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Elisabeth C. Miller Library

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Plant Answer Line questions and answers.

plants for narrow planting areas

I am redoing the narrow planting areas (2-3′ wide) on either
side of our 20′ long entry. Garages from next door townhouses butt up
against the outer edge on each side, causing morning sun and afternoon shade on one
side, and vice versa on the other side. I have picked out some
euphorbias, heucheras, and carexes which should do well. I’m wondering
if I should have some taller, more dramatic plants to offset these and if
you have any suggestions of ones which might work. Also, any bulb ideas
would be appreciated.

 

Have you considered putting up trellises on one or both sides? Then you
could grow vines which require little width, but still have the
advantage of height. You could also grow taller plants (maybe some
grasses like Miscanthus or even a well-restricted–using root
barrier–Bamboo) in containers, and keep them shaped to suit the narrow
space. Some shrubs and trees are naturally narrow or fastigiate in growth
habit.

Here is a list of narrow plants compiled by local garden designer Chris
Pfeiffer, c2005. Some will be too wide for your planting area, but you
might want to research those that fit the site.

American arborvitae ‘Rheingold’ (Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’) 5’h x
3′ w

Barberry ‘Helmond Pillar’ (Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ‘Helmond
Pillar’) 6’h x 2’w

Boxwood ‘Graham Blandy’ (Buxus sempervirens ‘Graham Blandy’) 8’h x 1-1/2’w

English yew ‘Standishii’ (Taxus baccata ‘Standishii’) 4’h x 1-1/2’w

Irish yew (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’) 20’h x 4’w

Japanese holly Jersey pinnacle (Ilex crenata ‘Jersey Pinnacle’) 6’h x
4’w

Japanese holly Mariesii (Ilex crenata ‘Mariesii) 3’h x 1-1/2’w

Dwarf yeddo rhaphiolepis (Rhaphiolepis umbellata ‘Gulf Green’) 3-4’h x
2’w

Heavenly bamboo ‘Gulf Stream’ (Nandina domestica ‘Gulf Stream’) 4’h x 2’w

Japanese euonymus ‘Green Spire’ (Euonymus japonicus ‘Green Spire’) 15’h x
6’w

There are also a good number of tall perennials you might try, such as
(for your afternoon sunny side) Helenium, Verbascum, Baptisia,
Eupatorium, and bulbous plants like Allium and Eremurus, and for your
shadier morning sun side, Macleaya, Digitalis, Filipendula ulmaria,
Anemone x hybrida, Actaea (formerly called Cimicifuga), Lilium martagon, Thalictrum, and Veronicastrum.

There are many excellent gardening books you could consult for ideas.
Since you have a small, narrow space, I highly recommend local garden
writer Marty Wingate’s book, Big Ideas for Northwest Small Gardens
(Sasquatch Books, 2003). You are welcome to visit the Miller Library,
where you can do further research and also borrow books.

all about Verbascums

I would like to know a little more about Verbascums. Are they a biennial? Will they reseed themselves? How long a period will they bloom. How tall can they become? Are they invasive? Thank you for you help! I have had very little experience with annuals and biennials.

 

Verbascum includes 360 species, most of which are biennials, with a few annuals, perennials, and small shrubs, some of which are evergreen or semi-evergreen. The flowers grow on tall upright stems, and while individual flowers are shortlived, there are many of them and they bloom over a long period of time (summer into early fall, in most Seattle gardens).

In my own experience, they can reseed themselves, so if you would prefer not to have your plants do this, just cut off the tall stalk after the flowers have bloomed, and before they set seed. I checked the list of Washington State Noxious Weeds, and did not find Verbascum there, though it can be invasive in other parts of the country (Hawaii, for example).

If you would like information about specific varieties of Verbascum, the Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants has photographs and descriptions of many of them.