Update on the Dead Woodland Sunflower Bed
A year ago I wrote about how my woodland sunflowers (Helianthus strumosus) had pooped out on me. They had been the only plant growing in a little back garden bed along the path to the alley. What remained looked like this.
I was tired of woodland sunflower, so a new plant selection was called for. In addition to being under dappled shade, this bed can get dry in summer and wet in spring, so the replacement plants required careful consideration. Also I wanted this to be a low-growing bed, requiring no staking or pruning.
So last fall I ended up planting dwarf goatsbeard (Aruncus aethusifolius), lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis), a variegated bugleweed, and a dwarf beautyberry, Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Isai’. This is how the bed looked last October.
Then came winter, a particularly long and hard winter. When we finally thawed out, I found that: 1) the goatsbeard came up looking refreshed and rested; 2) the lenten rose survived mostly, though one plant perished and another looked rather weak; 3) the bugleweed died; and 4) the dwarf beautyberry had been chewed to the ground by rabbits.
Now the bed looks like this.
Fortunately the dwarf beautyberry has grown back. We’ll see if we get any purple berries this fall, but either way I’ll be sure to give it some winter protection from the evil rabbits. The bugleweed and deceased lenten rose I replaced with more of the dwarf goatsbeard.
These were all new plants for me, and overall I am moderately pleased. I do like the goatsbeard. The ones planted last fall have settled in nicely. The flowers are decent if not exciting, and the ferny foliage is very appealing.
I did have a scare when I read that the dwarf beautyberry is considered an invasive plant in some parts of the country. However, it doesn’t appear on the Chicago Botanic Garden list of invasive plants for this region, so I assume it’s OK.
This is completely off topic but all this understated green and white makes me want to show off my Clematis jackmanii, which is doing very nicely this year.
Purple power! Have a fun Fourth of July!
What a fantastic Clematis! I didn’t know there’s a dwarf Goatsbeard. I like my big one, even though it does get a bit unruly.
I have the big one too, but it wouldn’t have met my needs in this bed.
I also have a dwarf goatsbeard. It is a very nice plant, and the foliage gets a great colour in the fall. If you lenten rose likes the place, it will be quite big in a year or two.
Love your Jackmanii, mine is also nice, but yours is stunning.
I didn’t realize the goatsbeard had fall color – I’ll have to watch for it.
I have always been disappointed by my Aruncus and now think I have planted a dwarf one! Your Jackmanii needs showing off, its spectacular!
Thank you! It really likes that spot against a west facing brick wall.
The clematis is fabulous, I enjoy seeing it all the more because I can’t grow it! Happy 4th July to you and your family Jason.
Thanks! I’d wish you the same, but I don’t imagine they celebrate the 4th in Italy or the UK.
You made some thoughtful (and successful) choices! I confess that sometimes I don’t put as much planning into our beds as I ought to. I believe I will see if I can find some reasonably-priced goatsbeard. I like it!
I may plan a bed and then go to the nursery, have my head turned by something new, and out goes the plan!
Looks nice. I just got my first Goatsbeard as a gift from a fellow MG. Looking forward to seeing how it progresses. And, I’m definitely thinking I need a Clematis jackmanii – gorgeous. Happy 4th to you and yours. 🙂
Same to you. Hope your goatsbeard does well.
How much sun does the clematis get? What time of day?
Direct afternoon sun – at this time of year at least seven hours. Plus it’s against a brick wall painted white, which amplifies the effect of the sun.
The renovated bed looks nice and your Jackmanii is lovely. Mine finished blooming long ago but never looked as fun as this one.
Thanks. I hope the blooms last a good long while.
You can enjoy the beautiful clematis while waiting for the other area to become what you want.
That’s why it’s good to have a big garden – something is always peaking while you give a makeover to something else.
That purple of your clematis is beautiful!!! And I see where I missed my name in the giveaway in the last post !!! Thanks again I can’t wait to read it!! The goatsbeard looks stunning as does your beauty berry!! I had no idea that this plant was considered invasive in some parts…mine has popped back and is so pretty in the shade. Evil rabbits yes! We seem to have a million this year! Take care and happy 4th!!
It’s encouraging to hear you’ve had success with the beautyberry.
I am glad I had read your post as I have a perennial sunflower I had not identified which turns out to be Helianthus strumosus. It is doing well, no doubt in part because it is full sun from dawn to dusk.
Your jackmanii is stunning. I bought one a couple of years ago and it turned out to be Étoile violette – a nice clematis, but not the one I had bought!
Woodland sunflower seems to be a misnomer, because it doesn’t seem all that happy in the woodland.
I didn’t even know there was a dwarf goatsbeard or a dwarf beautyberry. I’ve always wanted a goatsbeard, but haven’t found the right place for one. A shorter one would fit in perfectly. ‘Jackmanii’ looks beautiful!
I only learned about them recently. Don’t know yet how the beautyberry will work out. The goatsbeard seems like a useful plant. There is a native beautyberry but it is much too large for the space I am working with. The dwarf is from Korea, I think.
Your clematis looks great! I’ve had absolutely no success finding a spot which shows off my own, and as a result just kind of ignore them…
The beautybush should be fine, they bloom on new wood and should be cut back each spring anyway. Save your protection efforts for the stuff that appreciates it.
Happy fourth!
So the rabbits actually did me a favor. Thanks for the tip.
How fun planting a new garden from scratch. Your clematis looks great. Mine is in full bloom as well, but I’m missing it being on vacation 😦 I planted 3 beautyberry bushes (Callicarpa x NCCX1) that I got from the Morton Arboretum. I’m hoping they do well, maybe I should protect them this winter from hungry rabbits. I trust they’re not invasive, but my biggest fear is that after buying them, I noticed the hardiness rating is only to 6. I’m hoping they really wouldn’t sell something that won’t grow here in zone 5. They overwintered at the Morton Arb just fine, so maybe they aren’t done testing hardiness yet. Happy 4th!
I can’t imagine the Morton Arboretum would sell anything that wasn’t hardy. Plus Bittster noted in one of the comments above that you’re supposed to cut the beautyberry back as they bloom on new wood, so the rabbits are not a threat, at least not in winter.
Nice! I remember your post from last year on the bed. I think it is looking good but I must say I love the purple power!
Me too!
That clematis really is beautiful. I like goat’s beard too. It can sulk at times but it seems close to indestructible and nothing eats it.
I haven’t experienced the sulking yet but glad to hear you found it nearly indestructible.
Beautiful clematis. Maybe the rabbits are just pruners in disguise. I’ll try to remember this next time they eat down my clematis vines, etc. to the ground….
If they are pruners in disguise, I wish they would listen carefully to my instructions. Maybe I should speak more slowly.
You made me laugh.
I too have dwarf goatsbeard. It looks nice in that bed. The beautyberry should not be invasive in your climate, right? Good you checked. Many plants here are not invasive, but other places are. That is one good thing about our winters, aggressive plants are many times kept in check.
Exactly, I think it can be invasive in milder climates – like many other plants.
If your hellebores died and the aruncus thrived then the spot is probably pretty wet in the winter/spring. Hellebore need to be dry in the winter. Japanese anemone would do well there as would astrantia ( I think! Dbl check me.) Love that clematis! 🙂
I love Japanese anemone (especially Honorine Jobert) and have it in a couple of other spots.It’s a little tall for what I have in mind for this bed, though.
I do like the dwarf goatsbeard, what an unusual little plant. The clematis is rather stunning too! It’s always a pain to lose plants isn’t it, we had a ferocious winter a few years back and I lost so many shrubs and even small trees. If only the weather was a little more predictable!xxx
I want that clematis – well, I want a copy of it, it would be unfair to take it from you. Clematis Jackmanii has been in and out of my mind for a while but seeing yours flowering like that I don’t think I’m going to forget about it again!
Funny how our gardens take shape after nature has her hand in it….my clematis is growing a lot and blooming profusely…love yours.