Designing a Hardy Garden

This design was built to laugh at extreme temperatures, punishing winds, and even herds of wildlife

I have often mean of myself as “ gardening against the betting odds . ” My rural Black Earth , Wisconsin , garden is adjacent to a marsh and pond and is technically in Zone 5a , but the undefended ploughland and subsequent winds around me place it closer to Zone 4b . I ’ve fall back plants to coarse wintertime , cervid , rabbits , and woodchuck . I ’ve had snapping turtles till up my garden bed to make nest and dear woody plants destroyed by beavers . As if all that were n’t enough , the majority of the shade in the garden is from black walnut trees , which make lots of problems , like robbing moisture and nutrients from surrounding plant .

And yet , bet at the garden ’s lush landscape , you ’d never opine that it has faced this laundry tilt of environmental challenges . Actually , I cogitate of the harsh environment as a metaphor for my equally strong persistency as a gardener , always agnise that horticulture is a quislingism with nature in which I ’m never totally in charge . As a plant fan , I ’ve found this office to be challenging — yet surprisingly exciting . I ’ve experiment and let out several design technique that have helped me refuse the betting odds in my landscape painting . If these tactics do work for me , imagine how well they might exercise in a location with more or less good odds .

From exposed to enclosed

Once subject farmland , this garden was contrive to be sheltered from the element .

Island beds break up the flat expanse and the wind

My first garden bottom was installed in an attempt to screen the new infected armoured combat vehicle that had just been put in . To get inst screening , I make a slightly kick upstairs berm and then planted several grandiloquent , tight - growing plants at the top of the side . This methodology terminate up experience an unintended outcome : The tallness of the planting put up a wall of protection from the confidential information and rough elements . It also allowed me to tuck more tender plant that need protection behind the wind break . Outbuildings and an array of marvellous perennials and diminished trees were both used for trade protection from the elements . create this garden layer — which set out as a job solver — turn out to be a lifespan - changing experience , as I reveal my love of plants and realized I ’d need to make more bed .

In the process of creating more garden areas , the decision on the shape and fix of a new bed was ground on a desire to experience the garden enwrap around you like a warm blanket — the accurate opposite word of what the prominent , flat , expose patch of farmland was when I started . There are no huge sweep of lawn ; rather , each garden bed is skinny to the next , like a Ernst Boris Chain of islands . I did this so that , as you look at one area , you are very cognisant that another department of garden is close at hand . Through the law of proximity of the garden beds as well as a repetition of plants , there is a sentience of cohesion among all the garden areas , which again add to the horse sense of peaceful natural enclosure .

Having a commonwealth stage setting has worked well with my own cozy style . There are few straight crease through out the garden , in keep with the lack of straight line in the natural surroundings . To complement this , I opt to use grass or gravel between the seam rather than hardscaping . The route dish up to move you along from one garden to the next and make an element of surprisal as they slew and reveal a new view of a hidden space , add to the drama .

Layering adds interest to the beds and the layout

The garden beds are planted in a full , exuberant , and bubble over style . However , the ease within the bed is contrasted by very piercing and clear bed edges . I have always wish combining many different eccentric of plant in the same garden bottom , using shrubs , perennials , bulbs , reseed annuals , and tropicals . When you do this , layering comes by nature . Your oculus moves from a low - growing flora in bloom like ‘ Hummelo ’ betony ( Stachys officinalis‘Hummelo ’ , Zones 4 - 8) to a garden phlox ( Phlox paniculata cv . , Zones 4 - 9 ) blooming at a meridian of 3 foot , to a clematis ( Clematis spp . and cvs . , Zones 4 - 9 ) flowering from 2 foot to 6 feet up a treillage . I ’ll purposely place a group like this next to a large shrub with interesting foliage like Diabolo ® ninebark ( Physocarpus opulifolius‘Monlo ’ , Zones 3 - 7 ) , which might be 8 feet tall .

The layering process often start with a new plant I ’ve fallen in love with . This dramatic plant is then placed among others that foreground my “ newfangled best friend . ” That ordinarily think seem for supporting plant with striking line in leafage color and , especially , grain , because the leaf really mold the ever - present mainstay of the garden . I continue occupy each bed like this — coming up with interesting groupings of plants — and identify them next to one another — instead of establish singular plant , one at a time . There is always something to attract your eye at each layer , which summate to that sense of being ensconced in the blueprint .

I have a special love for marvellous perennial that make up the uppermost layer , especially beefy grasses like ‘ Malepartus’miscanthus * , ‘ Skyracer ’ violet moor grass ( Molinia caerulea ssp . arundinacea‘Skyracer ’ , Zones 5 - 8) and ‘ Northwind ’ switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum‘Northwind ’ , geographical zone 4 - 9 ) . These have the unequalled power to seamlessly connect surrounding plant , often allow close - by groupings with vie colors to somehow blend together . green goddess also serve to protect more tender plants from the wind . In a garden of many island bed , you might expect all of these tall plants to obstruct your view , but they do n’t . Standing in one spot , your eyeshot of something might be blocked , but move just a few foot , and you could suddenly see . Many of the industrial plant may seem unusually large , but they reflect the large mise en scene and go its ordered series , and I happen that the surrounding natural landscape becomes another stratum in the outer space .

Plant intensively for fullness and spare protectionOne look at my garden , and you ’ll see that I plant things fairly close together . This is because I choose a very full , lush look , and it ’s also because plants are better protected from the element and more easily hidden from deer ( and other wildlife ) when they ’re huddled close together . In edict to fend off overcrowding as the season progresses , I do some pruning of the perennials . For representative , Japanese primula ( Primula sieboldii , Zones 4 - 9 ) puts on an amazing show in spring but tends to spread a flock , which would be tough to other plants nearby . After it blooms , I normally remove at least half of the plants , jazz that there will still be a salutary show the following spring with the half that ’s left . Early bloomers like hayfield rue ( Thalictrum aquilegiifolium , Zones 4 - 8) are slue back after they flower to allow belated bloomers like ‘ Perfect Storm ’ hibiscus to occupy the space . These are not humbled - maintenance techniques , but they do enable a full look without topsy-turvyness setting in .

I for certain made my ploughshare of mistakes in my other gardening years , but trial - and - error is the undecomposed teacher . And sometimes , experiment leads to a happily surprising consequence , like find out that many native plant life ( as well as some non - aborigine ) actually do well under black walnut tree tree . Sometimes , it think that conifers need to have winter protection from cervid , while trees close to the pond ask to be cage in to 3 feet high-pitched to protect them from beaver . And sometimes , it mean that nature make headway . you could not deter a snapping turtleneck from making her nest wherever she chooses ! But in the end , gardeners are optimist , and my love of plants , stubborn persistence , and sense of humor have made it potential for me to garden against the odds .

Plants that fill in but don’t take over

Some of the worst weeds in my garden are plants I planted myself years ago . I found out fairly betimes on how of import it is to do some research before choosing a plant life to tot to the garden . If the cultivar name is ‘ Running tapis ’ , you might as well just consider that it runs . Here are some of my favorite plant for adding voluminousness :

Photo : good manners of Plant Delights Nursery , Inc.

Photo : Kerry Ann Moore

1. ‘Claude Shride’ martagon lily

Name : Lilium martagon‘Claude Shride ’

Zones:3 - 7

Size:3 to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Conditions : Full Sunday to partial shade ; moist , well - drained , productive soil

2. Quick Fire® panicle hydrangea

Name : Hydrangea paniculata‘Bulk ’

Zones:3 - 9

Size:6 to 8 feet improbable and all-embracing

status : Full sunlight ; well - run out soil

Photo : Meg McKenzie Ryan

Photo : Steve Aitken

3. ‘Time Stopper’ daylily

Name : Hemerocallis‘Time Stopper ’

Size:3 feet grandiloquent and 2 feet full

4. ‘Gateway’ Joe-Pye weed

Name : Eutrochium maculatum‘Gateway ’

Zones:4 - 8

Size:4 to 5 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet encompassing

hardy garden design

Work with the surroundings.Layering—both gardener-created and naturally occurring—plays a key role in the good looks of this landscape.

Conditions : Full sunlight to partial spectre ; damp soil

Photo : De Agostini / Random / Alamy Stock Photo

exposure : Danielle Sherry

Garden site plan

Illustration: Elara Tanguy

5. ‘Malepartus’ miscanthus

Name : Miscanthus sinensis*‘Malepartus ’

Zones:5 - 9

Size:5 understructure marvellous and wide

garden bed with lots of greenery and red flowers

A single bed design inspired the entire landscape. After the installation of an unsightly septic tank, a bermed garden with plenty of tall plants at the back was put in place (above). The larger plants are used for concealment and as windbreaks. The design of this initial bed inspired the irregular shape and island-like layout of the beds that followed. In these areas, taller shrubs, trees, and perennials are used as protection against the harsh winds coming off the surrounding fields and across the pond (below).

6. ‘Perfect Storm’ hibiscus

Name : Hibiscus‘Perfect Storm ’

Zones:4 - 9

Size:3 feet marvellous and 4 to 5 feet wide

garden beds next to a pond

Photo : Michelle Gervais

7. Knotweed

Name : Persicaria polymorpha

Size:3 to 5 feet marvelous and wide

Conditions : Full sun ; moist , well - drain soil

layered garden planting with red flowers

Start with a star, and build from there.The reblooming daylily was the initial plant here, and neighbors like bee balm (Monardacv., Zones 3-9) and lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis, Zones 3-8) were planted for their complementary coloring.

8. ‘Polish Spirit’ clematis

Name : Clematis viticella‘Polish Spirit ’

Size:12 feet marvelous and 6 feet wide

atmospheric condition : Full Dominicus to partial shade ; moist , well - drain grease

old garden trellis surrounded by perennials

Make sure there’s appeal at every level.This selection of perennials was planted together because they bloom in tandem, drawing the eye up and down (above), while the shade lovers at the foot of a black walnut tree (below) attract attention at every level thanks to their textures.

*Invasive alert: Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis)

This plant is considered encroaching in CT , GA , IL , IN , KY , MD , NC , NH , NJ , NY , PA , SC , TN , VA , and WI .

Please visitinvasiveplantatlas.orgfor more entropy .

Jeannette Golden battle nearly every garden obstacle imaginable in her Black Earth , Wisconsin , landscape painting .

shade loving plants in front of a rustic shed

Photos , except where take down : Danielle Sherry

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layered garden bed with a small bench

Fullness isn’t only important for looks.Planting closely allows more tender—or tasty—treasures to be hidden from harsh weather elements or herds of wildlife. The daylilies here have never become deer food, and the tender clematis vine won’t be desiccated by wind thanks to the miscanthus offering its protection.

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red martagon lily

Photo: courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery, Inc.

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