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Precisely the least, the softest, lightest, a lizard's rustling, a
breath, a flash, a moment - a little makes the way of the best
happiness.
- Frederich
Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra
The prairie-grass
dividing, its special odor breathing,
I demand of it the spiritual corresponding,
..,
Those that look carelessly in the faces of Presidents and governors,
as to say Who are you?
Those of earth-born passion, simple, never constrain'd, never obedient,
Those of inland America.
- from The Prairie-Grass
Dividing, by Walt Whitman
For the gardener who comes from a warm and
moist climate, our high desert grassland climate might seem like a place that
few plants will grow. In fact, many plants will grow in our climate - just not
the same ones that grow in a lush forest environment.
For starters, our gardens are much more
defined by spaces than are more temperate gardens. While a forest style garden
might have large-leafed plants hanging and growing into every space, our gardens
will have plants that are more contained and less leafy. This does not at all
mean that our gardens should be nothing more than rocks and gravel with a few
plants stuck here and there, (see the tab on "The Big Lie"). Quite the contrary,
our gardens are best defined by plants that absolutely explode with color and
texture, soaking up the precious sunlight that we are blessed with, and
rewarding the gardener with a completely new appreciation for the word "lush".
Native to our area are many varieties of
grasses. As gardeners, we take a hint from this fact, and use the many types of
ornamental and native grasses available to us to build the foundation for most
of our gardens. This foundation provides us excellent winter structure, and the
perfect base around which we can design a dense prairie garden.
Most of the plants that will do well here are
going to be prairie plants of one sort or another, though there are many
introduced species that are very well-suited for our environment, and do quite
well. Below is a partial list of plants that we we have found to do quite well
in most gardens here in Colorado. This is far from a complete list, but only a
list of some of the more common plants to get the gardener thinking. Most of the
plants that are listed below expect a lot of sunlight, and do not tolerate
constantly moist soil. I note the exceptions. In the interest of space, I use
the common name rather than the botanical name.
| Plant |
Height
L=1"-12"
M=10"-24"
T=18"+ |
Comments |
| Creeping Thyme |
L |
. |
| Mother of Thyme |
L
- M |
. |
| Lavender |
L
- M |
. |
| Creeping
Veronica |
L |
. |
| Spike Veronica |
L |
. |
| Ice Plant |
L |
Can not tolerate wet soil -
especially in winter |
| Ajuga |
L |
Does well in shade or sun,
tolerates very wet soil |
| Coreopsis |
L
- M |
. |
| Baby's Breath |
L
- M |
. |
| Daylily |
L
- M |
Tolerates nearly anything,
loves sun, rich soil, and moisture |
| Lamium / Nettle |
L |
Likes mid-day shade, needs
good soil |
| Moneywort |
L |
Really loves very moist
soil, and tolerates either sun or shade with enough moisture |
| Creeping Phlox |
L |
Tolerates a little shade,
needs good soil |
| Sedum |
L |
Widely tolerant |
| Sweet Woodruff |
L |
Tolerates acidic soil and
shade - perfect for under pine trees |
| Mums |
M |
Likes rich soil |
| Rudbeckia |
M |
Widely tolerant of soil |
| Penstemon |
L
- T |
Red is a hummingbird magnet |
| Hosta |
L
- M |
Tolerates shade - be
careful of the sun and dry wind - loves moisture in the soil |
| Coralbells |
L
- M |
Tolerates both shade and
sun |
| Coneflower /
Echinacea |
M |
Tolerates more moist soil,
but thrives in heat and sun |
| Yarrow |
M |
Be cautious, as this can be
invasive |
| Columbine |
M |
. |
| Goatsbeard |
M |
A shade plant that
tolerates a little sun and more moist soil |
| Aster |
M |
Can tolerate a little more
moisture in the soil |
| Astilbe |
M |
Shade plant that tolerates
and enjoys more moist soil |
| Delphinium |
M |
Loves sun, tolerates a
little shade, tolerates moisture, protect from wind |
| German Iris |
M |
Loves sun, tolerates nearly
any soil |
| Oriental Iris
(Japanese, Siberian, etc.) |
M |
Generally likes more moist
soil and tolerates a little more shade |
| Shasta Daisy |
M |
Loves sun, tolerates most
soil moisture but does not like hard clay |
| Peony |
M |
Loves sun and rich soil,
but tolerates nearly anything |
| Russian Sage |
M
- T |
Once established, tolerates
nearly anything, but loves sun and dry soil. |
| Garden Phlox |
M |
Needs good soil |
| Rose |
M
- T |
Really an ideal plant for
our region |
| Little Bluestem
(Grass) |
M
- T |
Needs rich (but not wet)
soil and lots of sun |
| Big Bluestem
(Grass) |
T |
Needs rich (but not wet)
soil and lots of sun |
| Indian Grass |
T |
Needs rich (but not wet)
soil and lots of sun |
| Plume Grass |
T |
Likes rich soil and good
moisture |
| Feather Reed
Grass |
M
- T |
Widely tolerant of soil
types, loves the sun |
| Miscanthus
(Grass) |
T |
Generally large grass that
needs good soil, tolerates moisture and a little shade |
| Potentilla |
T |
Really a shrub, loves our
climate, tolerates nearly any soil |
| Bee Balm |
M
- T |
Widely tolerant but will do
best in good soil |
| Summer Lilies |
M
- T |
Generally tolerates a
little shade, most varieties tolerate wide soil types |
| Clematis |
M
- T |
Vine that likes some sun on
its leaves and cool roots |
| Ligularia |
T |
Shade only, requires moist
soil, really a woodland plant but good for shady moist areas |
| Butterfly Bush |
T |
Widely tolerant once
established |
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