Less Weeds, More WOW GARDEN DESIGN GUIDE for Healthy Plant Communities, Try This Four-Tiered System from Planting in a Post-Wild World (Rainer & West)

Less weeds, more WOW GARDEN DESIGN GUIDE For healthy plant communities, try this four-tiered system from Planting in a Post-Wild World (Rainer & West).

Anchors 10-15% Tall, well-behaved, long-lived plants with year-round presence that 1 provide a structural framework.

Seasonal Stars 25-40% Mid-height plants with flowers or textures that shine for a while, 2 then blend in.

Placeholders 5-10% Short-lived plants that reseed to fill gaps and add brief 3 seasonal display.

Groundhuggers 50% Low, spreading plants that cover the ground to prevent erosion 4 and suppress weeds. Want more garden tips? Check out plantnebraska.org. Beauty at eye-level, diversity on the ground. This approach works by planting at least one plant per square foot. Tight spacing means faster coverage and fewer opportunities for weeds to sprout. It also works with plants’ tendency to cover ground, so that we can celebrate (instead of curse) plants that spread out and pop up in new places. By tiering plants on top of each other, we’re adapting lessons from wild ecosystems to make better gardens—gardens that look good while acting as environmental workhorses. Eye-popping themes of color combine with a lush network of roots and shoots to control weeds, prevent erosion, improve water quality and provide habitat.

1 PLANT PER SQUARE FOOT

water soil wildlife weed retention building habitat control

Are you using this approach? Share your stories at facebook.com/NeArb. Anchors 10-15% TIER 1

A Solid Framework Large, long-lived plants that have distinct feet forms—trees, shrubs and some upright (3-5 foot tall) grasses and perennials—work well 2-3 as Anchors. Beware of aggressive spreaders feet here, which can overtake a garden and 5 increase its height to an uncomfortable level. Sometimes colonizers have cultivated varieties that aren’t bullies. ‘Northwind’ switchgrass is a good example of one that behaves better than the straight species. 10 feet On a hike, you might see an old plant solo or in a small group that looks consistent from year to year. This might make a good Anchor.

• arrange first • singly or in groups • 2-3 feet apart based on mature spread

Liatris spicata (12%, 6/50 total plants).

Anchors to Try in Great Plains Gardens Evoking Western Grasslands Evoking Eastern Grasslands Inspired by the droughty plains of western Nebraska, these shorter These sun-loving species manifest the openness of eastern species thrive on good soil drainage and ample sunlight. Nebraska's tallgrass prairie, and are short enough to see over. shrubs perennials rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa rose milkweed Asclepias incarnata mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus wild indigo Baptisia australis, bracteata apache plume Fallugia paradoxa new jersey tea Ceanothus americanus western sandcherry Prunus besseyii Gateway joe pye Eutrochium maculatum 'Gateway' perennials gayfeather Liatris ssp leadplant Amorpha canescens, nana cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa compass plant Silphium laciniatum blue indigo Baptisia australis, minor meadow rue* Thalictrum rocheburianum new jersey tea Ceanothus americanus blue vervain Verbena hastata dotted blazingstar Liatris punctata culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum Autumn Fire sedum* Sedum 'Autumn Fire' grasses, sedges, rushes carolina lupine Thermopsis villosa big bluestem Andropogon gerardii hoary vervain Verbena stricta Karl Foerster reedgrass* Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' grasses, sedges, rushes Northwind switchgrass Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' Blond Ambition grama Bouteloua gracilis 'Blond Ambition' indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans * exotic to North America

Want more garden tips? Check out plantnebraska.org. in GreatPlainsGardens Seasonal StarstoTry • • • move—this iskey for garden longevity. Seasonal Stars can befree to spread and drifts that catch the eye anddon’t let go. especially truewhenthey appearinlarge textures addto agarden’s beauty, thisis Striking flowers, boldseedpodsand feathery use plants withdifferent periodsofinterest. hide behindanotherinitspeakseason,so looking scruffy at acertain timeof year can them have ashowy attribute ortwo. One sense asSeasonalStars because most of medium lifespans (5-10years) often make Mid-height plants (1-3feet tall) with Emotional Scenes * exotic toAmerica *North exotic dropseed prairie bluestem little muhly plains grass porcupine grama sideoats spiderwort prairie fendler's aster goldenrod stiff sage* Caradonna spurge* cushion coneflower clover prairie purple yarrow* Gold Coronation fremont's clematis species thrive on good soil drainage ongood and soil ample sunlight. thrive species of western droughtyplains Nebraska,Inspired bythe shorter these grasses, sedges, rushes sedges, grasses, perennials Evoking Western GrasslandsEvoking Seasonal Stars25-40% based onmaturespread 1-3 feetfromotherplants in groupsordrifts arrange second and Schizachyrium scoparium (30%, 15/50total plants). Echinacea angustifolia Want more gardentips?Check out Clematis fremontii Clematis Sporobolus heterolepisSporobolus scoparium Schizachyrium cuspidata Muhlenberia Hesperostipa spartea, comata Bouteloua curtipendula Tradescantia bracteata fendleri Symphyotrichum rigida Solidago 'Caradonna' nemorosa Salvia polychroma Euphorbia Echinacea paradoxa angustifolia, Dalea purpurea, candida 'CoronationGold' Achillea

5 feet prairie dropseed prairie bluestem little aster aromatic goldenrod susan black-eyed showy mint mountain quinine wild beebalm bradbury helen's Gras flower Mardi gentian bottle master rattlesnake coneflower narrow-leaf boltonia Snowbank bluestar Nebraska's and prairie, seeover. enough are tallgrass to short manifest species openness of the These sun-loving eastern grasses, sedges, rushes sedges, grasses, perennials Evoking Eastern Grasslands Evoking plantnebraska.org 10 Sporobolus heterolepisSporobolus scoparium Schizachyrium oblongifolium Symphyotrichum 'Fireworks' riddellii, Solidago var. fulgida speciosa Rudbeckia tenuifolium Pycnanthemum integrifolium Parthenium bradburiana Monarda Helenium Gras' 'Mardi autumnale Gentiana andrewsii yuccifolium Eryngium Echinacea pallida angustifolia, asteroidesBoltonia 'Snowbank' illustris hubrichtii, Amsonia . feet 1-3 feet TIER 2 in GreatPlainsGardens Placeholders toTry • • • plants settle in,thesespeciesmove out. competition, however, sowhenlonger-lived flood ordrought. They don’tdo well with come inafter adisturbance like afire, and In ecology, theseplants are called spots to give otherplants time to establish. most weeds would, andhelpcover bare In thegarden, Placeholders behave like lived plants good candidates for thistier. which makes annuals,biennialsandshort- you needthem,gone whenyou don’t— Placeholders are temporary—there when Filling Gaps * exotic toAmerica *North exotic hat mexican penstemon flax prairie blanketflower larkspur prairie mint hummingbird yarrow common greenthreads black-eyed susan gumflower cup curly snow-on-the-mountain fleabane tickseed bee plant mountain species thrive on good soil drainage ongood and soil ample sunlight. thrive species of western droughtyplains Nebraska,Inspired bythe shorter these perennials biennials annuals, Evoking Western GrasslandsEvoking Placeholders 5-10% based onmaturespread 1-2 feetfromotherplants singly oringroups arrange third ruderal (8%, 4/50total plants). Penstemon digitalis species,andare thefirst to Want more gardentips?Check out Cleome serrulatus Ratibida columnifera Ratibida Penstemon grandiflorus strictus, lewisii Linum aristata Gaillardia virescens Delphinium Agastache rupestris millefolium Achillea Thelesperma filifolium hirta Rudbeckia squarrosa Grindelia marginata Euphorbia ssp Erigeron tinctoria Coreopsis

pioneer

5 feet alexanders susan brown-eyed hat mexican penstemon flower cardinal larkspur prairie tickseed columbine eastern onion wild black-eyed susan yellowdicks fleabane cosmos* tickseed Nebraska's and prairie, seeover. enough are tallgrass to short manifest species openness of the These sun-loving eastern perennials biennials annuals, Evoking Eastern Grasslands Evoking plantnebraska.org

1-2

feet 10 Zizia aurea, aptera triloba Rudbeckia columnifera Ratibida Penstemon ssp Lobelia cardinalis virescens Delphinium verticillata Coreopsis canadensisAquilegia cernuum, stellatum Allium hirta Rudbeckia Helenium amarum ssp Erigeron bipinnatus Cosmos tinctoria Coreopsis . feet TIER 3 Groundhuggers 50% TIER 4

Living Mulch Network Groundhuggers are low-growing plants that live underneath the canopy of taller plants in other tiers. This means they need to be 1 shade- and stress-tolerant. Because their feet foot job is to cover the ground, many spreading 5 plants perform well as Groundhuggers, but non-spreading plants work too.

While there might be few species of plants used in other tiers, here you can mix it up because Groundhuggers are mostly out 10 feet of view. This presents an opportunity to increase your garden’s biodiversity without compromising the look you want.

• arrange last in open spots until the garden has one plant per square foot

Carex pensylvanica, Heuchera richardsonii and Viola sororia (50%, 25/50 total plants).

Groundhuggers to Try in Great Plains Gardens Evoking Western Grasslands Evoking Eastern Grasslands Inspired by the droughty plains of western Nebraska, these shorter These sun-loving species manifest the openness of eastern species thrive on good soil drainage and ample sunlight. Nebraska's tallgrass prairie, and are short enough to see over. perennials perennials ornamental onion* Allium senescens var. glauca windflower Anemone canadensis, sylvestris* pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia poppymallow Callirhoe 'Logan Calhoun', involucrata poppymallow Callirhoe 'Logan Calhoun', involucrata wild geranium Geranium maculatum hairy golden aster Chrysopsis villosa barren strawberry Geum fragarioides dakota vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida prairie smoke Geum triflorum primrose Oenothera latifolia, macrocarpa alumroot Heuchera richardsonii prairie packera Packera plattensis daffodil* Narcissus ssp. pasqueflower Pulsatilla patens prairie packera Packera plattensis prairie petunia Ruellia humilis Snow Flurry heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snow Flurry' Snow Flurry heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snow Flurry' violet Viola ssp prairie zinnia Zinnia grandiflora grasses, sedges, rushes grasses, sedges, rushes appalachian sedge Carex appalachica buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica blue grama Bouteloua gracilis tollway sedge Carex praegracilis junegrass Koeleria macrantha path rush Juncus tenuis * exotic to North America

Want more garden tips? Check out plantnebraska.org.