patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
So, stuck in the house w/ a bad back (which I'm pleased to say is getting a little better finally) I have spent an inordinate amount of time staring out the front window at the flowerbed there. I am not a 'level it all before winter' person - I leave all but the ugliest former foliage up to catch insulating snow and because I like seeing the structure it forms. Well, this year I stuck prunings from the now defunct Christmas tree upright all along the lawn edge of the beds, to try and discourage husband and 3 year old from trompling the planted area when they're playing in the snow. It looks sort of like a very low scraggly hedge along that side of the bed...
...and you know, I like that! I am not into highly formal flowerbeds, but this really is an improvement.
So I am thinking of how I could produce a similar more-permanent effect come springtime. Can't be anything evergreen - while this location is fairly reliably drifted over, we fairly regularly get snowless windy cold snaps down to like -20 C (minus single digits F). And remember I am USDA zone 3 or 4 where woody plants are concerned (have several zone 5-7 perennials doing well in that bed, but that's different).
So, any suggestions for a *perennial* that could be planted as a long low hedge-like edging? I need:
- hardy to at least zone 5
- mostly sunny
- rather dry (I seldom water that bed)
- moderately well-draining soil, ave. to poor fertility
- foliage rather dense, 6-10" high
- flowers white, pale yellow, pale pink, or bluish (NOT purple)
- if flowers are taller than foliage, then must be rather sparse
- winterkilled foliage must look minimally decent
(e.g.: looking like Anthemis would be fine; Potentilla, not)
Hm..... having just typed that last bit, maybe a white shrubby potentilla *would* be ok if kept seriously sheared... tho it would take some years to grow up enough from cuttings to use... I dunno. I still need other suggestions. I love sage and Anthemis but they're too tall; thrift has no winter 'presence'; winter savory would croak; pretty sure that lavender or santolina would mostly croak too. Sigh.
Suggestions?
Pat
...and you know, I like that! I am not into highly formal flowerbeds, but this really is an improvement.
So I am thinking of how I could produce a similar more-permanent effect come springtime. Can't be anything evergreen - while this location is fairly reliably drifted over, we fairly regularly get snowless windy cold snaps down to like -20 C (minus single digits F). And remember I am USDA zone 3 or 4 where woody plants are concerned (have several zone 5-7 perennials doing well in that bed, but that's different).
So, any suggestions for a *perennial* that could be planted as a long low hedge-like edging? I need:
- hardy to at least zone 5
- mostly sunny
- rather dry (I seldom water that bed)
- moderately well-draining soil, ave. to poor fertility
- foliage rather dense, 6-10" high
- flowers white, pale yellow, pale pink, or bluish (NOT purple)
- if flowers are taller than foliage, then must be rather sparse
- winterkilled foliage must look minimally decent
(e.g.: looking like Anthemis would be fine; Potentilla, not)
Hm..... having just typed that last bit, maybe a white shrubby potentilla *would* be ok if kept seriously sheared... tho it would take some years to grow up enough from cuttings to use... I dunno. I still need other suggestions. I love sage and Anthemis but they're too tall; thrift has no winter 'presence'; winter savory would croak; pretty sure that lavender or santolina would mostly croak too. Sigh.
Suggestions?
Pat