Mid-Century pollinator pad
One of our latest projects involved turning a messy, weedy area at the base of our client’s steep driveway into a contemporary pollinator garden. The style of the house is mid-century modern, so we kept our design very linear and planted in rows of material. We started with a tall Joe Pye weed (eupatorium maculatum) and fronted that with wild quinine (parthenium integrifolium). Next came a row of agastache and then in front coreopsis. Finally, we planted sedum ‘Fuldagut’ and allowed it to wander down the slope a bit.
Planting in blocks is best for pollinators since it makes plants easier to see and also helps them to conserve energy while foraging. A planting like this is also conserving energy for the homeowner since all these plants are low maintenance and, once established, will do well in hot, dry conditions. By designing with perennials, which die to the ground in winter, we will minimize any damage that could be done by the snowplow as it comes down the drive.
I am excited by the potential this garden has to help all kinds of pollinators. Before we had even started digging, while we were arranging plants, a few butterflies came by. That’s always a good sign!
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