Absolutely Easy Garden Recipes

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1-19 of 19 results
A Sunny Spot Between Two Driveways (Rectangular 10' x 8')
This planting design works well in the space between two driveways. The taller grasses and Baptisia act as a nice green fence and the plants in front offer seasonal color and are pollinator-friendly plants. Only the Salvia needs to be cut back in the fall. The other plants offer structure and form in the fall adn winter, as well as food sources ...
~ Kate Refine (07/22/2025)

Colorful Hedge for a Sunny Area (Rectangular 20' x 9')
Enjoy this colorful hedge for a sunny area which includes the classic Limelight Hydrangea, elegant Northwind Switch Grass, Black-Eyed Susan, and Rozanne Geraniums.
~ Kate Refine (04/30/2025)

Easy Shade Garden (Rectangular 10' x 5')
This easy shade garden combines several low-maintenance, easy-to-grow plants whose variegated leaves will add a bit of brightness to your shady area all year long.
~ North Shore Plant Club (05/29/2025)

Front of house with Japanese Maple (Rectangular 15' x 15')
This is a nice recipe for an area in front of a house with 3' windows....
~ North Shore Plant Club (05/29/2025)

Moist Shade (Rectangular 6' x 8')
These plants are tolerant of moist shade.
~ North Shore Plant Club (05/29/2025)

Pink-Flowering Shade Garden (Rectangular 9' x 15')
These plants will help your shady spot look good from spring to fall with an attractive variety of leaf shapes plus pink/red flowers. Plus they're all cold-tolerant.
~ North Shore Plant Club (05/29/2025)

Pink/Purple Butterfly Magnet (Rectangular 7' x 5')
This collection of butterfly favorites includes Agastache, Coneflower, Liatris, Phlox, and Yarrow.
~ North Shore Plant Club (08/03/2025)

Pink/Purple Perennial Bed Full Sun 16x9 (Rectangular 16' x 9')
This bed, suitable for a sunny or part-shade area a walkway or driveway, features a variety of pink to purple deer-resistant perennial favorites.
~ North Shore Plant Club (05/29/2025)

Pollinator Garden #1 (Rectangular 10' x 6')
This pollinator garden will look good throughout the season, with a mixture of great native favorites in a variety of shapes and sizes...
~ Mary Jaminski (05/07/2025)

Pollinator Garden #2 (Rectangular 10' x 6')
This pollinator garden contains the same awesome native ingredients as Pollinator Garden #1, but in a different order!
~ Mary Jaminski (05/07/2025)

Saw This Under a Tree (Circular 16' x 16')
This Locust tree has Northwind Switch Grass directly under it. I would recommend substituting Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats), a native grass which will be more tolerant of the shady center area. The outer rings of the tree get a little more sun, so the Nepeta and Allium are likely to be successful.
~ North Shore Plant Club (06/08/2025)

Sedum/Verbena Mailbox Planting (Rectangular 6' x 6')
I love Sedum before it blooms, when it blooms, and in the winter... So much texture for one perennial! Behind the mail box is a Big Bluestem (will eventually grow out the top) and some Millennium ornamental onions. In the photo are also some Cosmos, but they've been hidden by the bigger Sedum and Verbena.
~ Kate Refine (07/22/2025)

Shady 5x5 Plot (Rectangular 5' x 5')
If the area is larger, just increase the number of plants to include, using this formula, with shrubs or spreaders in the back, taller plants in the middle and shorter ones in the front.
~ North Shore Plant Club (06/19/2025)

Shady Semicircle around an Air Conditioner (Rectangular 8' x 8')
The Little Quick Fire will grow to hide the air conditioner and — combined with the Astilbe — will produce some nice mid-summer color in the shade.
~ North Shore Plant Club (07/22/2025)

Square Pollinator Garden (Rectangular 8' x 8')
This is a pollinator garden with lots of flowers that you could optionally put around a birdbath or sculpture (removing the Eupatorium in the center).
~ North Shore Plant Club (05/29/2025)

Stunning 5x5 Garden in a Sunny Spot (Rectangular 5' x 5')
This stunning garden has tall phlox in the back sloping to catmint in the front.
~ North Shore Plant Club (06/18/2025)

Under a Big Tree (Circular 20' x 20')
Planting under a big tree can be more than just the typical vinca groundcover. The selections below adapt to the dry shade you get under most trees with large canopies.
~ North Shore Plant Club (06/08/2025)

Under a Tree - Dry Shade (Rectangular 20' x 15')
This design is inspired by one in Midwest's test garden.
~ North Shore Plant Club (07/09/2025)

Under Tree Native Plant Shade Garden (Circular 20' x 20')
Planting under a large tree is always hard. It's a spot that can be unwelcoming to some plants — the tree roots, the shade, and it's likely a dry shade! These native selections do well with dry shade and root competition.
~ Kate Refine (06/08/2025)


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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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