Perennials for Every Season
Consider planting these tried and true native perennials in your garden. You’ ll enjoy the beautiful blooms while pollinators appreciate nourishment from spring through fall.
n Virginia bluebells( Mertensia virginica) – Mid spring n Foxglove beardtongue( Penstemon digitalis) – Late spring to early summer n Scarlet bee balm( Monarda didyma and / or Monarda fistulosa) – Summer n Butterfly weed( Asclepias tuberosa) – Summer n Short-toothed mountain mint( Pycanthemum muticum) – Summer to fall n Sweet Joe-Pye weed( Eutrochium purpureum) – Late summer to fall n New England aster( Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) – Fall n Rough-stemmed goldenrod( Solidago rugosa) – Fall
Top row: Virginia bluebells, foxglove beardtongue, scarlet bee balm, butterfly weed; bottom row: mountain mint, sweet Joe-Pye weed, New England aster, godenrod.
Tallamy, the famed American entomologist, ecologist and conservationist is a champion of the 70 / 30 ratio. His groundbreaking field research showed that landscapes containing 70 percent or more native plants provided the necessary amount of insects required to maintain certain bird populations. While this might seem like a lofty goal for many gardeners, it should be viewed as a spectrum encouraging you to use more native plants where possible.
Now that we have a better understanding of how landscapes can be designed with the right selection of plants, it’ s time to answer the third and final question. How can you maintain your garden with more sustainable practices that protect the environment and support biodiversity?
Gardening practices can be broken into two main categories: traditional and ecological. The first approach tries to control the landscape by forcing rigid aesthetic standards on it, which often comes at a cost to the environment. The second works with the natural environment to provide ecological benefits that conserves resources, minimizes environmental harm and supports wildlife.
The Parking Garden at Brookside Gardens is a good example of how ecological maintenance practices create a healthy, sustainable and low-impact garden. This garden was installed in 2016 when the new parking lot was built to accommodate more visitors. The beds, hillside meadow, and permeable pavement work together to collect and filter rainwater before it flows to the ponds in the Aquatic Gardens. The landscape uses
8 plenty I spring sowing 2025