With Millennials starting to really starting to groove in their gardens, this may be the perfect time to start bringing back some of the classic 'bullet-proof' plants into our landscaped spaces. Perfect for birds, butterflies and bee populations, these are the seven plants we all need to be growing in our gardens.
So unlike Peonies, these Geraniums are not the ones that I associate with Grandmas. These geraniums are the perennial variety that you find growing in meadows around the world even on the edge of the tundra. From full sun to full shade, Cranesbill geraniums are at home in a woodland garden, a rock garden or in something more formal. Even better, they really don't have any pests or diseases that affect them!
Brown Eyed Susans and Purple Coneflowers are the backbone of a bee friendly garden. Simple to grow and tough-as-nails, these classic beauties are my personal go-to when it comes to empty spaces in my garden. They can grow in moist and in dry areas of the garden as well as tolerate partial shade.
The large open headed flowers are a great addition to any space because they bloom later in the season than a majority of other perennials. When it comes to care, I literally leave the large seed pods up until the stalks get mushy before I chop everything down to the ground for the next seasons growth.
These plants have the amazing ability to store water in their leaves making them a succulent. It allows them to go through periods of summer drought. Sedums come in several different shapes including uprights and groundcovers. Not only do they add structure and colour in the garden, this plant thrives on neglect. I use sedums in all of my green-roof applications because they can handle the extreme heat and cold with very little care or watering.
In my opinion, no east coast garden is complete without this flowering shrub. These roses are easy to grow and can handle so many different soil situations including salt from the ocean, road maintenance crews or even the swimming pool. They prefer bright and sunny spots with lots of room to spread. With beautiful 5-petal flowers during spring and summer and bright red rose hips in the winter, these naturalized shrubs give four seasons of interest.
This group of plants now numbers in the tens of thousands thanks to addicted breeders who can't get enough of the amazing colour combinations and shapes. Not only can daylilies handle sun and shade, they grow in any type of soil including heavy clay. Daylilies have fat storage roots that allow them to conserve water which helps keep them going through times of drought. Look for the ever-blooming varieties, which bloom all summer long!
Named for the cool peeling bark, Ninebarks are an attractive shrub for any landscaped space. They also have white clustered flowers that pollinators love during the early summer months. Adaptable in many growing and soil conditions, ninebarks are drought tolerant and require very little effort to maintain. Look for yellow or dark maroon leaves to add some colour interest in your space when the shrub is not flowering.