Succession of Blooms and All Year Foliage Interest

This planting combination has a decidedly autumnal feel with its warm coloring, but it has much more to give. For starters, a procession of bloom: in late winter into spring, Helleborus 'Silver Lace' is topped with apple green blooms; the Hedgerow's Gold shrub dogwood produces clusters of ivory flowers in late spring to early summer; the luscious red blooms of Hemerocallis 'Eggplant Ecstasy' announce summer and are followed shortly thereafter, with some crossover, by the Little Henry Black-eyed Susan; and finally the Autumn moor grass is covered in tawny panicles from mid-summer into late fall. Beyond blooms, the dogwood has good fall color, but is most prized for its vibrant red stems in winter. These stems, coupled with the ground-covering presence of the evergreen grass, Sesleria autumnalis, and the bold, toothy foliage of Helleborus argutifolius 'Silver Lace', make a very striking winter scene.

Growing Conditions

Zone: 5, 6, 7, 8
Exposure: Afternoon Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun
Water Needs: Average, Drought-tolerant, Low

Design Considerations

Style: Cottage, Northwest Eclectic
Features: Drought Tolerant, Fabulous Foliage, Fall Color, Flower Fest, Attracts Pollinator, Warm Colors, Wildlife Friendly
Focus: Hellstrip / Parking Strip, Mixed Border, Saving Water, Pleasing Seasonal Flow
Seasons of Interest: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Pleasing Seasonal Changes, Three Seasons of Interest, Year-round Interest

Care and Maintenance


Maintenance Level: medium



Plants In this Combo