For the gardeners and botanists
I'd like some advice from those of you with a good knowledge of gardening and native plants. I don't have large excesses of time or money for gardening, but I don't want to let another season pass without doing something for my yard.
What are some low-maintenance native perennials for...
... vines to grow on fences (in part to full sun)?
... full shade and dry? full shade and wet?
... part-sunny spots in need of color?
2 comments:
Vine-wise I am partial to American Wisteria (slow growing but gorgeous, make sure to get American rather than Chinese, which can be invasive). I happen to think that sweet autumn clematis (creature that ate my front porch in Lawrence) is wonderful (blooms Sept. with fabulous smell) but it does grow agressively. I also think that trumpet vine is fabulous (and attracts hummingbirds) but is considered an undesireable weed in some circles.
There are beautiful native honeysuckles and bittersweets, just make sure you read carefully that you are not planting an invasive.
If you are just covering something, native grapes will grow quickly.
More thoughts later.
For the part sunny spots I'm partial to asters, boltonia, echinacea, silphiums, black-eyed susans, sunflowers and the like.
If you have part sun under deciduous trees and good soil (unlikely, but possible) spring ephermerals like Virgina Blue Bells, trilliums, larkspurs, geraniums and the like are all fabulous, if they only provide a small window of color.
Is your shade tree shade or building shade?
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