The front yard has come a long way in just two years! I’ve had a great time trying new plants and seeing what works in my sunny, dry in summer, wet in winter conditions (Portland, Oregon). Here are ten of my favorite, fun, slightly out-of-the-ordinary plants so far.
Tuberous iris. Formerly known as Tuberous HermodactylusThis quirky little iris is commonly known as snakehead iris or widow’s iris because of its gothic color. It is an unusual shade of chartreuse (which the famous 16th and 17th century herbalist John Gerard called “goose dung green”) with almost black accents. Flowers are supposed to have a nice fragrance, but I forgot to smell mine. Here it blooms on April 4, although once it gets established (I just got it this year), I suspect it will bloom earlier. In summer everything disappears.
tuberous iris It is a Mediterranean plant. It loves full sun, sandy soils and dry summers. It is hardy to zone 6. I planted mine in a dark leaf patch. a white seat ‘Black Pearl’, which I thought was great.
Cypella herbertii. Here’s another relative of the iris that I adore. The intricate triangular flowers, egg yolk yellow with cream and dark purple accents, have lots of character. They bloom in summer.
Cypella herbertii It is a graceful, slender plant that grows to about 20 inches tall. The individual flowers only last one day, but open successively along the stems. It is easy to start from seed and can flower the first year. Prefers a sunny location, with good drainage and few people. Originally from Argentina and Uruguay, it is difficult to reach zone 7b. In colder places or where the soils are heavy, you can grow it in a pot.
Jovibarba sobolifera. Now properly known as eternal globetrotterThis funny little hen chick is of the type called “rollers”, because the displacements form little balls, barely attached to the mother plants by the finest threads, which detach and roll to form new rosettes in other places. The leaves are a bright, spring-like greenish-yellow color with deep pink tips. It looks good all the time.
Jovibarba sobolifera It is a monocarpic plant, meaning that once the rosette grows large enough, it flowers and then dies. This happens in the summer and is quite obscene, as you can see. Over time, it forms an interesting tree stem with cream-colored flowers. Give it full sun and excellent drainage. Jovibarba sobolifera It is from southeastern Europe and is hardy to at least zone 4.
Bigelowia nuttallii. If you’ve never heard of Nuttall’s rayless goldenrod, you’re not alone. I found this at Joy Creek Nursery last year and decided to give it a try, and I’m glad I did. It blooms in August and yes, there are tons of yellow flowering plants for summer, but this one is special. It’s a lovely bright yellow shade, and catches the light in a dreamlike way. The plant is only 12 to 15 inches tall and the foliage is pretty. The thin grass-green leaves form an orderly group.
I thought that Bigelowia nuttallii could be a native of the Pacific Northwest due to our native nuttall hornbut it turns out that Mr. Nuttall did botany all over the country. This plant is from the Southeast. It is found in scattered locations from Texas to Florida, but is hardy to at least zone 5a. Full sun, good drainage; It is very drought tolerant. Pollinators love it.
It turned into panic “Hot Rod.” Switchgrasses are some of the best ornamental grasses you can buy, and this one, I think, is the most spectacular. It was selected for its habit of turning red earlier than other varieties. I have a few of these in my backyard and they are a rainbow of colors. This front garden specimen is found in a warmer, drier location, and turns completely red in summer.
Switchgrasses are native to most of the central and eastern U.S. and are widely adaptable. They are tough as nails. ‘Hot Rod’ is hardy to zone 4. Grow it in full sun for the best color, in any soil type. It is about four feet tall.
autumn sesleria ‘Green Field’. It is a well-kept, compact and rarely used ornamental grass. I have ‘Campo Verde’ fall grass near my front door and it is a good front door plant. It always looks good. The leaves are a cheerful light green and the whitish plumes (which top out at 26 inches in my garden) are long-lasting and pretty in the sunlight. It would be beautiful en masse.
Give ‘Campo Verde’ full sun, partial shade and good drainage. It is hardy to at least zone 6. Autumn moor grass comes from northern Italy and Albania. I’m told it doesn’t mind extreme heat or humidity.
Dark digital. Dusk foxglove comes from Spain and North Africa and is one of those foxgloves that enjoys a dry, sunny, rocky site. It’s nothing like the old digital purple. It is about 18 inches tall, evergreen and has the most fascinating pink, gold and mahogany brown flowers. Flowers appear in earnest in late May and sporadically throughout the remainder of the growing season.
Evening foxglove is short-lived, persisting for only three to five years. Sometimes it doesn’t even last that long. I started with two plants two years ago and one is already toast. Fortunately, it’s easy from seed (and will reseed itself if you let it), so I now have several babies and plan to keep this charmer in my garden indefinitely. It is difficult to place yourself in zone 6a or 4b, depending on who you ask.
Campanula choruhensis. I never know what I’ll come home with when I go to a meeting of my local North American Rock Garden Society group (the Columbia-Willamette Chapter), but it’s usually something interesting. Case in point: Campanula choruhensisfrom Türkiye. In June, this charismatic beauty is covered with oversized frosty white flowers sprouting from large ribbed buds.
I planted my little specimen where I thought it would get some shade, but in reality the sun rotates and hits it in the afternoon. He seems perfectly happy there. It is said that slugs devastate it, but they have never touched mine. I planted this between two other fun plants: Have ‘Wingletye’ and cotula “Tiffany Gold.”
aged garlic subsp. grey I didn’t grow this plant for summer flowers, but they are adorable! And the bees love them. No, I originally grew German garlic for swirling blue foliage. Each plant looks like a small whirlpool.
German garlic reaches only a foot tall with flowers. It likes full sun and good drainage. Native to Europe and northern Asia and resistant to zone 4.
sedum ‘Rosette’. sedum is my favorite genre and I would be remiss if I didn’t include at least one on this list. I have chosen ‘Rosetta’. It’s a textural delight when the blue-green leaves sprout in spring, like… well, like little roses!
‘Rosetta’ expands throughout the season to form a vase-shaped clump about two feet tall and two feet wide. It is a robust and robust plant, but also elegant. Opens creamy white flowers in late August. White sedum flowers don’t age as gracefully as pink ones, but they are beautiful while they last and are a favorite of pollinators. ‘Rosetta’ is a product of Terra Nova Nurseries of Oregon. It is hardy to zone 4 and is easy to grow in any sunny site with average soil.
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Do you grow any of these fun plants? How have they been for you?
