Whether you’re starting a new garden or expanding an existing one, picking plants can be daunting. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the bounty in a garden center or flower magazine. In Barry Schwartz’s book The Paradox of Choice, he asserted that too many choices resulted in anxiety and ultimately could lead to being unable to choose at all.
Don’t Get Stuck!
I’m giving you my top three plant choices that will make you a winner every time. There are many to choose from. Milkweed gets a lot of attention these days and purple coneflower (Echinacea) is a solid choice, although I’ve grown a bit bored with it as it seems for years most garden centers checked the “pollinator plant box” by offering this purple beauty and nothing else.
Below are my three “must-have” plant families because they are easy to grow and forgiving if you plant them in a not-quite-perfect place. They all have great, and very different, flowers, so there is something for every plant persuasion, and they all support a variety of beneficial bugs, birds, and other wildlife.
Bee Balm (Monarda)
This is one of my favorites thanks to its bright and diverse colors and how easy it is to grow. Bee balm thrives in full or partly sunny areas and will attract big fat bumble bees as well as diverse butterflies and even hummingbirds. The bright red flowers look great on their own and also set off other flower colors nicely.
Goldenrod (Solidago). I love the goldenrod family mostly because they are such strong feeders to a diverse number of pollinators. My favorite is gray or dwarf goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) because it flowers into November— providing food for late fall insects. Thanks to the many members in the family, you can find goldenrods that are short or tall, love tons of sun or not so much; and there’s even a goldenrod that prefers shade, called broadleaf or zigzag goldenrod. Goldenrod attracts songbirds like American Goldfinches that like the seeds. Many people think they are allergic to goldenrod, but they are more likely allergic to ragweed, which blooms at the same time.
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium). Spend some time around experienced gardeners and you’ll hear talk of “Joe Pye” and think they are talking about an old friend. This plant can grow as tall as six feet with nice leaves up the entire stalk and a big cap of pink to purple flower clusters. Flowering starts at the height of summer and the full-flower cap can be nearly as wide as a human head! This plant loves clay soil and prefers the clay not to dry out completely (although mine has several times and it does just fine). Joe Pye isn’t just nice to look at, this plant provides life support for over forty species of caterpillars.
If you have questions about plants you’d like discussed, please email me at GloverDigThis@gmail.com.
(this article originally appeared in the Glover Park Gazette, February 2018)
StephShain 