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FeedOut of the Ordinary
Unusual Plants to Spice up the Landscape
When I take a look around my neighborhood, I see the same plant palette repeated over and over: Red maple, ornamental pear and crabapple trees; Boxwoods, yews, and burning bushes; Daylilies, hosta and rudbeckia. While these well-adapted favorites may be attractive and reliable, it’s time to switch things up a bit.
Our dry summers and unpredictable winters can be hard on landscape plants, perhaps leading people to think that only a few dozen tough species can be reliably grown here. This attitude leads to the over-planting of narrow selection plants. It’s time to break out of the mold and plant something different!
We asked plant experts from our local parks and botanical gardens to recommend some foolproof plants that are not so common. These plants are rock-solid selections for our climate, yet a bit out of the ordinary. And although they may be less well known, they are available at better plant nurseries. It’s well worth seeking them out to add a little variety to the landscape.
To see complete plant descriptions and regional information for the Cincinnati area, please take a look at our digital edition, pages 61-67.
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