; they may vary with other sources.

Surprising Garden Remnants in Late-Autumn Vases

I'm pleased to have so many blooms still bright and available this late in the season. Still no hard frost, but the forecast says it's just around the corner, likely sometime in the week ahead.

Most plants in the garden are faded and flopped or dormant, but the ones shown here reside in protected areas near the house and the rock wall.

I'm joining in with Cathy's In a Vase on Monday meme, and she's challenged us with the theme of "11": She's celebrating the 11th anniversary of her meme! So here are 11 plants, in little vases, in no particular order. I'm including the common names and genera and species, but please forgive me for leaving off the varieties--some tags are gone at this late date.

Marigolds (Tagetes patula)

New Guinea Impatiens (I. hawkeri)

'Autumn Joy' Sedum (S. spectabile)

Mums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)

Fuchsias (F. hybrida)

Lesser Calamint (Clinopodium nepeta)

Impatiens (I. walleriana)

Lantanas (L. camara)

Zinnias (Z. elegans)

Angelonia (A. angustifolia)

Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima)

It's been a gentle transition this year from summer through fall. I'm thankful for these blessings.

And thanks, again, to Cathy for hosting! Stay warm, everyone. On to winter...

Graceful Vases With Buds and Blooms

Center: Fuchsia hybrida 'Dollar Princess.' Clockwise from top left: Tagetes patula 'Durango Outback Mix,' Chrysanthemum morifolium, Impatiens walleriana 'Beacon Violet Shades,' Clinopodium nepeta, Zinnia elegans 'State Fair Mix,' Lantana camara 'Bandolero Pink,' Impatiens x hybrida 'SunPatiens Compact Hot Pink,' Zinnia elegans 'Zowie! Yellow Flame.'

Surprisingly, many plants are still blooming here in Southern Wisconsin. Just a very light frost has allowed the plants shown above to survive and even thrive...so far. It won't be long now, but I gathered some remaining buds, blooms, and foliage for some vases.



This vase (above) includes quite a few Zinnia (Z. elegans) buds and blooms.



Most are 'Zowie! Yellow Flame' Zinnias.



Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima) adds some structure.



I also included some Weigela foliage (W. florida).



More Zinnia buds.



In the lady vase: one bloom, some buds, and some foliage.



The star of her hat is a 'State Fair Mix' Zinnia (Z. elegans).



Some Chrysanthemum foliage and Cosmos (C. bipinnatus 'Sensation Mix') buds and foliage give her hat some height and personality.



Finally, another vase in another room displays more Zinnias and Dusty Miller.

We're having a warm autumn, and I'm welcoming the continuing options for cut flowers. Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting "In a Vase on Monday."

It's Only Foliage in a Vase on Monday

The garden is still bursting with blooms!

But I needed to trim some of the foliage on my potted plants, so I thought it might be fun to do a "foliage only" arrangement. I clipped, clipped away out in the garden, gave it a little thought, and here's what I came up with. The "foliage only" grouping includes:









Several mixed cultivars of Coleus (C. scutellarioides) that I grow in pots;



The wonderful framing element of Hydrangea foliage (H. macrophylla);



A couple sprigs of the sprightly Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima);



A fun, squiggly spot of Cosmos (C. bipinnatus);



And several groupings of Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya), to add some character.

This was a fun one! I might try to do this more often in the future...it's a slightly more challenging departure from the equally delightful bloom-focused arrangements.

Thanks so much to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday!

I Miss These Plants

I've been thinking lately about plants of the past: in particular, blooming plants no longer in my garden. Some were species I planted, others were presumably planted by the previous owners decades ago, and still others were natives growing in the woodland.

I glanced through old photos, and while there weren't as many "disappearances" as I expected, some are particularly missed like the Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) in the photo above. For most of the years we've lived here, I found patches of Bloodroot each spring. A beautiful native ephemeral, it only blooms for one to two days. The foliage remains throughout the spring, and the plant reappears the next year. Why is it missing?

While I don't truly know why any of these plants disappeared from the property, I'll try to guess. In the case of the Bloodroot, perhaps it's the changing conditions of several years of floods followed by several years of drought...or other factors relating to climate change. Or, perhaps the fox (and family?) that now lives in the back woodland dug around in the limited spots where the plant was located.

Another plant that's gone is the Toad Lily (Tricyrtis hirta). Unfortunately, this plant is long gone from my garden. It's a fun little bloomer, but it only lasted a couple of years. Either it didn't like the growing conditions (although they matched its described preferences), or the rabbits ate it, which seems more likely since rabbit foraging is a noted issue.



Meadow Evening Primrose (Oenothera pilosella) bloomed here off and on for two decades. I'm assuming the previous owners planted it, although it is native so it might have occurred naturally. I haven't found it in its "spot" for several years now. Such beautiful bright yellow flowers: I miss them. I really have no idea why this plant is gone.



I planted Russell Lupines (Lupinus polyphyllus) in the side garden many years ago. They're stately, tall bloomers, regularly visited by pollinators, and they're great cut flowers. I don't remember when they disappeared, but they are listed as short-lived perennials, so perhaps I should plant more.



Cushion Spurge (Euphorbia polychroma), planted by the previous owners, was a reliable bloomer in my garden from the first growing season here (2000) until a couple of years ago. It's not native, but it's not invasive, and it certainly was a reliable stalwart for most of my time here. As with the Oenothera, I have no idea why this one disappeared. Rabbits leave it alone, and the fox doesn't hang out much in its open area of the garden. It's also drought-tolerant.

Finally, I truly miss this beautiful bloomer that graced the side fenced garden. I don't remember which Delphinium (D. elatum) hybrid it was, but what a stunner! Delphiniums are noted as short-lived perennials, too. I don't know if I'll plant them again in this garden, because the growing conditions have changed and other plants are in this spot. But, maybe...?

New Blooms for August GBBD

Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day! This month, I'm sharing plants that either recently started blooming, or ones I haven't shared much in previous posts.



In addition to the mix of plants in the potager garden shown in the first photo, many other colorful blooms are brightening my days. The tall Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa) adds its bright yellow buds and blossoms as a focal point of the backyard shade garden.



Nearby, while the Hyacinth Bean plants (Lablab purpureus) have been blooming and producing pods for many weeks, they're putting on fresh, new growth and towering tendrils.



The Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia 'Goldfinger') I started from seed are performing much better this summer than last summer. I'm not sure why. They're so bright and hopeful.



Lesser Calamint (Clinopodium nepeta) is blooming with abandon as a ground cover amongst other sun-loving plants near the potager. The flowers are so tiny, but favored by the bumble bees.



This is my first year with Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii 'Black Knight'). Though I'm in a harsh climate where it's unlikely to become invasive, I'm keeping it potted and deadheading the spent blooms to prevent re-seeding. The new buds are as pretty as the open flower heads.



The Surprise Lilies (Lycoris squamigera) are appearing later than usual this year, but some are starting to bloom. I'm thinking the delay might be partially because of our early summer drought. Recent plentiful rains have many plants much happier.



In most years, I often deadhead the nearly spent flower spikes of the mixed, potted Coleus plants (Solenostemon scutellarioides). But this year, I've noticed the hummingbirds nectaring on them, so I'm retaining them longer. I admit: They are very stately. 



Finally, this is the second year my newish Maypops (Passiflora incarnata) have bloomed. Such a fascinating, complicated, intricate flower.

What's blooming in your garden? Check out the other Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts at May Dreams Gardens!