When my mother passed away unexpectedly in August of this year, being unable to have been there before it happened and unable to get there immediately, I was able at least to honor her. One of her favorite things to do was to walk among the oaks and pines of Pennsylvania.

Petroleum Center, East Titusville, Drake Well, were her favorite places, where even toward the end she gathered up pine cones to make into decorations for the holidays, or just to give away. Pine cone wreaths, wreaths of ground pine, pine cone ornaments which were lovingly decorated were her perfect way to spend a day with kids and grandchildren

To plant a tree in her honor seemed the idea way to say we loved and missed her. Fortunately there was a way to do that.

We planted our own tree in her honor and had several others planted by Tree Givers.

Many types of spring bulbs can be forced indoors so that they will bloom in winter. There are even special bulbs whose main aim it is to bring color and fragrance into the living room during the winter season, such as the Amaryllis and “paperwhite” narcissus. Everyone should try these at least once – the smell is gorgeous!

However be aware that some bulbs, like hyacinths, tulips, narcissi and crocuses first need a cold period to be able to come to bloom. Plant up these bulbs and leave them for 12 to 15 weeks in a place where the
temperature is between 5 and 10°C (41-50°F). Be sure to provide sufficient (but not too much) water during this period.

Low-growing flower bulbs are very well suited for planting in flower boxes and can really lift your mood during bleak winter days. You can plant them more closely together or even in “layers”. The early-flowering bulbs near the top, the later-flowering ones at the bottom. Since the soil in boxes tends to dry
out quickly, particularly with central heating on, regular watering is essential.

Often indoor paper-white narcissi (or daffodils if you prefer) are prepared for forcing before you even buy them, (check with your supplier to make sure). Plant them in a beautiful bowl or pot (a glass bowl with gravel will add to the display) and add water to start them off. Relatively quickly the bulbs will start showing the green shoots of leaves and flower stalks, with pure white roots anchoring the bulbs down into the soil or gravel.

These bulbs prefer cool conditions, a lower temperature will keep the stems stocky. You can quickly spoil paper-whites with warmth during the early stages and their stems will become drawn and lanky. The stems can be further weakened by too much shade and without some support, can topple under the weight of the glorious flower heads as they open.

After they are finished flowering (and the weather outside is warm enough), the bulbs, with their leaves still on can planted in the garden. Pick an out of the way place so they can finish their growing season, then re-plant them where you want them to enjoy them year after year.

Once planted in the ground, you can leave them in the ground to naturalize. Then by adding a few new flower bulbs every year, you can create a magnificent display.

To use the bulbs somewhere else in the garden the following season, dig them up only after the leaves have died down completely. Remove the dirt from the bulbs and store them in a dry well-ventilated, dark-ish place until the following autumn, then re-plant.

If the garden itself is the meal, then the colors and the textures are the flavors that mingle in that “meal”.

Successfully landscaping a small garden means creating elements that can be used to a specific purpose, such as screening you from the neighbors, hiding some unsightly thing, or  shading an area, or even controlling erosion of the soil in your small space.

Choose plants for your small garden space based on several aspects of the plant:

The first way to choose plants is by their  growth  habits and the plant  characteristics. Many people don’t take into account the growth that the plants will reach at full size, how far they will reach, what they need for light and how well they will tolerate light, heat,  and what kind of soil is going to work best for them.

If your small garden is largely in full sun and sandy soil  in Nebraska, and you plant it full of  plants that only do well in full shade and under trees, such as the Lady Slipper, chances are its not going to do well.

Likewise, if you want to plant a large oak tree within a few feet of your back wall, when the tree achieves full growth, the roots are going to interfere with pipes, and sometimes even with the homes foundation.

Planting something when its a tiny cute little sprout, without considering what’s going to happen when its not that little sprout, what the characteristics of the plant or tree are when its achieved its full growth is going to mean that when it does reach that full growth, its not going to work for you, but may in fact work against you.

Avoid buying for your small garden on impulse.  Small garden spaces take a bit of planning and consideration before you put in that giant oak tree. What might work better for you is a flowering shrub, or a smaller tree that has a less invasive root system.

Rule #1 – Don’t plan your garden or landscaping at the nursery or garden center. Do a little homework. Know a little about the plants before you buy them and take them home.

You can use the plant databases page for reference and get yourself a good plant encyclopedia in your library. You’ll save a lot of time and frustration being able to look up plants according to your specific zone, type of plant, color, characteristics, by name, and so on. They’re also very handy to carry with you into the garden or to the nursery.

Another common mistake in choosing the right plants and propagation is made in the area of zoning. Its extremely important to know which planting zone you live in and plant accordingly.

I am amazed at the number of nurseries and garden supply centers that carry plants that aren’t even zoned for their area. Now, some of these plants are great for placing outdoors in pots during the summer but they have to be moved indoors during the winter. Unfortunately nobody tells you that.

Most generally you can trust the little plant selection tags that come with the plants but sometimes you can’t. Its best to check with the plant databases or your plant encyclopedia for specific zoning in selecting plants.

Primary considerations for selecting landscape plants

# Height and Width are figured by the mature size a plant will reach in both upward and outward directions. Not calculating this can cause serious problems in the future.
# Form is the shape of the plant and how it will occupy and accent space. Form and shape are considered as columnar, round, vase, weeping, oval, creeping, etc.
# Texture is the fineness or roughness of plants. It can also be categorized in terms of leaf thickness and shade(light or dark) of plants. As a rule, plants with finer textures should be used in greater numbers than plants with coarse textures.
# Seasonal interest and color are figured by the special features a plant has at different times of the year. Foliage, fruit, flowers, Winter color, changing colors, etc.

Secondary considerations for selecting landscaping plants

# Insect and disease resistance
# Sun or Shade
# Moisture tolerance
# Drought Resistance
# Soil Type

Plant selection for best design and effect.

A few well-selected plant varieties can have more impact and appeal than a mix match selection of one of these here and one of those there. Unity is achieved in garden design by consistency.

Planting in groups of 3’s, 5’s, 7’s, etc. also gives a sense of intentional design, balance, and unity.

Mid seventies and everyone had one. Those who didn’t have one, wanted one. Those same terrariums which were popular back them, have not only made a comeback but a strong one. They are easy to build, easy to maintain, look striking in a living room or on a patio and now, more than ever you can find some of the most intriguing containers to use for housing your mini ecosystem.

Terrariums are not just plastic or dull looking anymore.

Terrariums come in all shapes and sizes, all styles and materials, from plastic to brass to stained glass, and can help to set up a small ecosystem all their own, from desert to rainforest, depending on your care and your desire for your indoor garden setup.

I’ve personally done some tiny ecosystems inside my terrarium that have lasted for several years. Bonsai, or at least some types of it will react well to this environment, as will a miniature rock garden done in alpine plants. To accomplish this the moisture levels must be arranged to be suitable for the plants you’re adding to the terrarium.

To see some truly incredible terrariums and how to make your own, or order somethign special as the housing for it, visit the Terrarium Museum which will give you some great ideas to make your own mini garden, requiring minimal care.

The smallest water featured garden I’ve personally built housed a full fledged pond, and was its own little ecosystem. It was complete with visiting frogs and toads, butterflies and dragonflies, even though the pond was only about 30 inches in diameter. It did not take up a lot of space, wasn’t vastly difficult to accomplish an in time, over the course of about two years, the hardest I worked on it was to remove some overgrowth of the water lilies we’d planted. (which did teach me to sink them in pots as opposed to permitting them to run rampant in the water garden)

My first water garden was accomplished by means of a small submersible pump, a lovely blue colored tote, a plastic container with a lid, that will hold about forty gallons of water for the larger sized ones, or a bit smaller, about twenty or twenty five gallon sized, such as the ones you purchase at Walmart, some rocks to line the top of it and to build the steps down to it, and a few small goldfish, as well as some water lilies purchased from Earl May Garden Center.

It worked well for what it was, grew the plants admirably although there weren’t many of them, and the fish lived through summer of 100+ degrees and a subzero winter, so apparently it was good enough. It wasn’t perfect but it was lovely and we all like the sound of moving water right? Frankly if that’s the space you have available to you, its going to suffice and you can use your imagination and make that small buried tote the perfect mini water garden.

A year later I decided that I wanted something a bit more fleshed out, with some extra plants, a few lovely fish and a bit more room to grow the things I liked and so we upgraded, got the shovels out and began to dig.

The hole ended up about 3 feet deep, and probably six feet by six feet, took some real time to excavate and more to line and ready for the plants.

I highly recommend the small pond liners that can be found at nearly any gardening store (Plants and Things, Earl May Garden Center) as well as at department stores such as Shopko and Walmart Garden Centers. To this you add the pump, the mud or gravel that you line with, (I found that the small amount of dirt that gathers in the pond is a necessary evil for a real ecosystem to develop, where the frogs, fish and plants coexist in real harmony and create their own little world. The plants seem to grown better when the dirt sifts into the bottom, the frogs leave eggs and the dragonflies appear more often, strangely enough. As it rained and my pond overfilled, some dirt from the surrounding area sifted in, and made a small muddy area on the bottom of it, that was perhaps an inch deep. This has in fact greatly enhanced the pond, and I tend to leave it there.

If there aren’t a lot of rocks in your area, try contacting one of the construction companies, or perhaps the power or gas company who are always raking them out when they dig and always too, want to get rid of them.

Twenty Mule Team Borax works like a charm for drying your flowers, usually in just a few days, depending on what you are drying, and it leaves the color fresh and the flowers in exactly the same shape they were in when you plucked them from the plant.

When drying dogwood, I take the entire branch, leaving the flower blooms intact and lay a layer of the Borax about half an inch deep, in a low box or tray, then lay the branches in whole, and sprinkle borax over the top, making sure it is entirely covered.

Dogwood flowers dry beautifully

It will take from 3-5 days to dry them, sometimes a bit longer, depending on what you’re drying, but when they are completed they are completely lovely and not a bit different than they were when they were fresh.

This works well for lighter colored flowers for some reason, but not so well for the darker ones. It may be a chemical reactiong. Who knows but whatever the reason, the darker ones seem to look a bit on the wilted side. They are still better than naturally dried however for use in floral arrangements. The Borax does work well for for things like dogwood, roses, violets, daffodils and so on.

Make sure that the flower is completely covered with the borax.

Broccoli is rich in vitamin A, as well as B and C vitamins and has its fair share of iron as well. Broccoli can be started in the house about 6 weeks before the last frost, or take it outside just after the last frost. Don’t wanter the tops of your broccoli plants as this will encourage them to flower and they will speed along too rapidly to get a good crop.

Broccoli, grown from seed

Broccoli is a hardy vegetable, and when properly grown will yield for a long period of time.

After the top head has developed, side heads will develop if you remove the top head, so that you will get two or even three crops per year. New, modern varieties of seed are more heat resistant so that it can be grown in all but the very hottest weather.

Side heads develop after the large, central head is removed. Two crops per year (spring and fall) may be grown in most parts of the country. New heat tolerant varieties allow broccoli to be produced in all but the hottest parts of the season.

Some varieties of broccoli that are recommended are

Cruiser (58 days to harvest; uniform, high yield; tolerant of dry conditions)

Green Comet (55 days; early; heat tolerant)

Green Goliath (60 days; spring, summer or fall; tolerant of extremes)

Planting:

Transplant young, vigorously growing plants in early spring. Plants that remain too long in seed flats may produce “button” heads soon after planting. For fall crops, buy or grow your own transplants or plant seeds directly in the garden. F

Spacing the Plants

Plant seeds  1/2 inch deep. Plant or thin seedlings  24 inches apart in the row and allow 36 inches between rows. Broccoli plants grow upright, often reaching a height of 2 1/2 feet. Space plants one foot apart in all directions in beds.

Care

Use starter fertilizer for transplants and side-dress with nitrogen fertilizer when the plants are half grown. Provide ample soil moisture, especially as the heads develop.

Harvesting

The edible part of broccoli are compact clusters of unopened flower buds and the attached portion of stem. The green buds develop first in one large central head and later in several smaller side shoots. Cut the central head with 5 to 6 inches of stem, after the head is fully developed, but before it begins to loosen and separate and the individual flowers start to open (show bright yellow). Removing the central head stimulates the side shoots to develop for later pickings. These side shoots grow from  the lower leaves.

Pests

Aphids — Watch for buildup of colonies of aphids on the undersides of the leaves.

Cabbage worms — Three species of cabbage worms (imported cabbage worms, cabbage loopers and diamond back moth worms) commonly attack the leaves and heads of cabbage and related  crops. Imported cabbage worms are velvety green caterpillars. The moth is white and commonly is seen during the day hovering over plants in the garden. Cabbage loopers (“measuring worms”) are smooth, light green caterpillars. The cabbage looper crawls by doubling up (to form a loop) and then moving the front of its body forward. The moth is brown and is most active at night. Diamondback worms are small, pale, green caterpillars that are pointed on both ends. The moth is gray, with diamond-shaped markings when the wings are closed. The damage caused by diamondback larvae looks like shot holes in the leaf.

In addition, you can find these plants nearly anywhere in that given area, and when you cant, there are nurseries and stores around the United states who now sell native plants for the area in which you live. If you’re into gardening, and you want to make it more simply done and more easily accomplished, stick to what grows native in your area. Give the birds, butterflies and the animals native to your area what they need to grow and survive. Plant native plants and enjoy the look and the ease.

In addition, who knows what you will bring in for wildlife. From Pennsylvania to Arizona, growing native plants only makes sense.. There are a wide array of nurseries that now sell native plants for your area, among them:

Birds, Bees and Butterflies Nursery LLC

P O Box 10
Towanda, KS 67144
Telephone: (316)617-0467
E-mail: bob@birdsbeesandbutterflies.com
Website: http://www.birdsbeesandbutterflies.com

Products & Services Offered
Wholesale Grower
Garden Center Retailer
Native Finished Perennials and Grasses
Native Trees and Shrubs
Native Perennials and Grasses
Native Aquatic Plants
Native Plant Design Services
Native Plant Installation Services

Native Plants

4605 Olive St.
St. Louis, MO 63108
Telephone: (314)454-6868
Fax: (314)454-9276
E-mail: bowoodbusiness@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.bowoodfarms.com

Products & Services Offered
Wholesale Grower
Garden Center Retailer
Native Trees and Shrubs
Native Perennials and Grasses
Native Finished Perennials and Grasses
Native Plugs or Liner Material
Native container gardens
Native Plant Design Services

Country Blooms Nursery

22169 N.W. Service Road
Warrenton, MO 63383
Telephone: (636)456-4020
Fax: (636)456-4020
E-mail: countryblooms@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.countrybloomsnursery.com/

Walk-About Acres

Walk-About Acres is a small working farm with lots of diversification. We offer farm tours, our local honey, in-season bedding plants, produce, honey ice cream, fresh eggs, and of course, Grow Native! plants. Let us know how we can help you!
6800 N. Kircher Rd.
Columbia, MO 65202
Telephone: (573)474-8837
Fax: (573)474-5830
E-mail: walkaboutacres@agristar.net
Website: http://www.walk-aboutacres.net

Products & Services Offered
Agriculture Based
Garden Center Retailer
Educator
Native Trees and Shrubs

Hamilton Native Outpost

16786 Brown Road
Elk Creek, MO 65464
Telephone: (417)967-2190
Fax: (417)967-5934
E-mail: hamilton@train.missouri.org
Website: http://www.hamiltonseed.com

Reeves Wildflower Nursery

28431 200th Street
Harper, IA 52231
Telephone: (641)635-2817
E-mail: rayreeves@lisco.com

Applied Ecological Services, Inc.

P O Box 470
Eudora, KS 66025
Telephone: (785)542-3090
Fax: (785)542-3570
E-mail: elliot.duemler@appliedeco.com
Website: http://www.appliedeco.com

Products & Services Offered
Garden Center Retailer
Wholesale Grower
Landscape Architect
Land Planner
Conservation Contractor
Lecturer
Native Perennials and Grasses
Native Seeds
Native Finished Perennials and Grasses

Native Plugs or Liner Material
Native Plant Maintenance Services
Native Plant Design Services
Native Plant Installation Services
Landscape Architectural Services
Custom Growing for Ag Applications
Landscaping Services
Land Planning Services

You can easily create one, by planting around an existing stone ledge on your property or by installing a small bed of rocks. You don’t need to create a mini Mount Everest, just a few rocks buried in the right places will achieve the look and effect that you’re attempting to create.

An area of about 8 feet by 8 feet will make an adequate rock garden, can even include a water feature if you like, or a dry rock creek, and won’t take up much space in your smaller yard or garden and only a corner of a larger one.  Small water features such as the one pictured here below are easy to include in your mini rock garden.

Water features in a rock garden

The purist will tell you that a rock garden should contain only those plants which grow naturally on rocky slopes in poor soil. Most rock gardens, however, are not located in cool climates with long winters where these plants do well. When selecting your plants, make sure they are right for your climate and exposure. Scope out the rocky areas in your climate and find out whats growing there and try to plant native if you can, selecting grasses, shrubs and flowers that grow well in the rocky areas in your particular environment.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a small rocky area, or a rock ledge on your property, in your back yard or garden, you already have the basics and you just need to add the window dressing. Clear away the unwanted vegetation, including the roots and mix the heavier soil with some lighter quick draining type such as a mixture of these four:

Builders sand
Compost
Gravel
Loam

A small water feature made of rock is seen here in this rock garden

Pocketing:

If the planting pockets in the rock ledge or outcropping aren’t deep enough to create a decent sized area for the roots, then you can extend them. Use rocks that might have a close or matching texture and color, stacking them at the top or sides of the current rocky area so that deeper pockets are made.

No Rocky Area?

Build your own rocky area, by selecting a sunny site, preferably in an area that is more natural where a rugged rock type garden will blend in well, you can make your own alpine garden, or a reasonable facsimile, using plants that are native to your area so they require less tending.

An existing area with some rocks already there might be ideal, particularly if it faces east, west, northeast or northwest.

Choose a stone that fits into your landscape, preferably something native to the area, such as granite, limestone, sandstone or gneiss which are common native stones. Using the same type stone throughout the garden will help to make it more uniform and natural looking. Arrange the rocks in clusters, odd numbers generally look best and rae easier to group than even numbers of rocks.

Planting the Stone.

You are going to want to plant the rock firmly into the earth. If they are just plopped on top, not only do they look unnatural, but they are difficult to plant in, are not stable and will tend to roll onto your vegetation.

Bury them about a third to a half under the dirt, in a pocket of light soil mixture. St the stone down with the broadest part down, slanted so that it tips backward toward the soil instead of pointing downward. This will help to retain moisture in the garden, and prevent erosion of the soil that you put in surrounding the rocks.

Tamp the stone in tightly and spread more soil mixture, filling the crevices around the stones to eliminate the air pockets.

One a steeper slope, use the larger stones for the base and add more above them.  Leave flatter areas relatively open with a few small rocks to allow for larger plants or plant areas.

Building a Boulder

To make a group of smaller rocks look like a natural rock outcropping, you can arrange them closly together and fill the gaps iwth soil. Several granite rocks arranged closerly will look like a frost shattered boulder once the plants begin to fill out  the crevices between them.

Layering sedimentary rocks such as sandstone that have horizontal striations can be done so that you can achieve a natural look, by setting them with their layers running parallel. Break the monotony of the pattern by tilting one sideways against them as if it has tumbled down naturally.

A Path

Make sure that you can enter the garden to view the plants or to maintain them as needed, by including a small path between the vegetation areas, or in the middle if your rock garden will be lilliputian sized.  A few flat stones buried will make adequate and natural stepping stones.

Rock garden built from scratch where no rocks existed

You can create a stone stream, something that resembles a dry creek bed by arranging rounded type rocks along a flat contour in the garden to make them look as if they were left behind by running water. Tuck low ground cover plants between them at random.

Even if your space is severely limited, you can enjoy a scaled down version of a rock garden by digging out a small site, stripping away the sod and heavier dirt and filling with a layer of gravel, then making a raised bed. This can be very effective near your doorway, or an entryway. Use coarse sand, compost and fine gravel to construct the raised bed then add a surrounding stone or rock wall around it, tucking in a few into the main site as well.

a Small rock garden in a sunny area

Add rock garden plants, tucked both into the top of the garden as well as in the rocky wall.

One way to get rocks for your garden is to contact utility companies, quarries, construction companies and anyone else who finds it necessary to dig for their job.

Some plants that will be good for your rock garden are: Lupine, Foxglove, buttercups, daisies, violets, on the wild plant side, however..

Ornaments in the rock garden are always a good fit

Annuals

* Blue Eyed Grass
* Desert Bluebell
* Lobelia
* Strawflower
* Summer Savory
* Sweet Alyssum

Perennials

* Balloon Flower
* Dwarf Lavender
* English Daisy
* Forget-Me-Not
* Wallflower
* Penstemon
* Phlox

Growing native means increasing environmental awareness, having a desire to connect with your garden and planting on a far more personal level, learning about your climate and environment, and another added bonus, it takes less time that you will need to devote to the garden and landscaping project, because they tend to take better care of themselves.

If these are reasons enough to turn to a more natural landscape to inspire your garden project, then take a closer look at the landscape around you, in the wild and really see the beauty that is there. The incredible prairie plants, the everglades, the savannahs and the always changing wetlands are among the most beautiful sights and scents in the world.

Recreating one of these, in your own small garden, is certainly incentive to grow native plants.

There are other benefits that are associated with a well planned and diverse native plant landscape. Too often we simplify things by planting just a limited number of flowers, making them non native and trying to make them grow, which takes far more energy and concoctions than would be necessary if we simply choose to grow native. This takes more effort and chemicals than we might need if we chose native plants. Additionally, growing native means that native species such as birds and butterflies will select our small area to eat and drink from, and to rest in, giving us the opportunity to interact with more than just native plants.

Wild Primroses

. A diverse landscape with many naturally occurring plant species supports abundant animal life, reduces maintenance and offers year ’round interest.

Too, these plantings are also so much less vulnerable to insects and diseases that can destroy them and seldom need additional inputs such as fertilizer or chemical pesticides.

Native Plants require less care and are more hardy

Growing Native also doesn’t mean growing big, or not being able to use your containers if you’re a container gardener.

Container-grown native plants put in gardens with no weed competition and adequate water usually put on astounding growth the first year and will be fully mature by the third year.

Most native trees, shrubs and vines planted from containers also establish quickly. However, native plants from seed take longer to get going. Wildflowers and grasses planted from seed spend the first year, and sometimes three years, sinking their extensive root systems into the soil. For this reason, you might not see a lot of top growth right away. In this case, with a bit of patience you’re going to be well rewarded. These large root systems are what sustain the plants through drought and harsh winters.

Here is a list of plants which will react will to various types of lighting, are native to many areas of the United States and may be native to your area:

Thistles are native to nearly every state in the US

Full Sun List

Annuals
Bur-Marigold (Bidens polylepis)
Partridge Pea (Cassia fasciculata)
Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea)
American basket flower (Centaurea americana)
Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)
Lemon Horsemint (Monarda citriodora)
Devil’s Claw (Proboscidea louisianica)
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Ferns
Narrow-leaved Glade Fern (Diplazium pyncocarpum)

Grasses/Sedges
Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardi)
Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
Tussock Sedge (Carex stricta)
Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis)
Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum)
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
Eastern Gama Grass (Tripsacum dactyloides)

Herbaceous Peren
Water Plantain (Alisma subcordatum)
Wild Onion (Allium stellatum)
Shining Blue Star (Amsonia illustris)
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Marsh Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
Southern Prairie Aster (Aster paludosus)
White Heath Aster (Aster pilosus)
New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)
Heath Aster (Aster ericoides)
Aromatic Aster (Aster oblongifolius)
Smooth Aster (Aster laevis)
Sky Blue Aster (Aster oolentangiensis (azureus))
Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
White False Indigo (Baptisia alba (leucantha))
Cream Wild Indigo (Baptisia bracteata)
Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)
Fringed Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe digitata)
Rose Turtlehead (Chelone obliqua)
White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)
Fremont’s Leather Flower (Clematis fremontii)
Butterfly Pea (Clitoria mariana)
Prairie Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata)
Tall Coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris)
Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)
White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida)
Tall Larkspur (Delphinium exaltatum)
Yellow Coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa)
Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Glade Coneflower (Echinacea simulata)
Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)
Mist Flower (Eupatorium coelestinum)
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra)
Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii)
Rose Verbena (Glandularia canadensis)
Maximilian Sunflower (Helianthus maximilianii)
Willow-leaved Sunflower (Helianthus salicifolius)
Western Sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis)
Ox-eye Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)
Mud Plantain (Heteranthera reniformis)
Alum Root (Heuchera richardsonii)
Rose Mallow (Hibiscus lasiocarpos)
Crested Iris (Iris cristata)
Southern Blue Flag (Iris virginica var. shrevei)
Copper Iris (Iris fulva)
Zig-zag iris (Iris brevicaulis)
Eastern Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa)
Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera)
Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)
Michigan Lily (Lilium michiganense)
Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Winged Loosestrife (Lythrum alatum)
Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens)
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Bee Balm, Horsemint (Monarda bradburiana)
American Lotus (Nelumbo lutea)
Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)
Missouri Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa)
Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa (compressa))
Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium)
Arrow arum (Peltandra virginica)
Foxglove Beard Tongue (Penstemon digitalis)
Purple Beard Tongue (Penstemon cobaea)
Prairie Beard Tongue (Penstemon tubaeflorus)
Meadow Phlox (Phlox maculata)
Sand Phlox (Phlox bifida)
Downy Phlox (Phlox pilosa ssp. Ozarkana)
Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Pickerel Plant (Pontederia cordata)
Slender Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (flexuosum))
Gray-head Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)
Missouri Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia missouriensis)
Sweet Coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa)
Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis)
Blue Sage (Salvia azurea)
Lizard’s Tail (Saururus cernuus)
Sedum (Sedum ternatum)
Prairie Ragwort (Senecio plattensis)
Wild Senna (Senna (Cassia) marilandica)
Fire Pink (Silene virginica)
Royal Catchfly (Silene regia)
Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum)
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)
Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium)
Water Parsnip (Sium suave)
Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago rigida)
Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)
Gray Goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis)
Cliff Goldenrod (Solidago drummondii)
Germander (Teucrium canadense)
Water Canna (Thalia dealbata)
Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)
Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii)
Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum)
Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)

Shrubs
Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens)
Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)
American Filbert; Hazelnut (Corylus americana)
Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus)
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Vernal Witchhazel (Hamamelis vernalis)
Shrubby St. John’s Wort (Hypericum prolificum)
Great St. John’s wort (Hypericum ascyron)
Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata)
Deciduous Holly; Possum Haw (Ilex decidua)
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Corkwood (Leitneria floridana)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
American jointweed (Polygonella americana)
Chokeberry (Prunus virginiana)
Roseshell Azalea (Rhododendron prinophyllum (roseum))
Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra)
Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica)
Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus copallina)
Golden Currant; Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum)
Missouri Gooseberry (Ribes missouriense)
Pasture Rose (Rosa carolina)
Blackberry; Dewberry; Black Raspberry (Rubus sp.)
Prairie Willow (Salix humilis)
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
Nannyberry viburnum (Viburnum lentago)
Rusty Blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum)
Black Haw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium)

Trees
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
River Birch (Betula nigra)
American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)
Pecan (Carya illinoensis)
Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata)
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)
Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)
Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
American Smoketree (Cotinus obovatus)
Green Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis)
Washington Hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum)
Cockspur Hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli)
Littlehip hawthorn (Crataegus spathulata)
Downy Hawthorn (Crataegus mollis)
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanicus lanceolata)
White ash (Fraxinus americana)
Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Tulip Poplar (Lirondendron tulipifera)
Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Wild Plum (Prunus americana)
Wafer Ash (Ptelea trifoliata)
Shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria)
Black oak (Quercus velutina)
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
Post Oak (Quercus stellata)
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
White oak (Quercus alba)
Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii)
Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
Nuttall Oak (Quercus texana)
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Red oak (Quercus rubra)
Chinkapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)
Swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii)
Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
Western Soapberry (Sapindus drummondii)
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)
American Basswood (Tilia americana)

Vines
Cross Vine (Bignonia capreolata)
Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans)
American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana)
Yellow Honeysuckle (Lonicera flava)
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata)
Sand Grape (Vitis riparia)

Medium Sun/Average Shade List

Ferns
Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
Silvery Spleenwort (Deparia acrostichoides)
Narrow-leaved Glade Fern (Diplazium pyncocarpum)
Ostrich Fern (Matteucia struthiopteris)

Grasses/Sedges
Tussock Sedge (Carex stricta)
Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis)

Herbaceous Peren
Shining Blue Star (Amsonia illustris)
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Goat’s Beard (Aruncus dioicus)
Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
Sky Blue Aster (Aster oolentangiensis (azureus))
New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)
Water Fern (Azolla mexicana)
Black Cohosh (Cimifuga racemosa)
Butterfly Pea (Clitoria mariana)
Tall Coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Yellow Trout Lilly (Erythornium americanum)
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)
Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii)
Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
Rose Verbena (Glandularia canadensis)
Mud Plantain (Heteranthera reniformis)
Alum Root (Heuchera richardsonii)
Crested Iris (Iris cristata)
Copper Iris (Iris fulva)
Zig-zag iris (Iris brevicaulis)
False Rue Anemone (Isopyrum biternatum)
Michigan Lily (Lilium michiganense)
Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Winged Loosestrife (Lythrum alatum)
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens)
Bee Balm, Horsemint (Monarda bradburiana)
Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)
Arrow arum (Peltandra virginica)
Foxglove Beard Tongue (Penstemon digitalis)
Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Wild Sweet William (Phlox divaricata)
Sand Phlox (Phlox bifida)
Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans)
Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)
Pickerel Plant (Pontederia cordata)
Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)
Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis)
Downy Skullcap (Scutellaria incana)
Sedum (Sedum ternatum)
Golden Ragwort (Senecio aureus)
Prairie Ragwort (Senecio plattensis)
Squaw-weed (Senecio obovatus)
Fire Pink (Silene virginica)
Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)
Water Parsnip (Sium suave)
Cliff Goldenrod (Solidago drummondii)
Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica)
Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
Germander (Teucrium canadense)
Zigzag Spiderwort (Tradescantia subaspera)
Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii)
Golden Alexander (Zizia aptera)

Shrubs
Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens)
Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)
American Filbert; Hazelnut (Corylus americana)
Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americanus)
Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus)
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Vernal Witchhazel (Hamamelis vernalis)
Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
Shrubby St. John’s Wort (Hypericum prolificum)
Great St. John’s wort (Hypericum ascyron)
Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata)
Deciduous Holly; Possum Haw (Ilex decidua)
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Corkwood (Leitneria floridana)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
American jointweed (Polygonella americana)
Chokeberry (Prunus virginiana)
Indian Cherry; Carolina Buckthorn (Rhamnus caroliniana)
Roseshell Azalea (Rhododendron prinophyllum (roseum))
Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica)
Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus copallina)
Golden Currant; Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum)
Missouri Gooseberry (Ribes missouriense)
Pasture Rose (Rosa carolina)
Blackberry; Dewberry; Black Raspberry (Rubus sp.)
Prairie Willow (Salix humilis)
Red-berried Elder (Sambucus racemosa)
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia)
American Snowbell (Styrax americana)
Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
Nannyberry viburnum (Viburnum lentago)
Rusty Blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum)
Black Haw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium)

Trees
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
River Birch (Betula nigra)
American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)
Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata)
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)
Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)
Parsley Hawthorn (Crataegus marshallii)
Downy Hawthorn (Crataegus mollis)
Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Wild Plum (Prunus americana)
Wafer Ash (Ptelea trifoliata)
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii)
Red oak (Quercus rubra)
Swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii)
Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata)
Shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria)
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
Black oak (Quercus velutina)
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
American Basswood (Tilia americana)

Vines
Dutchman’s Pipe-vine (Aristolochia tomentosa)
Cross Vine (Bignonia capreolata)
Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans)
American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana)
Yellow Honeysuckle (Lonicera flava)
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata)
Sand Grape (Vitis riparia)

Spring Ephemeral
Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia)
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)

Shade List

Ferns
Southern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-venerus)
Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)
Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
Silvery Spleenwort (Deparia acrostichoides)
Marginal shield fern (Dryopteris marginalis)
Spinulose shield fern (Dryopteris carhusiana)
Goldie’s Fern (Dryopteris goldiana)
Log fern (Dryopteris celsa)
Ostrich Fern (Matteucia struthiopteris)
Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis)
Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis)
Interrupted Fern (Osmunda claytoniana)
Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea)
Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)

Herbaceous Peren
Goat’s Beard (Aruncus dioicus)
Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
Black Cohosh (Cimifuga racemosa)
Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)
Yellow Trout Lilly (Erythornium americanum)
Sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba)
False Rue Anemone (Isopyrum biternatum)
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Wild Sweet William (Phlox divaricata)
Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans)
Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Golden Ragwort (Senecio aureus)
Squaw-weed (Senecio obovatus)
Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
Zigzag Spiderwort (Tradescantia subaspera)
Woodland spiderwort (Tradescantia ernestiana)

Shrubs
Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)
Leatherwood (Dirca palustris)
Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americanus)
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Chokeberry (Prunus virginiana)
Indian Cherry; Carolina Buckthorn (Rhamnus caroliniana)
Roseshell Azalea (Rhododendron prinophyllum (roseum))
Bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia)
Nannyberry viburnum (Viburnum lentago)

Trees
Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)
Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata)
Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
Wafer Ash (Ptelea trifoliata)

Vines
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Spring Ephemeral
Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia)
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)

Certain types of plants will make an attractive lure for certain types of butterflies and if you plant those the butterflies won’t be able to resist, regardless of whether you have a large area, or a small one.

Butterflies will come by the hordes to your garden to sit and sip on the sweet nectar of the plants that you’ve placed there.

Using this kind of thinking, a butterfly garden can be incorporated into nearly any landscape, climate or a design in your yard that is currently in place.

Butterflies will flock to your garden with the right plants

The most important part of your garden, won’t be the landscaping itself, but rather, the kinds of plants that you place to attract the butterflies, things that will serve as a food source.

Along the way you’re going to be helping to save the environment, because much of what attracts butterflies has been phased out or is in fact in danger because of the urbanization of most areas, where the wild blooms and flowers are being removed to make way for home landscaping.

As factories and homes are on the rise, natural habitats for butterflies, which can be as attractive as they are useful, have been primarily removed, or become much scarcer.

It is easy to raise the number and types of butterflies that you see in your garden or yard simply by planting the plants that they like to feed on and plants on which they like to lay eggs.
Caterpillar friendly plants are also an important aspect of butterfly gardens..

YOu are going to need various plants that will cycle with the seasons, some that work well when placed together to make sure that the garden will be blooming from the early part of spring, to as late in the fall as your climate permits.

A butterfly garden can be any size at all, even down to a window box on your sill, or as great as an entire field of untended wildflowers left to grow at will on your property.
WHen you begin to plan your garden try to stay within the realm of plants that occur in nature in your area..
Things such as milkweed will be great draws to nearly any type of butterfly, however another tip might be, to learn what butterflies are most common in your area. What will naturally be drawn to your area is what you might like to plant for when choosing plants to incorporate into your garden.

Butterflies don’t need anything fancy or expensive. Just an open, sun-filled area; some flowers, for adults; some food sources, for caterpillars; shelter; puddles; and rocks. You might consider planting an herb garden if you enjoy herbs – many butterfly species do too.

Reserving a section of your yard for native flowering plants and for weeds like dandelion, nettle, and milkweed should also help guarantee a good variety of butterflies. It’s best to avoid using any pesticides at all.

One note for dedicated gardeners who may be appalled at the idea of actually inviting caterpillars in for lunch: very few butterfly species cause harm to garden plants. If they do become a nuisance – for instance, if cabbage whites are decimating your nasturtiums – picking the larvae off by hand is a simple task.

Not just plants to eat, but also to lay eggs on are necessary

About puddles. Butterflies can’t drink from birdbaths or other open water. But give them a damp spot of wet sand or dirt and they’ll often flock around it. In some species, young bachelor butterflies most commonly exhibit this “puddling” behavior – perhaps the equivalent of visiting the local pub after work.

If you want to be more specific, here are a few plants, and the kinds of butterflies they will attract.

Alfalfa-Eastern black swallowtail, orange sulphur, dogface, large wood nymph

Aster- Checkered white, common & orange sulphur, question mark, painted ladies, red admiral, buckeye

Black-eyed Susan-Great spangled fritillary, pearly crescentspot

Butterfly Bush- Swallowtails, mourning cloak, comma anglewing, painted ladies, red admiral

Daisy- Pearly crescentspot, red admiral, queen

Dandelion-Cabbage shite, common sulphur, comma anglewing, red admiral

Dogbane- Spicebush swallowtail, checkered white, common & orange sulphur, gray hairstreak, spring azure, pearly crescentspot, mourning cloak, American painted lady, buckeye

Goldenrod-Common & orange sulphur, gray hairstreak, American painted lady, red admiral, viceroy Lantana Swallowtails, cabbage white, Gulf fritillary

Lupine- Common blue

Marigold-Milbert’s tortoiseshell, American painted lady

Milkweed-Swallowtails, checkered & cabbage white, common & orange sulphur, gray hairstreak, spring azure, pearly crescentspot, common blue, great spangled fritillary, question mark, mourning cloak, painted ladies, red admiral, viceroy, monarch, queen

Mint- Swallowtails, cabbage whie, gray hairstreak, painted ladies, red admiral, monarch, large wood nymph

Privet- Spring azure, painted ladies, red-spotted purple

Purple Coneflower-Silvery blue, great spangled fritillary

Queen Anne’s Lace-Eastern black swallowtail, gray hairstreak

Red Clover-Cabbage white, great spangled fritillary, painted ladies, red admiral

Scabiosa-Painted ladies

Sweet Pea-Gray hairstreak

Thistle-Swallowtails, dogface, Gulf fritillary, pearly crescentspot, Milbert’s tortoiseshell, American painted lady, red admiral, viceroy, monarch

Verbena-Great spangled fritillary

Winter Cress-Checkered white, gray hairstreak, spring azure, pearly crecentspot

You can order many of these plants from one of my favorite suppliers of native plants, High Country Gardens.

The adult butterflies will stay for longer periods of time if they find plants on which they feel at ease laying eggs as well as nectar plants for food.
If possible, and it won’t make you too crazed, try to permit your lawn to grow dandelions and some clover which are both plants that butterflies are drawn to.
Minimize the use of pesticided and herbicides, both of which can harm not only the ground and the plants but also the butterflies themselves.
Flowers which are provided in sunny places such as around a rock wall or a fenced area will attract more as they will want to sit and bask in the sun as they eat, while also having some bush and shrub areas to provide shade in the heat of the day and to protect them from wind and rain.
As you watch you will see the elaborate routines that butterflies have. Males will drive others away, while females choose so carefully where to lay their eggs.
All it all it is well worth your time and an extra dandelion in the yard isn’t it?
If you want more information on Butterfly gardening, pay a visit to the Butterfly Garden Site

If you are interested in Free Milkweed Seeds, they are available to you from LiveMonarch.org which is a not for profit foundation attempting to see milkweed and native plants put back to increase butterfly habitat.
The seeds will be sent to you if you send a SASE to
Live Monarch Foundation – Seeds
3003-C8 Yamato Road #1015
Boca Raton, Florida 33434

Your donations  to Live Monarch are welcomed and are tax deductible

The photos you see below are of Cawdor Castle Gardens, and show what is planted today, which is, historically, according to a castle worker, what the gardens looked like. Any part of these gardens could be reproduced to offer you your own small medieval nook in a yard or garden.

Cawdor Castle Gardens

There was much more of a distinction made between the potential use of the plants, and this often determined where they were planted.

These uses included kitchen and seasoning, vegetables and salads, food dyes, aromatic, decorative, dyes, strewing, brewing, medicinal, and magical/religious.

Different parts of the plant (roots, petals, bark, seeds, juice, or leaves) were used for different medicinal problems. (Depending upon the ailment, the plants were used for tisanes (teas), syrups, poultices, ointments, distilled waters, pills, or conserves.
Many mixed gardens existed, and some pleasure gardens. Depending on what type garden you are seeking, here are a few ideas for you.

Lawns/Flowery meadows

Albertus Magnus was an admirer of a fine lawn and wrote” “For the sight is in now way so pleasantly refreshed as by fine and close grass kept short.”

Most writers recommend digging out the original ‘waste’ plants, killing the seeds in the soil by flooding with boiling water, then laying out the lawn with turves laid in and pounded well.

Etching of a garden in medieval times

Another writer recommends mowing them twice a year; lawnmowing would have been done with scythes or primitive shears.
I personally recommend no such thing as the typical today method of poisoning the natural grasses that are growing today, including clover and replacing with simple turf.
Nothing has such a wide appeal as different plants in the grass of your lawn.

Raised Beds & Sunken Beds
It appears that gardening was a thing widely discussed and written about in earlier times as it is today.

“For instance beds could be raised and edged with boards or woven panels of willow to improve drainage, just as Columella recommended” (Hobhouse). Parkinson suggests edging your beds with either live plants or dead stuff such as tiles, lead, sheep shank bones, or boards.
The sunken beds or raised beds appear to have been widely used, primarily to promote irrigation or drainage. Many of these would follow a square layout with small streams or creeks flowing through them.

Trellises and Topiaries

Roses, grapes and grapevines and in some cases rosemary, were grown on trellises while carnations were trellised in pots or urns to preven them from falling forward. Many varieties of vines were grown in the same fashion in the medieval garden.

In some cases, lattice was covered with climbing plants to be used as garden walls to provide privacy, and were fastened to the back of a seating bench, or used as an archway.

In the latter part of this period, topiaries begin to appear, and one treatise on gardening in 1599, speaking of Hampton court tells about them.
“There were all manner of shapes, men and women, half men and half horse, sirens, serving-maids with baskets, French lilies and delicate crenellations all round made from dry twigs bound together and the aforesaid ever green quick-set shrubs, or entirely of rosemary, all true to the life, and so cleverly and amusingly interwoven, mingled and grown together, trimmed and arranged picture-wise that their equal would be difficult to find.”

Trees
Trees were widely used and planted along walls, or placed into the orchard in a geometric fashion.
Some kinds, such as walnut were avoided, but fruit trees were
added to most gardens.

Coppiced trees were used quite often,larger trees such as beeches, were cut down at ground level or a little above, and the stumps allowed to sprout suckers.

Plants & trees in pots

Paintings and sketches of the gardens of the time show us pots filled with plants in many outdoor and indoor homes,
Gillyflowers in pots appear to have been especially popular in this time span, and were used both indoors and out.
Potted plants and trees are shown usually placed on top of grassy beds in gardens and entryways. Its assumed that these would have been perennial plants of perhaps small fruit trees trained to the pot.

Cawdor Castle Gardens knots and paths

Ceramic pots would have been the order of the day in this time period, and what we see in the pictures seem to be largely urns, or wide mouth pots or crock type jars.
There is a good article on medieval container gardening, at: http://www.serenadariva.com/SCAGardeningPages/index.htm

Ladies’ Gardens
Supposedly, castles and manors often had gardens of pleasure for walking in, with seats, private nooks screened from the wind for sitting, flowery meads for sitting and/or playing games. We see many of these in pictures of young ladies and pictures of the Virgin and Child.

Large gardens/parks of the very rich:
Parks often included multiple structures, many water features, and, at least if you listened to Crescenzi, were stocked with wild beasts such as deer and rabbit.
From several sources we can read of those gardens, and the visions they draw from us are delightful.

“Castles, manors and great monastic establishments would have both small herbers for useful and decorative plants and also grander enclosed areas in which walks could be shaded by trees and where there were artificial pools for fish as well as natural streams. . . Geoffrey de Montbray. . . came back to Normandy to sow acorns and grow oaks, beeches and other forest trees inside a park enclosed by a double ditch and a palisade” (Hobhouse)

The park at Hesdin, northern France, created in 1288, included:

“a menagerie, aviaries, fishponds, beautiful orchards, an enclosed garden named Le Petit Paradis, and facilities for tournaments. The guests were beckoned across a bridge by animated rope-operated monkey statutes (kitted up each year with fresh badger-fur coats) to a banqueting pavilion which was set amongst pools.”

“Of the gardens of royal personages and powerful and wealthy lords. And inasmuch as wealthy persons can by their riches and power obtain such things as please them and need only science and art to create all they desire. For them, therefore, let a great meadow be chosen, arranged, and ordered, as here shall be directed. Let it be a place where the pleasant winds blow and where there are fountains of waters; it should be twenty ‘Journaux’ or more in size according to the will of the Lord and it should be enclosed with lofty walls. Let there be in some part a wood of divers trees where the wild beasts may find a refuge. In another part let there be a costly pavilion where the king and his queen or the lord and lady may dwell, when they wish to escape from wearisome occupations and where they may solace themselves.”
“Let there be shade and let the windows of the pavilion look out upon the garden but not exposed to the burning rays of the sun. Let fish-pools be made and divers fishes placed therein. Let there also be hares, rabbits, deer and such-like wild animals that are not beasts of prey. And in the trees near the pavilion let great cages be made and therein place partridges, nightingales, blackbirds, linnets, and all manner of singing birds. Let all be arranged so that the beasts and the birds may easily be seen from the pavilion. Let there also be made a pavilion with rooms and towers wholly made of trees…”
Petrus Crescentiis, Opus Ruralium Commodorum. 1305.

Plants:

THE NINTH CENTURY GARDEN OF THE
‘CAPITULARE DE VILLES’ OF CHARLEMAGNE (ca.800)”lists all the suggested plants from the Capitulare.
It is said that what is necessary in pots:

Basil, rosemary (supposedly reintroduced to England by Queen Phillipa), marjoram, gilliflowers, others.
Herbs:
Mints and fennel (Roman de Rose), hyssop, balm, sweet marjoram (introduced in the 14th c to England), parsley and sage, ‘other herbs’.

Charles Estienne in his Agriculture et Maison Rustique recommends the cultivation of many rows of scented herbs, ‘both for the reserve of your scented garden, for your hedges, and for your winter stews;’ for example, sage and hyssop, thyme, lavender, rosemary, marjoram, costmary, basil, balm, ‘and one bed of camomile to make seats and labyrinths, which they call Daedalus.’

Vegetables:
Coleworts (cabbage, kale), leafbeet, pasnips turnips, and skirrets, sometimes beans and peas (grown mostly as fielc crops), garlic, chives, bulb onion, green leaved onion, watermelons, fennel, leeks, parsley, Salad plants such as borage and langdebeef.

Hills’ The Gardener’s Labyrinth lists (for a kitchen or physic garden):

Colewort, Beete, Arage [Orach], Sperage [Asparagus], Spinage [Spinach], Sorrell, Pimpernell, Lovage, Buglosse, Marigolde, Parsely, Tyme, Mints and Holihoke [Hollyhock], Mallows, Artochoke, Endive, Succory, Lettuce, Purselane, Chervils, Smallage [Wild Celery], Targon, Cresses, Bucks horne, Strawberry, Mustard seed, Leeks and Cives [Chives], Onion, Garlike, Scallion, Squill Onion, Saffron, Navews, Rape, Turnips, Radish (long and round), Parsnips, Carrets, Poppie, Cucumber, Gourd, Pompons, Mellons, musk Mellons, Blessed Thistle, Angelica, Velerian, Bitony, Lovage, Elecampane.

Vines:
Grapes, roses, jasmine, ivy. Hill suggests mellons or cucumbers in addition to vines (grapevine) for covering pergolas, and rosemary, red roses, briony, cucumber, gourd, jasmine, ’set to grow upright’ — that is up poles, I think. He also mentions the musk rose, the damask rose, and the privet tree.

Flowers:
Roses, White madonna lilies, violets, florentine irises and sweet flags, borage, daisies, lavender, calendula, poppy, etc. Neckham also lists mandrake, daffodils, chicory, calendula (pot marygold), mugwort, feverfew, houseleek, stickadove. (Fifteenth century and later, says Hobhouse, you would see pinks, clove carnations, , stoechas lavender [aka stickadove], and heartsease). Hobhouse says that myrtle in a northern context meant bog myrtle, in the south apparently it would be the aromatic (Greek?) myrtle.

The Unicorn Tapestries include campion, bistot, orchis, lords & ladies, violas, sweetrocket, carnations, white lilies, holy thistle, leopard’s bane, stock and lady’s mantle. (Hobhouse)

The flowerbeds of the gardens of the Hotel de Pol in the 1370s included ‘roses, rosemary, lavender, wallflowers, marjoram, and sage as well as strawberries’, when it was refurbished in 1398, ‘grape vines. . . pear and apple trees, cherries and plums as well as eight “green bay trees”‘ as well as roses, lily bulbs, and flag irises. (Hobhouse)
Shrubs & Hedges
Germander, Box, Roses, Lavender, Rosemary, Privet and others.

Crescenzi’s gardens of the middle size should be ’surrounded by ditches and hedges of thorns or roses. . . . in warm places make a hedge of pomegranates and in cold places of nuts or plums and quinces’. Hill gives directions for creating a quickset hedge using seeds of Briers (Eglantine roses), brambles, the white Thorne, Gooseberry and Barberry trees, mixed with vetch-meal and smeared into old untwisted rope, thus making a sort of 16th century seed-tape. For short hedges/edgings inside the garden Parkinson suggests thrift, germander, hyssop, marjoram, savory, thyme, lavender cotton, juniper, yew, and box; for larger hedges Hill and Parkison suggest privet, sweetbriar, white thorn, roses; also lavender, rosemary, sage, southernwood, lavender cotton, or Cornell (cherry trees).

The visitor to Hampton Court (1599) describes it: “The hedges and surrounds were of hawthorn, bush firs, ivy, roses, juniper, holly, English or common elm, box and other shrubs, very gay and attractive.”

Thomas Hill gives instructions for making a sort of ’seed tape’ for hedges, by slightly unplaiting an old rope, and mixing shrub seeds with tar and spreading it into the rope. Mixed hedges where shrubs of quicker growth were mingled with slower growing ones in order to provide a succession growth, were often recommended.

Trees:

Orchard trees that give fruit (apples, pears, plums); tender perennials such as bay, orange, pomegranate in the south and later in period, Olives and date palms in the south. Nut trees such as chestnut and almond. Pine and Cypress. Of non-fruiting trees, linden or lime trees were popular in northern Europe; William Stephen in 1180 mentions elms, oaks, ash, and willow “along watercourses and to make shady walks” (says Hobhouse); the Roman de la Rose also mentions fir, and oriental plane trees.

Many of these would have been placed so that privacy was assured, some in the knot styles of the older courts.
To make your own small medieval style ladies garden, or herb garden would be a small amount of time spent in the planning and some interesting work in the building, but it would provoke constant comment and no small amount of pleasure for you when seated among the same gardens that existed in medieval times.

Rock gardens fit into small spaces quite well

Beautiful flowers interesting foliage and hardy rocks and mosses are delicate and subtle adaptations that nature makes to the very cool usually alpine like environments.

Rock gardens are rarely large in size because they are not always easily managed and maintained and because of this factor they are perfect for filling small spaces, for growing in the city or suburbs with smaller gardens and yards, and because you can grow a wide array of plants and flowers in this compact space.

Once they have become established they are very tolerant to life without a great deal of water and will help you to need less water and also less labor.

The one place they will not do well is in a very hot and humid climate and will be, in those areas, frustrating and difficult to deal with.

Sometimes choice rock plants will survive for a few seasons, only to be done in by a week of high temperatures.
The biggest real consideration that can influence the design of rock gardens is space.

A rock garden in a small area beside a sidewalk

In larger spaces, the primary reason for one is to avail yourself of the natural aspects of your property, and to create a sprawling, naturalistic rock garden that means you don’t have to attempt to clear or mow that area, however some, such as myself, simply love the look and consider it a sort of home turf,having been raised in a national forest..

Livng as I do now, with a smaller area and a drier warmer climate, I’m going to have to make myself content with a small raised bed based on something I saw on the net, which gave me a very good idea for a rock garden.
It will fit neatly into a nook in the side of the yard, and bring a touch of northern Pennsylvania to Nebraska.

IT will fit nicely into my lot, won’t be in my way when having to mow and it won’t require a lot of maintenance as I am putting it beneath a large tree in the center of what is a shady area, with some good soil and reasonable drainage.

To begin with, just cover a circular area of ground with some black plastic or newspaper and then ring it with rocks of your choosing, and fill the area with soil that is a mixture of sandy peat or compost type soil.

The second step will be to begin adding a few rocks, and then start on placing the plants.

The third step in the journey toward your completed rock garden will be to add a few plants now, prior to adding more rocks and then more plant materials.

While it won’t have the alpine feel of things at home, neither will it wilt and wither for lack of cool air.
For many people a consideration is color, which includes not only the flowers and foliage, but also the rocks.
In this area, granite and river rock is rare, but sandstone is very plentiful and easy to find.

This will absolutely affect the color scheme of the florals in the area.

These photos I found online will give you a very good idea of what it is that you will need to do to accomplish this type of rock garden in your own small space.

This can be done on as small or as large a scale as you wish it to be.

If you are, as I am, based in the mid west, then sandstone is going to be plentiful and easy to find.
you will want to base your plants coloration on something that will work well with the reddish hues that it produces and so adding reds, russets, silver tones and some yellows and whites will work remarkably well.

Some shrubbery such as those which will stand up to warmer temperature and drier air are also in order.

Above here is a very simple design for a rock garden that features hardy and long lived plants which are perennial in nature. Prickly Poppy and Tulips as well as Narcissus are very hardy plants and will grow in a wide variety of areas.

If you are interested in building a rock garden there is a remarkable plan for one here, as well as direction on the plants to grow in it located at The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens website.

Window boxes indoors brighten up winter months

They fit in well with any kind of decorating, particularly country decorating styles, and are useful as well as ornamental.
A window box is a fun and an ideal way to garden.
Decorative planters are easy to install, simple to plant and fun to care for. You don’t have to spend endless hours digging, bending and weeding to maintain a durable flower box. And best of all, a window box makes flowers and greenery a part of your everyday life, where you will see them and continue to gain enormous pleasure from your container garden.

A flower box be created by gardeners of any experience level and container gardening is an easy way to add zest to your home. For a beginner, planting a window box is easy.

What you will need to accomplish this is:

• window boxes
• metal L brackets for mounting box
• screws or bolts
• drill bit–for wood or masonry
• decorative brackets to cover metal supports

You can find all these things and more at Window Boxes.com
Make sure that you screw the brackets into support studs to hold the boxes well and securely.

**Select a copper or bronze window box and hang it inside your house rather than outside. Fill it with houseplants or herbs, potted separately in small pots,.

Make sure the box does not have drain holes. In fact, it might be a good idea to water the plants in the kitchen sink, let them drain, then place back in the window box.

* Create a great bathroom look by filling a tin window box with small ferns. Line a small window box with plastic, add an inch or so of small gravel to assure drainage and transplant the ferns into a rich potting mixture.

A bathroom is a great place for plants because of the high humidity from the shower.

* Place a wicker window box filled with small pots of herbs in a kitchen.

* For a more formal window box, place hydrangeas in a faux stone window box. Wrap decorative paper around each plant’s pot for an additional touch. You can replace the paper as necessary.

* Use floral foam to lift the plants up to the desired height. The foam is lightweight, inexpensive, allows air to circulate and resists mold and mildew.
* Try some ivy topiaries to add structure, height and a hinty of whimsy. This is particularly effective in a kitchen.The top of the pot sits an inch or two below the rim of the windowbox.

*Add flowering plants to any room in the house. The idea is to fill any gaping holes and give the box a polished, finished look. Smaller pots may need to be raised with pieces of floral foam. The great thing about not planting into soil is that plants can be moved round till you’re satisfied with the look.

* Top-dress any of your window plants or window boxed with moss or spanish moss to hide the plastic pots.

Instead of bright and bold, use a combination of traditional houseplants and seasonal favorites to make a serene area in your home . When these start to fade at season’s end, simply switch them out for whatever suits your fancy at that point.

Indoor plants dry out quickly so keep them watered, but don’t overwater because that can lead to pests, diseases and too much weight on your window box.

Try a window box in the bathroom, too–whether or not there’s a window. Many plants, like ferns, will love the humidity.

Dried flowers are useful in arrangements and for bath salts, soaps
as well as to use in many other craft items.

Dried flowers can be achieve not only from what you have grown yourself, but also from what you may find on a nature walk, in your backyard or along a roadway. Queen annes lace, buttercups, wild sunflowers all dry nicely to make lovely arrangements.

To Dry Your Own

Pick your flowers in dry weather. Preferably you will pick them
after 11 am, when the dew has evaporated from the ground, and nucn
them into small bouquests, protected from dust by covering them
with a sheet of paper.

HANG FLORALS

To preserve their bright colors, hang flowers in a dry well
ventilated area, with very little light, such as an attic, garage
or a closet. Too much light will cause discoloration of the
flowers, fading them

HERB HANGING
Herbs which will be used for cooking, should not be hung upside
down, as this will deplete their essential oils. Instead, use paper
towels or a wire screen to dry them, or, it can be done quite
effectively in the microwave on low power, using paper towels below
them.

Floral arrangement made of dried wild and tame flowers

PREVENTING PETAL DROP

To prevent your flowers from losing their petals while drying, pick
them before they are fully opened up, and leave a sufficient amount
of space between the hanging bouquets, or about six inches.
You can replace brittle stems with bits of metal florist wire,
while the flower is still fresh.
Thread a length of wire through the stem and bloom of brittle
flowers such as straw flowers, while they are fresh. Bend a small
hook at the end and pull the wire down into the bloom to conceal
it.

LEAVES

You can stabilize the colors of leaves by ironing them with a
moderately hot iron. The larger ones can be ironed directly, such
as maple and oak, while smaller more delicate ones can be ironed
between the pages of newsprint .
The heat will set and stablize the colors even if you don’t iron
them or dip them into wax

One or more of these additions to your garden will assure that your feathered friends will visit you regularly and if you add all of them, most likely you will find yourself host to many nesting birds over the course of the summer. A patio garden even if frequently used, will provide enough cover for the bird friends to visit and feed in the afternoon or evening hours when the patio is least used.  Birds will also nest in the eaves above it if they are provided with food and water supplies not far away.

Lure birds into your garden with a seed table or bird feeder, making sure that you place it in a wind sheltered area such as under an arbor or trellis, or under a tree on a solidly implanted post. Building a small flat seed table, or securing one to your patio outside a window is the perfect way to bring in birds to an area where you will most likely be able to view them.

Fill your seed table with millet, to attract ground feeding birds such as mourning doves, or sparrows, or raisins for fruit eating birds, such as Robins and Bluebirds. Black oil sunflower seeds are favorites for cardinals, bluejays and chickadees, and if you want to draw in woodpeckers and others, add a variety of apple, pear, grapefruit and oranges. You can sprinkle the seeds on the ground beneath a tree if you like, and lure in such birds as thrush and other low cover birds.

If you choose to leave your seed heads to grow on the flowers for the birds feed, then remember not to deadhead the plants and to plant choices such as asters, cosmos, sunflowers, zinnia and coreopsis.
Regardless of whether your yard or garden is an acre, or only a few feet wide, you have the capacity to provide a small sheltered space that will bring in feathered friends for your enjoyment.
A few seed cakes, nailed or adhered to the wall of your patio or hung from a tree branch will bring in birds as well.

woodpeckers are drawn to seed cakes which can be purchased or home made

The music of the birds as they eat from the flowery table will be a
sound you will hear even on the coldest days of winter time.

Don’t forget to add a warmable bird bath to your garden, and summer
or winter it will serve the birds well.

Place a low watt bulb under a clay pot and run an extension cord to
the pot, setting a pan of water on top of the clay pot.,

The water will stay above freezing for the birds to bathe in summer
and drink in winter.

Finches will find a home in even a small shrub

Don’t forget to use a ground fault extension cord for this project.

Grow some inviting hedges which the birds can find cover in, such
as honeysuckle, blackbery, yew and hawthorn, to give them places to
perch and sometimes even to nest.

All it takes is a bit of preplanning and some imagination.

Before you begin to grow your garden, be sure that you know how much your balcony or deck is rated to hold and that the addition of the plants will not take you over the top of that weight limit prior to placing then on the balcony.

Apple tree on a south facing balcony

There are a few things besides weight that need to be taken into consideration on a balcony or patio garden, not the least of which is sunlight.

Growing small fruit trees or vegetables takes a good bit of sunlight. You will want to make sure that where you place your vegetables or trees will receive about 5-6 hours of sunlight per day. This means that what you choose to plant will depend in a large part on your patio or balcony’s orientation to the sun.

Flowers rise in stair steps up to the window

Tomatoes and beans need a good bit of sunlight and will require either grow lamps, or a warm light filled balcony facing south or west, while lettuce or root vegetables such as carrots or small potatoes will be perfectly happy on a south or east facing balcony which gets only limited amounts of sunlight daily.

If you have a larger balcony, or patio, you can create an outdoor “room” on your space by using hanging plants above and small plants or trees below to make a wall of greenery.

Petunias grow reasonably well on an easter balcony

If you choose to grow climbers on your balcony, you will want to secure trellises to the walls, or to secure the plants to the wall using wire or twine so they are able to resist the wind shear.

For durable planters that will resist rot and last a long time, use vinyl, or, old halved whisky casks or barrels. These are available at any nursery or many hardware stores.Be sure to drill holes in the bottom of them and line the first couple inches with small gravel to assure adequate drainage of the plants.

Hand made steps help to layer the flowers

If you choose to build your own wooden boxes or raised platforms, be certain that the wood you use is untreated, as some treated lumbers can, when they become hot, give off fumes that will damage the plant roots.

The decking will dry perfectly well after a rain or plant watering, provided it is well sealed and has room to air below it, so the water on the deck or balcony should not be a real concern.
In many areas you can leave your garden out on the balcony even in wintertime with a few precautions. If the climate where you live is particularly intemperate, cover your clay or glass pots with plastic bags and set them on wood blocks in the winter. This will prevent the heaves and freezing that will crack your pots.

How its done is to take a l.arge plastic bag, fill it with straw, packing peanuts or sawdust and place it over the pot to insulate the plant roots and the pot from the heavy temperature changes.

<script src=”http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js” type=”text/javascript”>
</script>
<script type=”text/javascript”>
_uacct = “UA-3512363-1″;
urchinTracker();
</script>

Medium sized bromeliads make perfect potted plants for a balcony

They are among the most unique and beautiful of the plant kingdom
and growing them will assure that your garden gains constant attention since they are not always seen in some areas.
Bromeliads aren’t commonly grown but they are lovely.

Inside or out, if your idea is to build something unique in your small space, then bromeliads are the way to go.

They have a remarkable method of using the scales that are on their
leaves which are actually an organ, to draw water directly from
the air.

Hanging or growing from tree moss, bromeliads are perfect for lilliputian gardening

Bromeliads can be, much like any other plant species, remarkably
easy, or quite difficult to grow depending on the type that you
select.

To grow them, you will want to choose a very porous potting medium,
not normal soil, and keep it continuously damp by misting it. If
you choose plants of the tillandsia variety, they will enjoy and
greatly benefit from a weekly soak with water.

You can help them to bloom by putting them in a closed plastic bag
with a few ripe apples or a banana. The ripening fruit fumes will
actually stimulate the production of flowers.

Removing the offsets, or the lateral, pups, will assure that the
plant propagates as these grow into new plants, while the parent
plant will eventually die regardless of your care of it. remove
them when they have reached about a third the size of the parent
plant, and house them in a porous medium amd within a month they
will root.

You can also put some bromeliads together on a large branch that
has covered itself with moss, and secure them in place with florist
wire, and they will root and grow there. Make sure that you keep
them evenly moist by misting, and apply plant fertilizer of the
leaf variety once in a while..

Container gardens, inside or out can easily house the bromeliads with their many varying sizes

This is a dramatic and effective way to grow and display your
bromeliads and the bonus is that it doesn’t require ground space, only a mnedium sized tree, which puts your garden in a tree, not only in the unique category, but also in the small spaces ideas category as well..

If you choose to grow your bromeliads inside the home, one way to
assure their continued good health, as well as your own is to use a
cool mist humidifier in the room with the plants.

Basil is among my favorite because there are so many varieties and it is quite easy to grow. While most people think of basil as being traditionally an Italian herb there are so many different kinds that you can use it in most any dish and it need not be confined to tomato dishes, it works very well with poultry or pork and in salads.

There are far to many types to cover them all, but I will touch on a few of the more popular varieties and the ones that in my experience are the easiest to grow.

Sweet basil is by far the most popular and widely used type but there are several different varieties. They have a very distinctive aroma and any tomato dish that it is added to is bound to get many compliments. Another wonderful thing about this plant is that even if you don’t have time or space for a garden it grows very well in pots placed in a sunny location and will make a nice addition to a patio or deck. These are just a few of the varieties of sweet basil.

Basil will grow well in containers, inside or outside.

Medinette Basil- This is a very compact type with leaves a bit larger than bush basil which makes it wonderful for planting in pots reaching only 12 to 14 inches, it is also slow to bolt(wilt or lose it’s leaves) in hotter or dry climates like most basil, it germinates easily and can be planted outside in mid to late spring in most zones, or inside at any time of the year.

Sweet Salad Basil- This is a medium leaf variety and is great for use fresh in salads, on tomatoes or in pestos and can be added at the last minute in soups or chopped finely onto rice dishes. It has a very mild sweet flavor and the hint of cinnamon clove flavor gives it an added twist. Because of this flavor it also works well with dishes such as chicken curry. This is the basil most widely used commercially because it dries quite well without the leaves turning black.

Nufar f1 Basil- this is the first type of basil that was grown to be fusarium resistant. Fusarium is a fungal disease common in basil and can be identified by a sudden wilting of leaves and death of the plant. Once the fungus has set in there is no way to cure it and the contaminated plant should be removed immediately and do not replant as the soil will be contaminated also. The disease can also be transmitted from plant to plant and from diseased seeds. There are several types that are resistant to this and that makes them quite popular.

Genovese Basil-This is a classic large leafed type originally grown in the area of Genoa Italy which is considered the Pesto capital of the world and is wonderful used fresh or frozen in pesto butter or salads.

Gecofure Basil- The name represents a contraction of GEnovese COmpatto FUsarium REsistant. This variety is very resistant to diseases and was bred for leaf quality and uniformity and has a very unique aroma and flavor it is one of the more compact types and is excellent for growing in smaller herb gardens or pots.

There are several types of bush basil which grow very well in limited space or for pot gardens usually they small fine leaves and are very compact. As with most basil they are quite easy to grow and are quite ornamental in looks.

Marseilles Basil- this is a superb bush basil which also qualifies for the dwarf type because it only grows to about 10 inches making it a perfect choice for pots or a wonderful border plant for any type of garden.

Spicy Global Basil- This is a very attractive form of bush basil. It has slightly larger leaves than most and grows in uniform round little bushes, it tends to be a bit hardier than many bush varieties making it a good selection for potted plant sales.

Aside from the specific types there are many types of basil that don’t really fit in any category here are a few kinds that while they may be a bit harder to find will enhance any herb garden.

Indian Basil-This plant has beautiful purple flowers and deep green foliage. It grows to a height of around 3 feet. In India the seeds are used to make a very popular milkshake type of beverage called falooda, They soak the seeds in water and they form a gel then are stirred in rose syrup and crushed ice, they have no real aroma or flavor but add in the cooking action of the ice, and are also thought to restore body strength. It is also said that they are used in the treatment of intestinal worms and coughs. It has a religious tie to all Muslims because the emperor Aurangzeb declared that this basil should be planted on his tomb.

Oriental breeze basil- This basil has very bright green leaves and huge purple flower heads so will be at home in your flower garden as well as the herb garden. When planted in pots it reaches about 12 to 16 inches but in the garden will grow as high as 28 inches. The flowers appear from June to September and the leaves have a strong basil scent and flavor.