As your garden matures, native plants will draw wildlife to your garden. Bees and butterflies will seek out the flowers. Berries will entice rabbits, deer and songbirds. Some of Gilmer's suggestions for gardens in cooler climates include the following: - The Oregon Grape Holly (Mahonia aquifolium) is perfect for northern climates and is found underneath the fir and redwood forests of the Pacific Northwest. It produces beautiful yellow flower clusters and purple berries. The plant is tolerant of both dry and wet conditions (figure A).
- The Alaska Fern (Polystichum setiferum) is a hardy plant and native to the northwestern United States. It will flourish in the shade provided by any kind of conifer like a redwood or fir (figure B).
- The Ceanothus (Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter') is native to California and a popular choice for home landscaping. It provides exceptional ground cover and is a great edge plant. The plant grows to about 18" in height and produces blue flowers in the spring (figure C).
- The Purple Dome New England Aster (Aster Nove-Angliae) represents the northeast part of the country but is widely adapted to climates across the top tier of the country (figure D).
Expert tip (Louise Gonzalez, nursery manager): Native plants are good choices for your garden because they are drought-tolerant and low-maintenance flora with a high wildlife value. Below is the complete list of featured plants: - Persian Rose New York Aster (Aster novi-belgii 'Persian Rose')
- Oklahoma Redbud (Cercis canadensis 'Oklahoma')
- Carmel Creeper (Ceanothus 'Carmel Creeper')
- Timeless Beauty Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis 'Monhews')
- Moonbeam Threadleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam')
- Constellation Dogwood (Cornus 'Rutcan')
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
- Alaskan Fern (Polystichum setiferum)
- Furman's Red Salvia (Salvia greggii 'Furman's Red')
- Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
- Banana Split Softleaf Yucca (Yucca recurvifolia 'Banana Split').
RESOURCES :
Perfect Plants for Every Place: Choosing the Best Plants for Your Garden
ISBN: 0754800709
Author: Susan Berry
Order this title from Amazon.com.
| 
)
)
)
)
