Hi, folks. I want to borrow your expertise. Our church grounds need some landscaping and guess who gets to take on the project? Yessireeeeee, it's me! I'm very excited. I already have some ideas, but I wanted to see what ya'll thought before I started anything. I have plenty of weeding and soil ammending to do before I put anything in the ground anyway.
I have some photos of the areas that need work and I'm hoping you share some of your ideas.
Here's photo #2.
And this is the last one I'll post for now. Photo #3. Both photo #2 and photo #3 are in mostly shade. You don't have to even mention hostas as I'm already all over that! :)
Helloooooooo..... (echo)
Anyone with ideas?
Hi Smiln32.
How about a butterfly garden? You could plant mostly native plants, which require less water and weeding, and will grow much easier than non-natives.
Some ideas for butterfly-attracting plants native to Oklahoma (these are sun to part-shade loving plants):
False Indigo, Mist Flower, Yellow and Purple Coneflower, Prairie Smoke (a beauty!) Gayfeather, Summer Phlox. For sunnier areas: Butterfly Weed, Blazing Star, Indian Blanket, and non-native Butterfly bush... Don't forget to add some host plants for the larval catipillars: Milkweed, Western Pygmy Violets, Lamb's Quarters and of course, Parsely, which is not only useful in the kitchen, but a really pretty plant, especially when it flowers!! Add a small pretty dish or small birdbath...because butterflies, like birds, need water! Add a couple of large pretty rocks, some mulch and you'll have a garden your church-goers will enjoy for years--along with the butterflies! Good luck!!
I like sierrawomen's ideas. At a rest stop in IL. they had planted native plants for butterflies, not only was it pretty-but was doing well in the dry times. If it works for you, a nice selection of sedum spectible-esp. Autumn Joy would be a nice addition. If room in the sun permits=maybe an interesting bush-like the burning bush-lovely fall colors, interesting bark etc. Lily of the valley planted understory of the later blooming plants could be beautiful in the spring-then hidden in the shade of the others later on. We have been having hot humid weather this summer-no rain; have ben doing some watering-but the ones that are holding up the best are the butterfly weed, butterfly bush, false indigo,sedums, thalictrum, Siberian iris, Christmas fern, lavender, vinca vine and Purple Palace columbine. Hope this helps.
What a neat opportunity! If you pinch back some of the annuals and perennials at various stages of growth, you can prolong their bloom-time, too. If you check out Tracy Disabato-Aust's book "The Well-Tended Perennial Garden", you'll see what I mean. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0881924148/qid=1063248665/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/104-6588392-6343964?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
Carla: Just remember that the 1st photo is surrounded by concrete which will heat up considerably in the heat of your Okie summer (much like mine in KC I'm sure). You'll want to consider xeric plants for sure and try to use a lot of groundcover to help keep the small patch of soil cooler. A lot of xeric plants seem to like gravel mulch. High Country Gardens are specialists in xeric plants (just got their catalog that's why they come to mind--haven't ordered from them before tho'). Sages, Penstemon, ornamental grasses all good xeric choices. Brenda
Oooh! This is going to be fun for you! The only suggestion I have is to keep the plantings in the parking area at a low height. You wouldn't want to obstruct the view of anyone driving through the intersection.
Oh, this was just what I needed. Lots of ideas. Thank you SO MUCH, everyone. Keep 'em coming. I'm making notes and looking up plants.
