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What are your favorite zone 3 plant combinations? (mainly perennials)

8 years ago

Hi all,

Starting to plan ahead for next year and wanting to make lots of changes to my zone 3 garden. I have a full sun flower bed that I am developing next year as well as a part sun fence (sun in the morning only) and an area that gets almost no sun at all (maybe 1 hour).

Looking for some plants that grow here in Calgary, but more specifically, combinations that grow well together and look good.

I generally buy a plant when I like it in the garden centre and then plant it somewhere randomly but wanting to try make things look a bit more complimentary next year.

One idea I have is some winterberry, Karl Foerester grass and an evergreen ground cover for a little winter interest section.

Would love to hear peoples thoughts!

Thanks

Andrew

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Comments (5)

shillanorth Z4 AB
8 years ago
For shade I like common bleeding heart, tradescantia(widow`s tears), brunnera(Siberian bugloss), lamium, heuchera(coral bells), ligularia and aquilegia canadensis(columbine). You can get quite a variety of foliage colors for most of these to add more interest when plants are not blooming. For full sun you could consider asclepias tuberosa(butterfly weed), Russian sage, salvia coccinea(red sage - annual), peonies, Morden chrysanthemums, veronica(spike speedwell), lupines, delphiniums, penstemon, maltese cross, false sunflower and of course some spring flowering bulbs. For part shade, bee balm(Raspberry Wine - for the hummingbirds), bluebells of Scotland, wild columbine, yellow foxglove. I usually pick 4 colours(red, blue, white, yellow) and then start thinking about planning the bed back to front - so for a sunny bed I would choose blue delphiniums at the back, then maybe red maltese cross in front of those, yellow false sunflower in front of those, white shasta daisies then some red salvia(annual) and blue spike speedwell. Put your spring bulbs like crocus, tulips and daffodils in the very front. I`m not the most creatively, imaginative gardener but I always plant for butterflies and hummingbirds -they just add so much more to the life of the garden. It usually takes me about 3 seasons to get a whole big bed planted, but I`ve always considered gardening a work in progress. I`m not sure winterberry is hardy here but it would be lovely.
prairie_northrose (3b north of Calgary AB, Canada)
8 years ago
This is a list of some combinations I would like to try:

Delphiniums and roses

Karl foerster grass and russian sage

Irises, lupines and alliums

Cranesbill and silver mound sage

Hostas, ferns and daylillies

Maltese cross, white yarrow, blue flax, and blanket flower
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learnbydoing
8 years ago
Karl Foerster Feather Reed grass is lovely with echinacea 'Magnus' and Russian sage 'Blue Spires'
prairie_northrose (3b north of Calgary AB, Canada)
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I agree, that would be a lovely combination!

Some more ideas I have for my beds as well:

Karl foerster and silver mound sage

Yellow Bartzella peony and tall purple siberian iris

Yellow tulips, white/cream daffodils, purple crocuses

False sunflower, shasta daisy, and rubenza cosmos
andrewsco
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you all for your responses - there are some excellent suggestions there!

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