West Border
The West Border is the first glimpse most visitors have of the Idea Garden, so plants that are eye-catching from a distance are featured along with many shrubs that have vibrant color, beyond the more common shades of green.
The color palette of the West Border is labelled “yellow and blue”, but in reality, there aren’t that many plants in nature that are truly blue; so we take the opportunity to playfully extend the palette into the purple and orange ranges. The catmint, salvia, iris, and alliums provide a long season of purple. Gaillardia with annual zinnias and calendulas provide a constant supply of a range of yellows. We love to experiment with some new annuals every year, such as cardoons and less commonly seen species. We also extend the range of annual plants by including some dahlias and gladiolas, planted in the form of tubers and bulbs which can be lifted and stored over the winter. There are many shrubs in the border that carry the yellow theme through their foliage. The sambucus, forsythia, lilac, and buddleia all have yellow variegated foliage that allows them to stand out from their green counterparts. The large native amsonias at either end provide chartreuse accents.
Peonies and Irises for many of us in the Midwest give us a nostalgic sense of our childhood. Easy to divide and pass along, these plants reliably bloom year after year in our unpredictable weather. Long lived and easy to care for perennials are highlighted in the West Border. If you are an inexperienced gardener looking to break ground on a little patch in your yard, neighbors and relatives are often happy to pass along Irises, Day lilies, Catmint, Geraniums, Daisies and Heliopsis. These perennials provide structure to our gardens and multiply their clumps reliably over the years. They also bloom early in the season before the summer heat has set in and they give us reason to be out in the garden enjoying their blooms.
