Title
Big Idea:
Be adaptable—the fun is in learning how to manage all that Mother Nature gives you, the good and the bad, and still have a lovely garden.
The South Border is a bright and cheerful space that evolves beautifully throughout the seasons. Along with the other features of the Idea Garden, it beckons visitors to enjoy the beauty of the natural world to calm the mind and soothe the soul.
The theme here includes burgundy, pink, purple, dark magenta, and coral, while chartreuse and silver are used to lighten up areas.
The border meets the definition of “full sun” with more than six hours of direct sunlight per day. Plants that thrive in that level of light are chosen for the border.
Look down the length of the border and note the layers created by a mix of small trees, shrubs, grasses, perennials, and annuals. The variety of textures, flowers, leaves, and colors creates contrast and interest. Color weaves throughout the border and, by August, will cascade onto the sidewalk.
Plants and other items of interest:
Located on the west end of the border is Elderberry ‘Black Lace’ which is pruned in the spring and again in the summer to maintain its size. The purple-black foliage is finely cut like lace. Airy pale pink flowers bloom in early summer in contrast to dark foliage and then make way for elderberries. The dried flowers and berries are used in teas, liquid extracts, and capsules.
Red Twig Dogwood ‘Midwinter Fire’, located on the east side, is a beautiful specimen in the garden year-round. In winter, the bare coral-colored branches provide a spark of bright color to a gray landscape and truly show off in a blanket of snow. It serves as a reminder to keep our garden interesting in all four seasons.
The false indigo ‘Twilite Prarieblues’ is a particularly lovely plant. In late spring, deep purple buds open to smoky violet purple flowers with lemon yellow keels. The long-lasting flowers appear on upright spikes. Charcoal-black seed pods add visual interest to the fall landscape and last through most of the winter.
Dwarf Bosnian pine ‘Gnome’, ‘Velveteeny’ smokebush and ‘Blue Shag’ white pine on a standard are recent additions to the border that provide structure and complement a variety of existing shrubs, including hydrangeas and colorful spireas, and a butterfly bush.
Throughout the border, a variety of grasses provide contrast to the blooms and motion in the breeze. The heights vary from the 1-foot Japanese blood grass, 3-foot purple Fountain Grass, 4-foot Little Bluestem and tops out with the majestic Panicum ‘Dallas Blues’ at 6 feet.
The remainder of the border is filled in with a variety of perennials and annuals. We try to stagger the bloom times of the perennials to spread color through the season and shop for varieties with a long bloom time. Annuals bring season long color to round out the design of the border. Annuals give us an opportunity each year to try different varieties and keep the design new and interesting.
A geocache managed by the children’s garden is located on the fence under the Meyer lilac.
Stepping stones meander through the bed, leading the eye along the path. The stones help protect the plants as we step through while weeding. A large boulder on the west end adds another element of structure for the border and provides an inviting seat for a photo opportunity.