What else is foolproof for this area?

[Anonymous]

Our new home has a garden that has some plants that have survived - as I look into gardening I realize these are all plants that are kind of foolproof for this area - iris, daffodils, hosta, holly. The other half of the garden has gone to weeds. I’d love to bring the garden back. What plants do you recommend?

[Anonymous]

As long as you have good sun: day lilies, peonies, viburnum, sweet pepperbush, buttonbush, butterfly weed,ornamental grasses, yarrows, Black-eyed Susans, dwarf chaste tree. And though it may be an unpopular opinion, I have a few non-invasive butterfly bushes.
For part shade: astilbe, native columbine, Cardinal flowers, heuchera.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As long as you have good sun: day lilies, peonies, viburnum, sweet pepperbush, buttonbush, butterfly weed,ornamental grasses, yarrows, Black-eyed Susans, dwarf chaste tree. And though it may be an unpopular opinion, I have a few non-invasive butterfly bushes.
For part shade: astilbe, native columbine, Cardinal flowers, heuchera.

Thank you! I’m completely new to gardening, so that is a great list to start with. I have lots and lots of clay, which I’m told is typical for this area. Do you do anything special to combat this, or just the usual amendment during initial planting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you have good sun: day lilies, peonies, viburnum, sweet pepperbush, buttonbush, butterfly weed,ornamental grasses, yarrows, Black-eyed Susans, dwarf chaste tree. And though it may be an unpopular opinion, I have a few non-invasive butterfly bushes.
For part shade: astilbe, native columbine, Cardinal flowers, heuchera.

Thank you! I’m completely new to gardening, so that is a great list to start with. I have lots and lots of clay, which I’m told is typical for this area. Do you do anything special to combat this, or just the usual amendment during initial planting?

NP. I recommend amending the entire bed and not individual planting holes. Then keep mulching with either leafgro or pine fines, and your soil will improve with time.

[Anonymous]

Coneflowers (echinacea). They are very similar to black-eyed susan but they are pink. They are pretty, durable, and well suited to the summer climate. Goldfinches also go crazy for the seeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you have good sun: day lilies, peonies, viburnum, sweet pepperbush, buttonbush, butterfly weed,ornamental grasses, yarrows, Black-eyed Susans, dwarf chaste tree. And though it may be an unpopular opinion, I have a few non-invasive butterfly bushes.
For part shade: astilbe, native columbine, Cardinal flowers, heuchera.

Thank you! I’m completely new to gardening, so that is a great list to start with. I have lots and lots of clay, which I’m told is typical for this area. Do you do anything special to combat this, or just the usual amendment during initial planting?

NP. I recommend amending the entire bed and not individual planting holes. Then keep mulching with either leafgro or pine fines, and your soil will improve with time.

This is probably a very stupid question, but... my beds are already full. If I want to remove some of the clay and mix in good compost, what do I do with the extra? If I just dig and add compost, the beds will come out over the top of the bed edges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you have good sun: day lilies, peonies, viburnum, sweet pepperbush, buttonbush, butterfly weed,ornamental grasses, yarrows, Black-eyed Susans, dwarf chaste tree. And though it may be an unpopular opinion, I have a few non-invasive butterfly bushes.
For part shade: astilbe, native columbine, Cardinal flowers, heuchera.

Thank you! I’m completely new to gardening, so that is a great list to start with. I have lots and lots of clay, which I’m told is typical for this area. Do you do anything special to combat this, or just the usual amendment during initial planting?

I had heavy clay too when starting out. I added several cubic yards of Leafgro and manure and worked it into the soil in year one. I also shred and add TRV leaves to the beds each fall. Each year I keep adding more Leafgro and the soil is lovely now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As long as you have good sun: day lilies, peonies, viburnum, sweet pepperbush, buttonbush, butterfly weed,ornamental grasses, yarrows, Black-eyed Susans, dwarf chaste tree. And though it may be an unpopular opinion, I have a few non-invasive butterfly bushes.
For part shade: astilbe, native columbine, Cardinal flowers, heuchera.

Thank you! I’m completely new to gardening, so that is a great list to start with. I have lots and lots of clay, which I’m told is typical for this area. Do you do anything special to combat this, or just the usual amendment during initial planting?

NP. I recommend amending the entire bed and not individual planting holes. Then keep mulching with either leafgro or pine fines, and your soil will improve with time.

This is probably a very stupid question, but... my beds are already full. If I want to remove some of the clay and mix in good compost, what do I do with the extra? If I just dig and add compost, the beds will come out over the top of the bed edges.

Just add compost on top as if you were mulching. The earthworms will do the work for you over time.