Livingston Street Sensory Garden
Description of garden: Large, healthy crabapple is the main feature of the space. The crabapple and surrounding buildings limit the garden to mostly shade. The pH is alkaline.
There is a limited palette of plants that thrive or tolerate both alkaline soil and shade, and few of those have high sensory value. As a result, we chose to add a wind chime in the crabapple as the primary sensory focus of the area.
We have tried to weed out two plants that research showed are toxic: white snakeroot and white baneberry. We retained as many of the other existing plants as possible, including perennial geranium, hostas, virginia bluebells, and feverfew.
All plants in this garden are perennial.
New Plants Added to Garden
Hosta Blue Angel
Description of plant: Enormous, smooth blue/green leaves and white flowers that may attract hummingbirds. Part sun to shade. Zones 3-9. Grows 36-48” tall and up to 48” wide. Moist to dry soil. Blooms late spring to summer.
Main sensory values: leaves are corrugated, possibly lightly puckered, providing interesting texture to the touch.
Quantity: 2
Hosta Anna Kulpa
Description of plant: Smooth dark green leaves with a broad cream-white center streak that is golden in spring. Sun to part shade. Zones 3-9. Grows 20-24” tall and up to 26” wide. Moist to dry soil. Lavender flowers appear in midsummer.
Main sensory values: high visual contrast between colors on the leaves.
Quantity: 1
Hosta "Voices in the Wind"
Description of plant: Dark green leaves with wavy yellow edge. Part shade to shade. Zones 3-9. Grows about 17” tall and up to 40” wide. Medium to moist soil preferred. Pale lavender flowers appear in mid to late summer.
Main sensory values: wavy edge provides textural contrast to other hostas. Lighter margins for visual contrast in each leaf.
Quantity: 1
Catmint "Cat's Pajamas"
Description of plant: Short mounding form with small leaves. Sun to part shade. Zones 3-8. Grows 12-14” tall x 18-20” wide. Low to average moisture preferred. Lavender blooms from late spring to early fall.
Main sensory values: foliage is fragrant to touch and stems are square, attracts bees resulting in buzz sound. Leaves are edible.
Quantity: 2
Lamiastrum “Herman’s Pride”
Description of plant: Mounding ground cover with variegated 1” leaves. Shade to part sun. Zones 3-9. Grows 12” tall and spreads up to 20” wide. Prefers well-drained soil. Bright yellow blooms in spring.
Main sensory values: Bright yellow color of blooms for high visibility.
Quantity: 3
Perennial geranium (cranesbill) “Biokovo”
Description of plant: Short, mounding form with pinkish-white blooms. Sun to part shade. Zones 3-8. Grows 10-12” tall and spreads 24-36” wide. Prefers evenly moist soil, but drought tolerant once established. Blooms late spring to early summer.
Main sensory values: High visual contrast of flowers to foliage. Foliage releases scent to touch.
Quantity: 4
Brunnera (bugloss) “Jack of Diamonds”
Description of plant: 9-10” variegated heart-shaped leaves with darker veins with mounding habit. Part shade to shade. Zones 3-8. Grows about 15” tall and up to 30” wide. A mist of tiny baby blue flowers appear above the foliage in mid- to late spring.
Main sensory values: High Leaves are covered with short, stiff hairs that give a rough, slightly prickly feel when touched. May also have enough visual contrast to make it easier for those with low vision to see.
Quantity: 9-10
New England aster “Purple Dome”
Description of plant: Mounding habit with 2-4” narrow mid-green leaves. Full sun to part shade. Zones 3-8. Grows 18” tall and 12-18” wide. 1” purple daisy-like flowers with yellow centers from late summer through fall.
Main sensory values: mildly fragrant when leaves are rubbed. Attracts bees which provide a buzzing sound.
Quantity: 2
Large-flowered crocuses
Description of plant: Color mix includes white, yellow, purple and white with purple streaks. Grass-like foliage and cup-shaped blooms. Full sun to part shade. Zones 3-10. Grows 3-6” tall and 4-6” wide. Blooms early spring.
Main sensory values: limited, but good early food for bees, so you may hear some buzz.
Quantity: 16
Astilbe “Fanal”
Description of plant: Mounding habit with compound leaves. Shade or up to 6 hours of low sun. Moist soil. Zones 3-8. Grows 24” tall and 18” wide. Red plume-shaped flower clusters in early summer.
Main sensory values: soft texture of plant mound, prickly texture of dried flower stalks.
Quantity: 1
Astilbe “Delft Lace”
Description of plant: Mounding habit with compound leaves. Shade to full sun (or anywhere in between). Moist soil. Zones 4-9. Grows 24-36” tall and up to 24” wide. Pink plume-shaped flower clusters in early summer.
Main sensory values: soft texture of plant mound, prickly texture of dried flower stalks.
Quantity: 1
Astilbe “Vision in White”
Description of plant: Mounding habit with compound leaves. Shade or up to 6 hours of low sun. Moist soil. Zones 3-8. Grows 18” tall and 18” wide. White plume-shaped flower clusters in mid-to late summer
Main sensory values: soft texture of plant mound, prickly texture of dried flower stalks
Quantity: 1
Plants Retained from Previous Gardens
Virginia Bluebells
Description of plant: A native wildflower that prefers partial to full shade and rich, moist soil. Hardy Zones 3-8. Clusters of oval leaves emerge dark purple, then brighten to green. Plants bloom around mid-April to mid-May, then go dormant. Though they disappear in early summer, they aren’t dead and will return the next spring. Plants grow 2’ tall and 1’ wide. Buds appear in clusters and are often pink, but open into blue, pendulous, bell-shaped flowers about ½” across the widest part. Plants may self-seed.
Main sensory values: Flowers have a delicate fragrance and attract many types of pollinators including hummingbirds.
Quantity: 2
Miscellaneous Hostas, varieties unknown
Description of plant: We divided a number of hostas from the narrow bed and replanted them along the back edge of the large shade bed. Hostas are hardy in Zones 3-9 and prefer part shade to shade. These hostas are mostly about 16-18” tall and wide with elongated, pointed leaves in a solid dark green color.
Main sensory values: limited, though leaves may provide a smooth texture to the touch and flowers may be fragrant.
Feverfew
Description of plant: Bushy plant can be as short as 8” or as tall as 20”, with the width about equal to the height. Prefers a moist, loamy soil and a sun to light shade location (it seems to be getting enough light in its current location at the edge of the bed). Tolerates poor soils. Hardy in Zones 5-10. Half inch to three-quarter inch white, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers appear from July to October. May reseed.
Main sensory values: easy visibility of white flowers.
Quantity: 2-3
Cranesbills (perennial geraniums), variety unknown
Description of plant: Cranesbills are established at the farthest front corner of the bed and appear to have naturalized. Generally cranesbills are hardy in Zones 4-8. This is a short variety, about 8” tall. They may reseed. Prefers light shade to part sun, medium moisture, and a well-draining loamy soil with lots of organic matter.
Main sensory values: leaves will have a light fragrance when rubbed.
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