Elymus glaucus (Blue Wild Rye)

Elymus glaucus (Blue Wild Rye) is an erect, cool-season perennial bunchgrass forming a loose tuft of a few long, smooth, waxy stems and upright or arching, linear, bristly, blue-green leaves, up to 12 in. long (30 cm). Tall flower spikes, up to 5 ft. (150 cm), rise above the foliage in early and midsummer. The inflorescence is a dense, erect, narrow spike, 2-6 in. long (5-15 cm), made up of a few spikelets, that nods gently and gracefully sways in the breeze. Both foliage and spikes slowly turn straw-colored in the fall. Blue Wild Rye has a vigorous, fibrous root system, sometimes with rhizomes, and the stems may form stolons. It is a desirable species for use in erosion control. It is suitable for stream bank restoration, meadow, and swale seeding. It is also excellent for reseeding burned or disturbed areas in oak woodland or forest. It is very tolerant of fire, burning quickly with little downward heat transfer. Great for prairies and meadows, it is also a popular accent grass for the garden. Blue Wild Rye is the most common and widely distributed of the wild western ryes. It occurs throughout western North America, from Alaska to Ontario southward to New Mexico, northern Arizona, California, and Mexico. Blue Wild Rye also provides excellent wildlife habitats for mammals, birds, and waterfowl.

• Grows up to 1-5 ft. tall (30-150 cm) and 1 ft. wide (30 cm).
• Performs best in full sun or part shade in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils. This plant is not fussy about soils and tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, including serpentine soils or sodic soils. It prefers moderately moist soils but tolerates drought.
• Excellent choice for prairies and meadows, butterfly gardens, or as a groundcover.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for rust. Deer resistant.
• Cut back to ground level in late autumn.

Carex pachystachya

Chamisso sedge is native to western North America and is found in many types of habitats. It can tolerate drier conditions than most of our native sedges. It grows in wet prairies but also on forest edges.Spikes 4 to 12, aggregated into a dense head, 1-2.5 cm wide, unstalked, with both female and male flowers, the female ones towards the tips; bracts subtending the spikes sheathless, reduced, inconspicuous.Perigynia egg-shaped, 3-4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, dark green to dark brown, the margins winged nearly to the bases, the upper 1/2 fringed with teeth, lightly several-nerved on the back, with faint nerves or nerveless below, the beaks shallowly bidentate, up to 1 mm long, narrowly margined and toothed below; female scales elliptical, chestnut-brown to dark brown, with slightly lighter midribs, somewhat shorter and narrower than the perigynia; stigmas 2; achenes lens-shaped, 1.1-1.5 mm long.

Berberis thunbergii

Berberis thunbergii (Japanese Barberry) is a compact, woody shrub with arching, slender, zig-zag branches bearing a single, sharp spine at each node below each rosette of leaves. The wedge-shaped leaves are untoothed, slightly blue-green to green to dark reddish purple, and borne in whorls or clusters. Some Japanese Barberry cultivars are spectacular additions to the landscape where they bring a strong color accent from spring to fall. Tiny, scented, pale yellow flowers appear in mid-late spring, but are insignificant in comparison to the beauty of the foliage. They grow in drooping clusters along the lower sides of the branches and are followed by an abundant crop of bright red berries in the fall. The fruits persist well into the winter. Attractive to birds, they often remain on the spiny stems after the leaves have fallen, therefore extending the season of interest of this ornamental shrub through the winter.

• Grows up 2-6 ft. tall and wide (60-180 cm).
• Performs best in full sun or part shade, in average, dry to moist, well-drained soils. Japanese Barberry is not fussy about soils provided they are not soggy or wet. Tolerates full shade.
• Japanese Barberry is moderately drought tolerant.
• Japanese Barberry is very adaptable and can be used as a specimen plant or massed in beds and borders. It can be planted in rows and pruned and sheared to form a barrier hedge and it is also often mass planted as a ground cover.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for powdery mildew or berberis sawfly. Deer resistant.
• Prune immediately after flowering.
• Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings.
• Ingestion may cause mild stomach upset.

poa macrantha

Poa macrantha is a perennial grass growing in loose clumps with stems up to 60 centimeters in maximum height. The grass grows from a network of very long, stout rhizomes and stolons which may be up to 4 meters in length, anchoring the grass in its shifting sandy substrate. The inflorescence is a dense series of clustered spikelets that are flattened and longer than wide. The plant is dioecious with male and female individuals bearing different types of flowers; the two flower types are similar in appearance.

Sedum 'Herbstfreude' ('Autumn Joy')

Stonecrop 'Herbstfreude', Sedum 'Autumn Joy', Hylotelephium spectabile 'Indian Chief', Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy', Sedum spectabile 'Herbstfreude', Sedum spectabile 'Indian Chief', Sedum 'Indian Chief'

Award-winner Sedum 'Herbstfreude' or 'Autumn Joy' in English is probably one of the best of all border sedums. Vigorous, hardy, carefree, good-looking, with a season of interest lasting more than 6 months from early summer until well into winter, who could resist?

• Twice granted the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society 
• Easy to grow, this standout perennial forms a 2 feet tall and wide (60 cm) clump of thick, fleshy blue-green foliage topped with flower buds resembling broccoli. Gradually, these densely clustered buds will reveal tiny, star-like soft raspberry pink flowers in mid to late summer, which will softly change to rich rose and then coppery-rust in the fall as they die.
• Both foliage and dead inflorescences will remain attractive through winter, providing some additional interest.
• Provides color and contrast to beds, borders or rock garden at a time when most plants have stopped blooming. Effective when planted  masse or in groups.
• Best grown in full sun, in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils. Tolerates very light shade and poor soils.
• Flowers are attractive to bees, hummingbirds and butterflies and excellent as cut flowers.
• Drought and heat tolerant once established, it is disease resistant!
• Deer resistant
• Low maintenance, this Sedum forgives neglect!

Members of the genus Hylotelephium, border sedums are essential beauties for the late season garden and deserve a spot in gravel gardens. Undemanding, not aggressive, with fleshy, drought resistant foliage and lovely domed flowerheads packed with a profusion of tiny starry flowers, opening to white, pink or red blossoms in late summer or early fall, they are a popular attraction to butterflies. They look particularly attractive with Asters, Solidago (Ornamental Golden rods), Boltonias and Ornamental Grasses. Standing for months, their faded flowers and seed heads provide a colorful display in late fall and winter, even under snow caps. There are hundreds of Hylotelephium cultivars and hybrids to pick from. Which one will be yours?

Iberis sempervirens

Iberis sempervirens (Evergreen Candytuft) is an enchanting low, sprawling, woody-based perennial that will charm your garden in mid to late spring. Among the purest garden whites with its abundant clusters of 4-petaled white flowers, enhanced by delicate yellow dots on each petal, the blossoms stand out starkly against the foliage of narrow, dark green leaves.

• Grows in bushy mounds up to 6-12 inches tall (15-30 cm) and spreads 12-18 inches (30-45 cm). Evergreen in warm winter areas, its lovely foliage may defoliate in colder winter areas.
• Prefers full sun locations and enjoys average, well-drained soils. Part shade is tolerated but will flower less. Good drainage is essential. This plant is drought tolerant once established. Tolerates poor soils but intolerant of wet and poorly-drained soils
• Evergreen Candytuft is a remarkable edging plant for borders, paths, or walkways. It is also particularly attractive in rock gardens or cascading over the edge of raised beds and can be used as a ground cover in small areas. A great addition to cottage gardens, coastal gardens, or containers.
• No serious disease issues. Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, and caterpillars. Deer and rabbit resistant, but pollinator friendly.
• Cut back by 1/3 after flowering to promote new growth and maintain a dense habit. Cover with evergreen boughs in cold winter areas (Hardiness zones 3 or 4) to minimize desiccation over winter.
• Propagate by seed and semi-hardwood cuttings
• Native to southern Europe.