plants that impress me 2010

Here are soem native plants that have impressed me this year.

Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly weed- early Summer bloom- native

Mertensia virginica- Virginia Bluebells- Mid Spring- native- dies back 3 weeks after blooming, good paring with hosta

Amsonia tabernaemontana 'Blue Ice'- late spring- native- yellow fall foilage color

I will add some more as the season progresses.

West Grove Patio

Project Site: West Grove Borough, PA

Designed & Installed: Summer 2009

Design Program: Create a functional, aesthetically pleasing and architectural sensitive patio space and surrounding gardens for home that is approximately 110 years old.  

Before

Before

After- Summer 2009

Red Brick pavers with solider course and 90 degree herringbone field. Plants to right are Iris 'Caesar's Brother', to left against garage pachysandra, straight ahead, hosta varieties 'Blue Cadet' & ' Golden Tiara', Astilbe 'Visions in Pink', Hydrangea 'Endless Summer'.

After Summer 2010

After- Summer 2010

Before

After- Summer 2009

After- Summer 2009

After- Summer 2010

Lincoln University garden 3 years later

Project site: Lincoln University, PA

Design & Installed: Fall 2008

Design Program: Provide a safe, attractive walk from the deck steps to the driveway and steps down the sloping rear yard. Attractive plantings with emphasis on low maintenance, four season interest, low deer browsing, and native selections were appreciated by the homeowners. Site faces the southwest, so hot and dry conditions persist year round.

Plan

Before photo, October 2008

After Photo, July 2009

After Photo, July 2010

After Photo, July 2010

Panicum 'Northwind' left of steps soften the area between the house deck and walk.

Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum' in front of the Panicum. More Panicum 'Northwind' right of deck steps. Walk is a dry laid irregular flagstone. Stone is locally quarried and called Avondale.

After Photo, July 2010

Nepeta 'Walkers Low' with 'Blushing Pink Knockout' Rose to left which is in between bloom times.

After Photo, July 2010

One of my personal native favorites, Eupatorium 'Little Joe'. A butterfly & bee favorite!

Before Photo, October 2010

After Photo, July 2010

After Photo, July 2010

A series of Laurel Mountain natural stone slab steps with complimentary boulders to help retain the adjacent soil lead to the rear lawn. Caryopteris 'First Choice' bottom left of the steps and Itea 'Little Henry' to the bottom right. Top left is the 'Little Joe' Eupatorium and top right panicum 'Northwind'.