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COUNTRY GARDENS // FA LL 2019
LEFT Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a staple in Margaret’s garden. The nectar-rich
flowers attract butterflies and bees. ABOVE When neighbors Tim and Sue Volland installed
a picket fence in their backyard to help corral their new puppy, Sue and Margaret decided
to plant flowers on either side to create a shared garden.The new hardscaping gave Margaret the framework to start planning her beds
and borders for her Zone 4b climate. Trees came first, as Margaret planted a
serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) and a crabapple in the back along with a river
birch (Betula nigra) in front to visually balance the roof. “My house is two stories
and it looks very boxy and very tall, which is why I incorporated trees to help
visually anchor the tall house on a small lot,” she says.
Along with the trees, Margaret strategically tucked in other vertical elements
throughout her borders, including two white tuteurs that coordinate with the
picket fence, a brightly colored birdhouse, and glass-ribbon garden art. Sunken
pavers outline curving flowerbeds filled with blossoms in a palette of pinks,STARTING BUTTERFLY WEED FROM SEED
Butterfly weed brings many pollinators
to Margaret’s garden and it thrives in
sandy, well-draining soil. “I bought some
butterfly weed seed a few years ago and
experimented with a technique called winter
sowing. You take milk jugs, cut the top off
and poke drainage holes in the base, plant
the seeds in potting soil in the jug, tape them
back up, and set them outside in a sunny spot
from February on,” Margaret says. “When
danger of frost passed in spring, I carefully
scooped the seedlings out with a teaspoonand planted them. I initially planted 12–15
of them. Now I have a huge area of butterfly
weed,” she says. By regularly deadheading
the plants and maintaining only the seedlings
she wants, Margaret avoids letting butterfly
weed take over the neighborhood.