ldmom06

hmmm...I don't know wis. Here I think the problem would be keeping the basements dry. We have our own version, called the Texas Basement which is basically a finished bonus room over a two or three car garage. Not much protection from tornadoes...but basically serves the same purpose as a basement recreationally.

Man...if I lived in Oklahoma, I'd be digging a bunker though...lol!

(Btw...our little neighborhood was hit by a small twister last week! Freak event, uprooted 100-200 year old oaks...blew out the tennis courts bending the metal framing until the poles broke off where they met the concrete of the court, brick wall fencing was destroyed in a couple of locations. No one hurt thank goodness. Must have been a slow news week because we had news helicopters circling the neighborhood for footage...which was actually funny because we are so small (250 homes), they were almost running into each other. Again, a freak event for our area.)

worrywart

Considering this unusually mild winter/spring, are you planting your annuals any earlier this year?

worrywart

Well, it seems that the rudbeckia I planted in a berm three years ago has now spread and overtaken it. I plan to pull it all out and move it to a naturalized area of my yard. So what can I replace it with in the berm? Something that is no more than 36 inches high, likes full sun, flowers all (or at least most) of the summer and will not spread. (Note: I prefer pinks and purples to reds, oranges and yellows.) Your suggestions?

ivoryk

Echinacea for pinks -- Salvia for purple -- will re-bloom if you dead-head it. Nepeta (cat mint) (lavender) will rebloom too if you shear it back after the first bloom. It can be aggressive, but doesn't mind being tamed.

emeraldkity4

I love salvia, cat mint & lavender.
Of course I like blues & purples- with the foliage, but I have yellow-pink-coral-apricot in the rose garden.
I also planted some heliotrope & alliums.
Lavender Recipes From Our Napa Valley Kitchen

^ ( the lavender lemondade is great with lemon vodka! )

worrywart

Sounds delish, ek4! The berm already has salvia and echinacea. Guess I should've mentioned that. In fact the echinacea is flanked on either side by the out-of-control rudbeckia. And the salvia are in the front "row" of the berm.

NorthMinnesota

sun or shade??? I'm assumng mostly sun from what was there before???

worrywart

Yes, mostly sun. In fact, the berm is located in the ONLY sunny spot on my 1- 1/2 acre lot so I'm enjoying growing things that I usually can't in the shade.

NorthMinnesota

Have you tried Coral Bells (Heuchera)??? I was just at a specialty nursery and was in awe of all the new colors! The bronze, red, lime green foliage was amazing! Plain, frosted or varigated... the selections were beautiful!

I am also partial to daylilies. This place had the rare black daylilies. Gorgeous!

worrywart

NM, you've made some great suggestions. I would looove to see your yard. I planted a bed of coral bells in the shade this spring and they are lovely. I contrasted a frosted burgundy with a bright lime green as a border to a number of different hostas. Didn't know that heucheras could tolerate full sun. As for daylilies, don't they spread too?

over30

Daylilies will spread but you'll need to divide them every few years for maximum spreading.

Calreader

Coyote mint (monardella villosa) is one of my favorites. It's covered with purple, pincushion-like flowers from late spring through fall. It is fairly low-growing, about 2 feet high. Its foliage looks good in winter and has a very nice scent. Butterflies love this plant.

I also have California Aster (aster chilensis). It has masses of purple daisy-like flowers in late summer and fall. It's about 3 feet high. You cut it to the ground in winter, and it does want to spread by underground runners, but it can be contained by yanking them up since they're near the surface.

Pitcher sage (lepechinia fragrans) is a very striking plant with lavender flowers. It's about 4 feet tall, so above your height limit, but you could try one as a specimen if you have a spot that needs something interesting. Its leaves smell a little like sage and a little like mint. The flowers are bell-shaped and appear along the ends of each of the plant's many stalks. It's hard to describe, best to see a picture.

There is a low-growing penstemon with prolific purple flowers called Foothill Penstemon (penstemon heterophyllus, "Margarita BOP" is purple and "Blue Springs" is blue). It's a good border plant.

There are some very nice pink yarrows (achillea millefolium) that look good in masses.

All of my plants are California natives; probably the easiest ones to get outside of California are the coyote mint and yarrow.

dmd77

Have you considered bee balm? I don't plant it any more because it's so enthusiastic (a friend calls it a "thug plant") but it's pretty.

emeraldkity4

Rosemary is a nice foil to perennials, and has purplish flowers late winter/early spring. Does best in good draining soil without much water & it smells/tastes great.
( can you tell I like plants that serve more than one function?)

I also like blue oat grass- it is clumping and drought tolerant.
neither of these things flower all summer though-

The Heliotropium arborescens I mentioned, has low drought tolerance, in case you have other things that need water, but it is very fragrant with striking deep green leaves. ( grown as an annual)

cottonwood513

What is eating my violet leaves into skeletons?

I grow monarda (bee balm), I love it. Great for butterflies, as is buddleia.