The plant spreads by rhizomes, and it is useful where groundcover is needed to cover a sizable area, e.g., along the front of a border;  it is recommended for rock gardens.  The plant grows well in full sun to partial shade.  It will likely do best in a spot protected from hot afternoon sun, such as an eastern exposure.  The plant grows to about 10″ in height, and it will spread about 2-3 feet.  It can be divided every few years if needed.  It is mat-forming, and it can be controlled very easily if necessary.  It seems like a nice plant to grace the base of a mailbox close to the road.

geramium biokovo photo by: bestrunningshoe.com

Geranium Biokovo fall foliage color photo by: torontogardens.com

For the second year in a row, the PPA selection is a plant that I have not grown previously.  The 2014 selection was Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’, and based on the PPA designation, it was widely available in nurseries this year.  I used it for the first time, and I was delighted that it lived up to its hype.  It is an ornamental grass that I will continue to recommend when a good upright, fiarly large, ornamental grass is needed.

I am hopeful that the Biokovo geranium will likewise be a pleasing addition to landscapes in our area, and I plan to add it to my repertoire of flowering spreading low-growing groundcovers with nice foliage color, for sunny areas, where I’ve used plants such as Plumbago, Dianthus, and Sedum.

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This area is a space that the homeowners see whenever they leave from or return to the house.  It is the first area the visitor sees, and often is a very open area that casual passersby hone in on — in short, a focal point.

There are challenges inherent in how to decorate such areas.  They tend to be small.  Typically, they are on the lower side of a front walkway, which defines the front foundation bed — a primary hot spot that was the first area to be developed and should not be hidden or overshadowed.   Other areas around driveways that benefit from garden decorating include at the base of the driveway (perhaps around the mailbox) or at the top of a driveway that does not reach the house.

Decorating Mailbox at Foot of Driveway

Between Head of Driveway and Front Sidewalk

Front Foundation – from Driveway to Front Door

Here are some key elements that have influenced how I’ve designed plantings for these driveway gardens:

(1) Appropriate (usually small) scale.  It is imperative in such a space that the mature size of each plant be taken into account.  There is no room for sprawl.  It is often more difficult to select plants for a small space than a large one because each plant (from the bulb to the small shrub) must be carefully selected to carry it’s weight appropriately.

(2) Layering.  These garden spaces are typically seen from various angles, so that the most comfortable design is often one that places taller items/anchors in the middle, and layers down to the edges.

(3)  Connect the garden bed style to the house architectural style.  (A grouping of neatly clipped plants looks better with a formal Colonial style house.)  More liberty can be taken in garden rooms or spaces off to the edge of the property.  Driveway gardens should complement the front architecture of the house.

(4)  Year-round interest.  The space could contain small evergreen shrubs.  It might highlight colorful flowering bulbs and long-flowering perennials — and if that is the case, simply add some small ornamental grasses or evergreen edging that will provide interest in winter months while the flowers are dormant.

One of my favorite driveway gardens is a very small and challengingly irregular-shaped space on a Bethesda property, a space formerly filled with turf grass that was quite cumbersome to mow.  The property is mostly heavily wooded, with plantings appropriate to that setting (deep shade, heavy — poor draining — clay soil).  The spot in the front yard between the house and driveway is one of the only spaces on the property that enjoys a lot of sun and soil that drains well.  The house style is contemporary split-level.  Therefore, the little garden could be designed to accommodate the homeowner’s yearning for a very colorful, lively perennial garden.

Bethesda Driveway Garden Before

Bethesda Driveway Garden under Preparation

Since the space is small, in order to provide variety and blooms through the seasons, the plants had to be selected very judiciously.  The bed only runs parallel to the house foundation for a short space;  it extends down several feet parallel to the driveway.  Converting a long-time turf area to a perennial bed may necessitate addition of amendments to meet the different nutrient needs of the plants, so a soil test should be done and additions made before planting.  In this case, a good deal of good compost was added because of the very low organic matter in that area.  (View the landscape planting plan for this garden here:    Driveway garden plan drawing

Soil amended per soil test and compost generously applied

In the center area (top to bottom lengthwise), we placed some Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’ (Shasta Daisy) to provide height, bordered top to bottom with a pair of Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hamln’ (dwarf fountain grasses that provide important year round interest).  Note:  the Shasta daisies spread, and we have subsequently cut off chunks to install in a nearby area that also has some sun, to provide continuity/repetition. The composite (‘daisy-like’) flower form of the Shasta daisy was the model for other selections.  We placed Echinacea purpurea ‘Kim’s Knee High’ (Coneflower) in a space below the daisies.  Kim was selected because it is shorter than the Becky daisy and provides nice structure on that secondary scale.  We inserted some Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’ between the Echinacea, to repeat the composite flower type.  Further up, alongside the Shasta daisies are some Geranium ‘Rozanne’, which spreads nicely to fill in empty spots on that ground plane.  This is a nice edging plant, albeit sizable.  On other edges, mostly at the corners, can be found Dianthus gratianopolitanus — we used the ‘Neon Star’ variety of these Cheddar Pinks because of its dark pink/magenta flowers that blend with the Echinacea and are the same tone of ‘hotness’ as the Coreopsis and Geranium flowers.  The Dianthus was chosen because its powder blue grasslike foliage is evergreen, providing interest in the winter as well.  In the upper corner closest to the house, stands a dwarf Nandina, which serves as an anchor.  This was a transplant from the garden caty-corner to the new one that contained several Nandina and could easily spare one to situate in the new bed, providing the connection between those two spaces.

Bethesda Driveway Garden with mature flowers

Bethesda Driveway Garden Soon After Installation

Flagstones set above garden for walking access between driveway and door

This small palate of plants was carefully selected to provide a variety of textures and heights.  A simple pastel color scheme (not too busy) includes pink/purple, yellow and white inflorescenses.  All plants share the same cultural needs (full sun and well-draining soil).  They tolerate dry conditions and the adjacent hot concrete and car exhaust.

Hence, an awkward bland-looking space was easily transformed into a vibrant colorful area that provides interest in all seasons and offers great curb appeal for this home.

View the landscape planting plan for this garden:  Driveway garden plan drawing

Driveway garden plan drawing

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Each year, the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) names an outstanding plant its “Perennial of the Year.”  The selection for 2014 is Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’,  an ornamental grass that was a runner-up in 2012.  This is one of the first PPA winners in recent history that I have not personally grown and used in landscapes, so I cannot address it’s attributes first-hand.  I can vouch for other Panicums – for example, I use ‘Shenandoah’ very regularly — and the stated virtues of Northwind are impressive.

A North American native, P. virgatum ‘Northwind’  is hearty in much of the eastern United States.  It is a stately Panicum, reaching 4-5’ tall (6’ in flower) and 2-3’ wide.   A key attribute is that the plant retains its straight upright habit even through winter.  It provides color through the seasons – attractive olive- to blue-green foliage in summer (photo top left: Plant Delights Nursery) that turns golden yellow in fall, and produces the typical Panicum airy flower panicles – these appear yellow in late summer, turning beige into fall and winter.

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ in fall (photo: Univ. of Richmond)

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ flowers (photo: Horticulture Magazine)

Panicums are lovely in masses and provide both a nice facer for evergreen trees and a backdrop with contrast for perennials and small shrubs. Because of its stature, Northwind also is nicely used as a specimen – vertical accent. Like other Panicums, Northwind thrives in part to full sun, is reliably deer resistant, and rarely is impacted by insects or disease. Plants are cut back to the ground in early spring, and clumps can be divided every few years.

The PPA’s Perennial of the Year program is designed to showcase, each year, a perennial that is a “standout among its competitors.” These chosen plants are “suitable for a wide range of growing climates, require low maintenance, have multiple-season interest, and are relatively pest/disease free.”

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ in winter (Photo: http://blog.lib.umn.edu)

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Solomon’s Seal stands 2 ½ to 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide. It spreads by rhizomes and will over time form a nice dramatic mass.  Its firm upright stature will hold its own to grace the bottom of a fence or shrub border.  While it is known as an outstanding foliage plant, it does produce delicate rows of small pendant white flowers beneath its leaves in late spring to early summer.  The variegated leaves – white margins – make the plant a nice contrast to many other green-leaved perennials.  It also produces blue-black berries in the autumn, and as an added bonus, the leaves turn a brilliant yellow in autumn.   While the plant tolerates sun, it thrives in shade and dry soil.  It will grace woodland, wild, and natural gardens.  It is a costly plant, but a few plants will spread quickly to form a nice grouping.

Each year, the Perennial Plant Association names an outstanding plant its “Perennial Plant of the Year” to showcase a perennial that is a “standout among its competitors.”  These chosen plants are “suitable for a wide range of growing climates, require low maintenance, have multiple-season interest, and are relatively pest/disease free.”

Stunning foliage, habit, and vitality that adds color and spark to the shady woodland garden.

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