Welcome to Sid and Jackie Pogue’s backyard in Edmond, Oklahoma.
With age, Jackie and Sid Pogue downsized in 2020 and are actually studying the thrill of accessibility and cautious plant choice. This new chapter of their backyard historical past, which they name “Much less Is Positive however Make It Depend,” means constructing a treasury of Oklahoma-tough favorites in smaller areas. “We will’t have all of the vegetation we’ve cherished through the years,” they are saying, “however our objective is to create a brand new treasury of favorites as we backyard on.”
A reliable performer in shade containers, Dragon Wing begonias (Begonia hybrid, Zones 9–11 or as an annual) are a favourite, so we started with one for welcome at our entrance door and one on the patio door.
Siberian iris (Iris hybrid, Zone 2–9), left by former householders, thrives between a brick fence and a concrete driveway in full solar. In fact, it’s staying!
After a vicious October ice storm introduced down a lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia, Zones 4–9), the spot was good for hibiscus (hardy Hibiscus hybrid, Zones 5–9) to like the summer season solar. In the meantime, coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides, annual), Hosta (Zones 3–9), and boxwoods (Buxus, Zones 5–9) add full-season coloration above creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia, Zones 3–10) alongside the home entrance.
Past our small patch of Fescue garden within the again, easy hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens, Zones 3–8), liriope (Liriope muscari, Zones 5–10), and Japanese maples (Acer palmatum, Zones 5–9) benefit from the shade.
Our bald cypress (Taxodium distichum, Zones 4–9) is underplanted with hellebores (Helleborus hybrid, Zones 5–9), Hosta, elephant’s ear (Colocasia esculenta, Zones 7–11 or as a young bulb), and aspidistra (Aspidistra elatior, Zones 7–11).
A hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla, Zones 5–9) and pots of elephant’s ear and ferns edge the grill.
A downstairs run of flagstone turned accessible as a shady container backyard after Sid put in a handrail equipment.
Even a sidewalk edge can develop into a backyard area, right here with Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris, annual) and varied herbs.
Alongside the entrance porch, John Fanick phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘John Fanick’, Zones 4–8) rises above inherited artemisia (Artimisia schmidtiana, Zones 4–8).
Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia, Zones 7–10), rudbeckia (Rudbeckia hirta, Zones 3–7), Bubblegum petunias (Petunia hybrid, ‘Vista Bubblegum’), and tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica, Zones 8–11 or as an annual) revel within the sunshine alongside the drive.
Senna alata, or candle bush (Zones 9–11 or as annual), joins the solar worship and feeds pollinators.
