Help me find the best option(s)

Question: I have this 6x6 plot in my garden. Looking for unique ideas to fill it in. Already have several Asian lilies from tou guys. Was thinking about coral bells but this is FULL SUN, like north facing 10 hours a day and I've heard mixed reviews. Any ideas?

I've read about a type of Coral Bells... Heuchera Villosa... but can't find them locally.

So realistically what can you tell me about using Coral Bells in this setting and if it's not a good idea can you offer other suggestions?

responder: Maureen Graber  Replied July 03, 2024, 9:00 AM EDT
response: Good Morning David,  Thank you for contacting the U of M Extension Service.  Your garden photos would not open for me. I was unable to view them on my laptop.  Although we do not endorse any particular nursery or grower, I found the following informtion on heuchera plants from Proven Winners: https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/heuchera Most of them require a little shade. You could plant them next to a plant that would give them some shade later in the day.  We highly recommend planting gardens for pollinators: https://extension.umn.edu/lawns-and-landscapes/flowers-pollinators Here is some excellent information on landscape design: https://extension.umn.edu/lawns-and-landscapes/landscape-design Good Luck!

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 03, 2024, 11:51 AM EDT
response: I have a pollinators garden.  Hopefully these pics will go through.  When I bought this place 3 years ago it was tall Hills covered with dying grass. Not wanting to mow I turn one into just a hill of flowers. This hill has creeping phlox and Dianthus and delphinium and coreopsis and a few other they don't remember.   On the other side, which is 20 ft long I built a retaining wall out of river rock and planted bee balm and butterfly weed and a couple butterfly bushes. Then I went up 3 ft and dug out another line or I planted a perennial baby's breath bush and a bunch of ground cover Vines (lysmachia and vinca). In between I planted a wall of creeping phlox. At the top of the hill I leveled it off as best I could with River boulders then planted collar flowers mixed with Sedum and Vines between and a blck butterfly bush in the middle. On one side I took out a bush and replaced it with a planter that now holds the lovely and rare Asian Lily and is surrounded by white candy tuft. On the other side I took out the other bush and planted more Asian lilies with a tall white Delphinium in the middle. Surrounding that I have two roads bushes and a climbing rose bush because I couldn't raise the slope up enough for anything else. I also have a second baby's breath bush on the third side. In the corners on one side at the top of the hill I have fire grass and on the other side I've got purple grass and Sweetgrass. In the main area I've got Sedum and other flowers and it's all bordered by hens and chicks and filled in the gaps with more sedum and a stone crop varieties.  I built steps into the hill leading to my neighbors yard and then put a safety handrail up. That is 8 ft long and I have planted honeysuckle on either side to decorate. From the front steps to my neighbor's yard and curving back into my backyard I put in a flagstone walk path. I filled the spaces in with gray Shale chips and them slowly adding in Irish and Scotch Moss to balance everything out. Longest walk path there are four arbors and they but on the eight sides of the Arbors I have planted eight different clematis plants.  On the east side of the yard, between the walk path and my neighbors property, which is the sunnier side, I've added in a roll of liatris and filled everything else in with strawberries and raspberries and blackberries and rhubarb and more strawberries. On the other side there was a cobblestone path surrounded by grass so I took the grass out and made a rock garden where I planted more strawberries and on the other side a bunch of ground covers and shade plants which includes one astilbe and two bleeding hearts and a Jacob's Ladder, along with other filler plants.  The area between the sidewalk and the street which is known either as a boardwalk or a Verge have bad soil and ugly grass so I took up the grass and replenish the soil and I planted pollinator mix grass and flower seeds from Twin City Seeds company.             Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android  On Wed, Jul 3, 2024 at 8:00 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Maureen Graber  Replied July 04, 2024, 8:53 AM EDT
response: Good Morning David,  I was able to view your photos this time.  As I stated before, the above information about landscape design would be helpful to you.  You could plant sunny annuals such as zinnias there, or work toward sunny perennials. Again, native pollinator plants, once established, come back year after year.  From viewing the photo of the tree on your boulevard; you do not want to raise the soil level around the base of the tree for your garden. This will harm the tree in the long run. Leave the soil around the base of the tree at the same level the tree was growing in. Anything you plant under the drip line of your large tree will compete with the tree roots for water and nutrients.  Good Luck!