MILLER/MORRIS YARD
248 N. Delphia
Karen and David moved into their home in 1990. Landscaping was largely grass, but the yard included a few roses, a trumpet vine, and spirea. Mature, native trees included the silver maple, hackberry, and hornbeam (aka blue beech, ironwood, or musclewood). The original plantings are still here, but the roses have been moved around.
Karen’s dad was a Michigan gardener and helped us start with additional roses, lilacs, and spring bulbs. Then our lack of talent with grass and a largish shepherd/huskie dog (Sheba) started to shape our landscape choices. The extensive shade and root systems of the mature trees also steered our plant selection. Dry shade is a challenge.
Today’s yard follows no master plan and has had no professional input. We started with reading gardening magazines for design principles and then tried to address problems with perennials rather than more grass. The garden is a testament to patient amateurism that rewarded robust plants, including self-sowers. It helps if you find weeding and thinning to be meditative.
Between bulbs and perennials, something is generally blooming from mid-March to first frost in the fall. Native plants include coneflower, various sunflowers, columbine, aster, milkweed, butterflyweed, daisy, Solomon’s seal, ferns, and camassia (a native bulb). The Elm Street parkway is used for the most rugged plants that require little care. As much as feasible, we use water from the rain barrel for annual flowers in backyard pots.
Karen and David moved into their home in 1990. Landscaping was largely grass, but the yard included a few roses, a trumpet vine, and spirea. Mature, native trees included the silver maple, hackberry, and hornbeam (aka blue beech, ironwood, or musclewood). The original plantings are still here, but the roses have been moved around.
Karen’s dad was a Michigan gardener and helped us start with additional roses, lilacs, and spring bulbs. Then our lack of talent with grass and a largish shepherd/huskie dog (Sheba) started to shape our landscape choices. The extensive shade and root systems of the mature trees also steered our plant selection. Dry shade is a challenge.
Today’s yard follows no master plan and has had no professional input. We started with reading gardening magazines for design principles and then tried to address problems with perennials rather than more grass. The garden is a testament to patient amateurism that rewarded robust plants, including self-sowers. It helps if you find weeding and thinning to be meditative.
Between bulbs and perennials, something is generally blooming from mid-March to first frost in the fall. Native plants include coneflower, various sunflowers, columbine, aster, milkweed, butterflyweed, daisy, Solomon’s seal, ferns, and camassia (a native bulb). The Elm Street parkway is used for the most rugged plants that require little care. As much as feasible, we use water from the rain barrel for annual flowers in backyard pots.
