Here we are in the same landscape as the aforementioned Sumac, but now we are in the garden at the front of the house. Curiously, even though this is next to Lake Michigan, the soil is predominantly clay, as opposed to what you would expect. This front garden is more protected from the winds off the lake and thus, less dry than the planting area with the Sumacs.
From the start, I thought a vertical element would add some rhythm. We weren't allowed to even contemplate a tree as it might shade the solar panels on the garage roof. My suggestion of a flag (something moving in the wind...we don't have gentle breezes here in Chicago!) struck out. But this Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum 'Atropurpureum') does the trick. And, as a native prairie plant, it also attracts its fair share of wildlife. Since it likes wetter soil, we placed it near the fire hydrant: kind of a metaphorical guidepost.
Intrinsic Perennial Gardens (the wholesale nursery where these plants came from) suggests pairing this Eupatorium with other substantial plants like Persicaria polymorpha (Giant Fleeceflower) and Silphium perfoliatum (Cup Plant). While the Persicaria stays in a big mound, the Silphium seeds all over the place: you may need a real prairie to contain all its offspring! These are interesting aesthetic partners, rather a homeopathic solution (matching like with like). We went the allopathic route, contrasting the large coarse leaves, stalks & blooms with the finer foliage and dainty flowers of the native Switch Grass, Panicum virgatum 'Northwind,' (named for one of our favorite retails nurseries. Interestingly, the Intrinsic catalog has a picture of a miniature version of just this same type of contrast. It features two plants together that I really like: Sedum x 'Red Cauli' (Stonecrop) backed by Seslaria autumnalis (Autumn Moor Grass). Neither of these plants are native, but they perform very well and can take it dry...which, in the midst of our drought, is quite enticing.
Black & White photo below for Linda...both these taken around Labor Day.
3 comments:
Isn't Joe Pye pretty invasive? I have seen it seed and come up all over the garden.
Hmm, I have only had trouble with 'Chocolate' Eupatorium. But I am checking with my sources...
My colleague, Kathie Hayden who is the Manager of Plant Information at the Chicago Botanic Garden, weighs in on this subject:
"I do know that it will move and can be a little aggressive because of its ability to naturalize, especially in moist areas. However, there is a difference between aggressive and invasive. I do not consider it to be invasive."
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