My dad and I have decided not to da a vegetable garden in the front yard anymore. So I was thinking this was an opportunity to add some more biodiversity to my yard. I’m going for something like a combination pollinator/hummingbird/rain garden. I intend to start this next spring. Here is my plant list and map. Thoughts?
Front Garden Planning
Underline = Yes
Strike Through=No
Notes
50ft E -W x 35ft N-S
NE corner is near gas line.
South side is near sewer drain
Plant Bullet Points
⦁ Height
⦁ General Shape/Size
⦁ Lighting
⦁ Bloom Time
⦁ Coloring
⦁ Feeds
⦁ Other Features
Plant Candidates Catagorized by Height
Ground Cover
Wild Ginger ( Asarum canadense )
⦁ 1ft or less
⦁ Ground cover
⦁ Partial shade to shade
⦁ Blooms May-June
⦁ Green leaves mostly hide small red flowers
⦁ Feeds?
⦁ Black Walnut tolerant
Short
Great Blue Lobelia ( Lobelia siphilitica ) https://www.prairienursery.com/great-blue-lobelia-lobelia-siphilitica.html
⦁ 1-4ft
⦁ Central stems with small, dense flower groups along the length all around. Described on site as a flower spike. Short individuals, can form dense groups
⦁ Full sun to partial shade
⦁ Blooms July-September
⦁ Blue flowers
⦁ Feeds butterflies, hummingbirds, pollinators
White Turtlehead ( Chelone glabra ) https://www.prairienursery.com/white-turtlehead-chelone-glabra.html
⦁ 2-4ft
⦁ Shape not specified. Pictures look like small, individual stalks that could form low, shrubby clusters with enough in place.
⦁ Full sun to partial shade
⦁ Blooms August to September
⦁ White flowers
⦁ Bumble Bee (thickness bees) feeder
⦁ Host to Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly
Cardinal Flower ( Lobelia cardinalis ) https://www.prairienursery.com/cardinal-flower-lobelia-cardinalis.html
⦁ 2-4ft
⦁ Flower spike
⦁ Full sun to partial shade
⦁ Blooms July-September
⦁ Bright red flowers
⦁ Feeds butterflies and hummingbirds
⦁ Short lived. Will self seed, but only with good soil contact
Medium
Red Milkweed ( Asclepias incarnata ) https://www.prairienursery.com/red-milkweed-asclepias-incarnata.html
⦁ 3-5ft
⦁ Spindly clumps
⦁ Full sun
⦁ Blooms June to July
⦁ Red/pink flowers
⦁ Butterfly and Hummingbird feeder
⦁ Monarch host
Dense Blazing Star ( Liatris spicata ) https://www.prairienursery.com/dense-blazingstar-liatris-spicata.html
⦁ 3-5ft
⦁ Dense base, tallish flower stalks
⦁ Full sun
⦁ Blooms August-September
⦁ Purple flowers
⦁ Feeds birds, hummingbirds, butterflies, other pollinators
⦁ Host to numerous moth species
Tall
Cupplant ( Silphium perfoliatum ) https://www.prairienursery.com/cupplant-silphium-perfoliatum.html
⦁ 5-10ft
⦁ tall, towering, tight clusters
⦁ Full sun to partial shade
⦁ Blooms July-September
⦁ Yellow flowers
⦁ Feeds Goldfinches, hummingbirds, butterflies, pollinators
⦁ Leaves form cups and collect rain water
Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii ) https://www.prairienursery.com/big-bluestem-andropogon-gerardii.html
⦁ 5-8ft
⦁ Tall clumps
⦁ Full sun
⦁ Blooms August-October
⦁ Green during growing season, red for dormant season
⦁ Feeds?
⦁ very soil tolerant
⦁ Good bird shelter
⦁ Host to Skipper butterflies
Red Twig Dogwood ( Cornus sericea ) https://www.prairienursery.com/red-twig-dogwood-cornus-sericea.html
⦁ 6-9ft
⦁ Large and Bushy
⦁ Full sun to partial shade
⦁ Blooms May-June
⦁ White Flowers, white berries, red autumn leaves
⦁ Feeds birds and pollinators
⦁ Moth/butterfly host
Red Buckeye ( Aesculus pavia ) https://www.ancientrootsnativenursery.com/Plant-Name/Aesculus-pavia-Red-Buckeye#undefined2
⦁ 12-15ft
⦁ Short, wide bushy trees
⦁ Full sun to partial sun
⦁ Blooms April-May
⦁ Red, tubular flowers
⦁ Feeds hummingbirds, pollinators
