Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is one of the most beautiful and compact milkweeds for hosting monarch butterflies.
Northern blue flag iris (Iris versicolor) planted directly into a client’s pond for zero maintenance.
Here, an early spring potager installed in quadrants with central birdbath. The visible edible plants are perennial, but there is also space for annual vegetables. In the background, a habitat fence hides chain link. A brick path on the top left leads to the compost pile.
Eastern bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) has a native range a little south of Michigan, but due to climate change it’s not a bad idea to include them in plantings now.
Spring scene of not-yet-blooming obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) at the foot of the stone pedestal, a healthy community of mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) on the left, and in the background newly-planted dogwood trees (Cornus florida) under a 100-year-old oak tree.
Xeriscaped easement starting from a driveway. The purple love grass (Eragrostis spectabilis) in the foreground can withstand foot traffic, salt, and drought. Its bed is hard, unamended clay.
A picket fence is the perfect easy-access support for black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis).
The sunny end of a rain garden. From bottom to top: not-yet-flowering wild petunia (Ruellia humilis), pink sundrops (Oenothera speciosa), butterflyweed, rose milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), and not-yet-blooming northern blue flag.
Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) on the shady end of the same rain garden.
This client wanted to preserve their impressive backyard prairie. We weeded out invasives and cut a winding path through the Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) so they could enjoy it up close.
On the other end of the spectrum, we planted this second-year berm with low, semi-evergreen natives to extend the smooth green effect of the surrounding easements but with added ecology. The ground cover of wild strawberry (Fragaria virginia) and purple lovegrass under the tree will fill in next year; the tupelo tree (Nyssa sylvatica) will take thirty or so years to fully mature. By that time, following the natural laws of succession, it will require shadier groundcover.
Romantic climbing prairie roses (Rosa setigera) over a gated arbor have abundant blooms even in filtered sunlight.
Wands of black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) in a sideyard woodland setting.
Shady spot of wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) flanked by Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) and Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans).