Great Garden Combo: Planting for Fiery Shade and Beautiful Wildlife
There is something magical about seeing butterflies and hummingbirds in summer time. While butterflies flit gracefully from flower to flower, their vibrant wings lazily dancing on the warm breeze, hummingbirds appear to always be in a great hurry, bobbing up and down, in and out and chasing off any intruders — these feisty little critters.
In addition to supplying us with several hours of amusement, both these creatures are important pollinators for our gardens, and as such it’s worth taking time to encourage them to visit. When choosing a plant palette to fulfill their preferences, remember to plan for a succession of blooms over several months, and place these within a framework of bold foliage. This leafy backdrop will both boost the floral screen and hold the overall design together even when the flowers are not at their peak.
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At first glance that is merely a well-designed summertime mix, with fiery shades of burnt orange, burgundy and scarlet offset by cooling chartreuse. Yet that is a veritable buffet for both hummingbirds and butterflies, giving them a few months of nectar-rich blossoms.
Tall verbena opens the floral symphony in late June, immediately followed by Flasher daylily, which compels heaps of vibrant orange blossoms for nearly two months. The Lochinch butterfly bush combines in next, showing off endless blossom lavender, panicle-type blossoms while its silvery foliage becomes a striking backdrop for its renowned Lucifer crocosmia.
When these begin to fade, there is a large collection of Joe pye weed ready to take centre stage with their burgundy stems and horizontal rose-colored flower heads. These can continue to blossom together with the tall verbena until the end of the summer.
Yet without a strong framework of foliage, all these would be merely a collection of pretty blossoms. The gold locust tree along with Grace smoke bush add strong blasts of colour to fulfill our individual desire for construction and make certain our hummingbird garden is attractive to all garden visitors.
The finishing touch is a local chair. Not necessary, clearly, but the ideal place for enjoying the heady odor and seeing exquisite garden visitors on a warm summer afternoon.
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Ways to Get the Look
1. Choose Nectar-Rich Plants
Not all daylilies are equivalent. Many suffer with poor stalks, untidy foliage and also a short bloom time. Flasher daylily is different. The flowers are held high on sturdy stems and blossom for more than a month, while the foliage remains clean and requires minimal cleanup.
The burnt-orange colour stands up to strong sunlight without fading and looks superb against dark foliage such as the Grace smoke bush shown in the opening mix.
Botanical name: Hemerocallis ‘Flasher’
Common title: Flasher daylily
Gains: Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees
Where it can rise: Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit(USDA climate zones3a to 9b; locate your zone)
Water condition: Average to low
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 2 ft tall and 4 ft wide
Seasonal interest: Summer
When to plant: Spring or fall
Caution: Daylilies are toxic to cats; see different plants to eliminate pets.
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Tall verbena filters the view with no obscuring it, including a touch of mystery to the summer garden. Completely drought tolerant, it can be left to create its own plant combinations at will as it self-seeds with abandon. This is not a problem in my garden, where it’s easy to remove unwanted seedlings.
Botanical name: Verbena bonariensis
Common title: Purpletop vervain
Gains: Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees
Where it can grow: Hardy to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA climate zones 7 to 10)
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 6 ft tall and 3 ft wide
Seasonal interest: Summer to fall
When to plant: Spring
Caution: Tall verbena is considered invasive in some regions of the U.S. Check with your regional cooperative extension office for information.
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A stand of scarlet Lucifer crocosmia is a memorable sight in any summer garden. Arching stems of brilliant red flowers appear to explode in the swordlike foliage in the summer, while hummingbirds vie for the ideal position like fighter pilots.
Botanical name: Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’
Common names: Lucifer montbretia, Lucifer crocosmia
Gains: Attracts hummingbirds
Where it can grow: Hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA climate zones5 to 9)
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Elderly size: 4 feet tall and wide
Seasonal interest: Summer
When to plant: Plant bulbs in spring; plants can also be planted in spring or autumn.
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Butterfly bushes have gotten a bad reputation since appearing on a lot of countries’ noxious weed lists. Do check to see which species are considered invasive in your area (if any), as you may unwittingly miss out on a few of the very beautiful hybrids — Lochinch butterfly bush. Although the one in my Seattle garden isn’t sterile, I have never had a seedling from it.
The silvery felted foliage would be outstanding even when the plant never bloomed, but the fragrant lavender blossoms, each with an orange eye, are what attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees by the dozen.
Cut down this plant to half size in spring to keep a tidy form.
Botanical name: Buddleia ‘Lochinch’ (syn. Buddleja x ‘Lochinch’)
Common title: Lochinch butterfly bush
Gains: Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees
Where it can grow: Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit(USDA climate zones3a to 9b)
Water requirement: Average to low
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Elderly size: 6 to 8 ft tall and wide
Seasonal interest: Spring to fall
When to plant: Spring
Caution: Although this hybrid isn’t recorded,the speciesBuddleia davidii is considered invasive in some regions of the U.S. Check with your regional cooperative extension office for information.
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2. Extend the Display With Great Foliage
Hold a layout together with fantastic foliage, so it is eye catching even when flowers are not at their peak. This gold locust tree shines a foliage spotlight on the whole scene.
Botanical name: Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Frisia’
Common title: Golden locust tree
Where it can rise: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA climate zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Low once recognized
Light requirement: Full sun for best color
Mature size: 30 to 50 feet tall and up to 20 feet wide
Seasonal interest: Spring to fall
When to plant: Plant it into well-drained dirt in spring or autumn.
Caution: Golden locust trees can create unwanted suckers in some parts of the U.S.
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Grace smoke mulch provides deeper tones using its rich burgundy leaves.
Botanical name: Cotinus ‘Grace’ (syn. Cotinus x ‘Grace’)
Common title: Grace smoke bush (syn. Grace smoke shrub)
Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA climate zones 4 to 9)
Water condition: Average to low
Light requirement: Total sun
Mature size: 10 to 15 feet tall and wide; 6 ft tall and wide with yearly pruning
Seasonal interest: Spring to fall
When to plant: Spring or autumn
Caution: Smoke bushes are thought to be invasive in some regions of the U.S. Check with your regional cooperative extension office for information.
See more ways to attract butterflies and bees