Versatile Grasses

Ornamental grasses are one of those plant families that you either like a great deal or you don’t. (By ornamental, I mean the taller clumping varieties, not turf or groundcovers like carex and liriope.) One reason these grasses are under-utilized is a lack of imagination in using them effectively. The more you know how to play up their best features, the more there is to like.

I wasn’t always a grass fan. But after experimenting with several cultivars over the years I’ve come to truly appreciate their texture, drama and heft. Most are super-easy to grow and nearly disease-proof. They come in varying heights and habits too, so you’re sure to find one that works in your landscape.

Vervain, Staple of the Late-Season Garden

A lovely, under-utilized flower for midsummer through fall is purpletop vervain, or verbena bonariensis, often called simply verbena. This tender perennial is native to South America, sometimes erroneously called Brazilian vervain (a different plant entirely). ‘Bonariensis’ derives from Buenos Aires, but this plant is native to all warm areas of the southern continent from Columbia to Chile, Brazil, and Argentina.

Similar species

When we hear the word verbena, what comes to mind first are the bright annual or trailing verbenas (Glandula x hybrida) used extensively in hanging baskets and pots. There are also low-growing moss verbenas. Hoary or blue vervain (Verbena hastata) is a wildflower native to the central US, a nice choice for native meadows.

A Guide to Coneflowers (Echinacea)

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sips from echinacea Glowing Dream in my garden

Most people have heard of one of America’s best-loved native plants, if not by its common name coneflower, then by its genus and herbal remedy name, echinacea. Coneflowers are members of the Asteraceae genus, of which there are ten species along with daisies, sunflowers and asters. The name “echinacea” is derived from the Greek for sea urchin, which refers to their spiny, conical centers.  

In this article, I explore echinacea’s considerable contribution to the perennial garden, followed by a plant summary and profile chart. As perhaps the most prolific and ubiquitous perennial in my garden, I’ve named this website after it as well. Can you tell I’m a fan?