A Peek at Crystal's Yard

Crystal's Favorite Garden

Yesterday I visited with Crystal, who lives in the Aspen Grove area in Evanston.  In the last six years since moving there, she has worked hard to develop her perennial flower beds.  Though her beautiful spring and early summer-blooming perennials get a lot of attention from winter-weary motorists passing by, there are some mid-summer bloomers at their peak right now, and they are nothing to scoff at.  I'm going to highlight just a few of them:

Shasta Daisies

Shasta Daisy (perennial) - You might think this is a pretty plain, everyday sort of flower, but it can be stunning in a perennial garden.  I think they look great next to purple flowers, such as salvia or delphinium.  They can be a great staple for your cut flower arrangements, and kids love to pick bouquets to decorate the table.  Crystal says they have been very reliable and survived the winters just fine.  She recommends keeping them thinned out every few years since they spread.  They are a great plant to share with friends.

Delphinium with Yellow Lilies

Delphinium (perennial) - Crystal has quite a few delphiniums growing in different parts of her yard.  She loves them because they give beautiful color later in the season and because they are tall and add a new dimension to the garden.

Bachelor Buttons

Bachelor Buttons (annual) - These are actually an annual flower, but since they re-seed so readily, they do well in perennial beds.  They come in shades of pink, white blue and purple.  Crystal likes them because they fill in the garden, especially in places other things won't grow.

Daylily - 'Daring Deception'

Daylily (perennial) - Daylilies are really fun because they come in so many colors.  Crystal is trying out a new variety this year called 'Daring Deception.'  She likes these flowers because of their later blooming time and because they are really hardy.  They are also quite drought tolerant, but she recommends watering them a little more often than some of your other drought tolerant plants.  Otherwise they are very low maintenance.  You just have to cut down a few dead flower stalks.

Yarrow

Yarrow (perennial) - If you have a weed problem with the wild white yarrow you might be cringing right now.  But don't tune this out.  Yarrows are not all created equal.  Yes, the wild white type is a weed, and the pastel varieties re-seed easily and can become weedy.  But many are very content to stick where you plant them.  As the clumps enlarge, you can share with friends, but they never become a nuisance.  Paprika Yarrow (red) and the yellow types are like this.  Crystal has a yellow variety which she really likes because of the color changes in the flowers as they age.  They go from yellow to an almost red color.  She also likes them because they are very drought tolerant.

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by Sara