Regional Picks: Cutting-Garden Essentials – Northern Plains

1. Sea thrift

Name:Armeria maritimaand cvs.

USDA Hardiness Zones:3 to 9

Size:8 to12 inches tall and broad

Conditions : Full sun ; well - drain filth

ocean parsimoniousness is a spring bloomer with whitened or pinkish flowers ( like those of ‘ Bloodstone ’ , pictured ) emerging atop gamy - green foliage . An idealistic plant for xeriscape planting , it will actually underperform in rich soil or with too much care . As the plant life matures , the inwardness dies out ; rejuvenate by naval division every three to five twelvemonth in either spring or tumble .

2. Yarrow

Name:Achillea millefoliumcvs.

Zones:3 to 9

Size:20 to 24 inches marvellous and broad

Yarrow should not be confused with the gage of the same name . Many novel cultivar provide a nearly summertime - long show of flowers . It ’s a good plant for xeriscapes but will prosper with a lilliputian tender love caution ( soil high in constitutional affair and a little more moisture ) . Once established , this tough plant can literally have its flower mowed off ; if you fertilize and water , it will flower again . As it start to see a little woody after four to five age , dig and part , spacing the clumps about 2 feet aside . While the fresh - cut bloom are long last in a vase , they can also be used in dry out - bloom arrangements .

3. Carpathian bellflower

Name:Campanula carpaticaand cvs.

Zones:4 to 7

Size:1 base tall and wide

Conditions : Full sun to fond shade ; moist , well - drained soil

The purplish - blue flower of Carpathian campanula ( like those of ‘ Blue Clips ’ , see ) put on a show from early leap to early summer ; reckon on the website , spotty flowering may occur even later in the summertime weeks . The flora provide uniform blooms and involve little maintenance when generously mulched and point in dappled shade . It can be used in rock garden or in compounding with other flowers . It also fits well in naturalized landscapes .

4. Narrow-leaf coneflower

Name:Echinacea angustifolia

Zones:4 to 9

Size:3 feet tall ( or more ) and 18 inches wide

This is my favorite flower . Narrow - leaf coneflower is easily grown , motility in the landscape through normal seed distribution without becoming invasive , and is one of the longest - lasting cutting blossom available . It is at its showiest when allowed to intermingle naturally throughout the landscape . For xeriscape or prairie plantings , it is unparalleled for its showy operation and low maintenance . This is a plant life that will look its best with a little benign neglectfulness ; if given too much tending , its base will become weak and founder over .

Ron Smith is a professor and wing horticulture specialist at North Dakota State University in Fargo .

Photos , except where note : David Cavagnaro , courtesy of Nicole Hagness , Jennifer Benner , Jerry Pavia

ok Gardening Recommended Products

Ho - Mi Digger - Korean Triangle Blade

Fine Gardening receives a commission for detail buy through links on this website , include Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs .

A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

Buffalo - Style Gardens : make a Quirky , One - of - a - form Private Garden with Eye - Catching Designs

Get our a la mode tips , how - to articles , and instructional videos sent to your inbox .

Signing you up …

Regional Picks: Foundation-Friendly Plants – Northern Plains

Regional Picks: Short Plants – Northern Plains

Regional Picks: Plants for Wet Soil - Northern Plains

Regional Picks: Cutting-Garden Essentials – Northeast

Join Fine Gardening for a barren engaging hot webinar featuring Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned works pathologist as well as prof emerita at Purdue University and the ornamental technical manager …

When I spotted a exceptional sand dollar cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few month ago , I knew I was in trouble . With a delightful color shape …

When we only prioritize plants we want over plant our landscape painting want , each time of year is fill with a never - ending inclination of chores : pruning , pinching , watering , treating , amending , and fertilizing , with …

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you enter the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re likely to trip on something , but because you might be dive - bombed by a duo …