‘Bulletproof’ plants a prosperous pick for gardens

As spring sun shines through winter chill, gardeners gear up to plant. For most, creating good soil is the first step. “If you get the soil and fertilization right, you can basically grow anything,” said Mike Payne, past president of the Hamilton County Master Gardeners Mr. Payne recommended raised beds well-stocked with organic matter, such as compost. If you add sand, make sure it’s mixed with plenty of organic matter, too.

“If you just put sand with clay, you’ll end up making concrete,” Mr. Payne said.

You can save money by collecting and grinding leaves with a lawnmower in the fall. Three years of chopped leaves mixed with composted yard waste and leaves will produce a beautiful, rich bed of soil — free.

The next step for most is the nursery. But how to choose perfect perennials from among the thousands available? Take a tip from the pros: Buy bulletproof.

If you’re just starting out, some practical and nearly unkillable choices include black-eyed Susan and purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), water savers such as sedum and repeat-blooming daylilies.

Add natives such as New England aster, beebalm and blanketflower to attract an abundance of butterflies and bees.

If you’re promoting good bugs, also be sure to avoid pesticides. Plant in large groups of the same plant (called “drifts” by landscape pros) to help roving butterflies and bees locate their favorite foods.

ALL-PURPOSE PERENNIALS

Daylilies. Reliable and adaptable, daylilies ask little and give much. Your local nursery can point out the hardiest cultivars. Transplant the tall, orange plants thriving in swales near old farmsteads, if funds are tight. Fanciers may want to try the Tennessee and Kentucky Daylily Society favorites Red Volunteer, Peggy Jeffcoat, Primal Scream, Sabine Baur and Ruby Spider.

Sedum. This hardy group of succulents carpets many a green roof. Requiring little water, lots of sun and minimal care, they also thrive in our area. Well-known cultivars include Autumn Joy, Rosy Glow, Dragon’s Blood and Vera Jameson.

Black-eyed Susan. Good for prairies — and everywhere else. These “do-it-all” plants attract butterflies, bees and beneficial insects and can withstand summer drought. Natives propagated from wild plants are available from Reflection Riding Arboretum & Botanical Garden (call for appointment). Refined cultivars can be found at local nurseries. Rudbeckia Goldsturm is a reliable performer.

Hosta. A key to a thriving hosta is consistent moisture. Afternoon or dappled shade also helps. Try Frances Williams or Sum and Substance Afternoon for large, lush varieties. Fragrant cultivars include Aphrodite and Fragrant Bouquet.

Yarrow. Perfect for a dry, sunny area, yarrow pink- and white-flowered types tend to spread across the garden. Yellows and golds, such as the highly reliable Coronation Gold variety, form tidier clumps. Moonshine is also recommended.

FOR HUMMINGBIRDS

Tubular flowers. Whether red, orange, apricot or blue, tubular flowers attract hummingbirds. Choose tough native plants such as columbine, lobelia, smooth penstemon, trumpet vine or coral honeysuckle that help the local environment while feeding the migrant birds. Natives propagated from wild plants are available from Reflection Riding Arboretum & Botanical Garden (call for appointment). Refined cultivars can be found at local nurseries.

FOR BUTTERFLIES AND BEES

Purple coneflowers (Echinaceas). An appealing, hardy native, echinaceas can be found in a range of colors and price points from classic purple to orange, apricot and white. Classics can be grown from seed, though you’ll need a season or two before you see the first flowers.

Beebalm (Monardas). Aptly named, beebalm’s fuzzy blooms light up meadows like wildfire. The classic Monarda didyma Jacob Cline is easy to grow, though like other monardas, it can be prone to mildew here. Blue Stockings thrives at the University of Tennessee’s trial gardens. The native Monarda fistulosa, called wild bergamot, suffuses soft lavender through a casual country planting.

Blanketflower (Gaillardias).

A sun-loving, drought-tolerant (after established) native, gaillardias shimmer in summer. Heat, humidity and poor soil are typically not a problem for this adaptable plant. Bright colored flowers, including reds, oranges and yellows, are favorites of butterflies.

Herbs. Flowering lavender, thyme, oregano, mint, anise hyssop and pineapple sage are just some of the many herbs beloved by pollinators. Parsley gone to seed will draw them like flies.

Other perennials attractive to butterflies and bees include goldenrod, butterfly weed, asters, Brazilian verbena, evening primrose, clovers and summer phlox.

Sources: Ruth Baumgardner, Mouse Creek Nursery, Athens, Tenn.; Chris Mahoney, Wildlife Habitat Yard Services, Chattanooga; Tennessee Valley Daylily Society.