Beautifying the Barren
About
In August 2022, I began caring for a corner parkway near my home as a place to grow milkweed and more. The corner started with 10 plants and a sign on barren earth. The original plants were purchased from Gethsemane Garden Center in Andersonville, Chicago. At the time, I didn’t fully understand the distinction between cultivars, nativars, and true native plants. Later, I sourced additional native plants from Prairie Moon and Prairie Nursery. I was also fortunate to receive plants from generous neighbors Alisa, Jared, and Donbon.
To see the garden’s progress and each season’s challenges, check out the garden’s blog.
Planted August 2022
- Swamp Milkweed, “Ice Ballet” (Asclepias incarnata)
- Aromatic Aster, “October Skies” (Aster oblongifolius)
- Bee Balm, “Midnight Oil” (Monarda bradburiana)
- Tickseed, “Jethro Tull” (Coreopsis)
- Purple Coneflower, Rubinstern “Ruby Star” (Echinacea purpurea)
- Pale Purple Coneflower, (Echinacea pallida)
- Strawberry Foxglove (Digitalis x mertonensis)
- Brown Eyed Susan, “Goldsturm” (Rudbeckia fulgida)
- Strawberry (Fragaria)
- Yarrow, ‘Coronation Gold’ (Achillea millefolium)
Planted April 2023
- Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)
- Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Planted May 2023
- Lavender Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
- Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
- American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)
- Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)
- Marsh Phlox (Phlox glaberrima)
- Downy Phlox (Phlox Pilosa)
- Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
- Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta)
- Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)
- Sunflowers (unknown)
Planted June 2023
- Aromatic Asters (Aster oblongifolius)
- Winged Loosestrife (Lythrum alatum)
- Brown-eyed Susans (variety forgotten)
- Heart-leaf Golden Alexander (Zizia aptera)
Planted August 2023
- Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
- Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
- Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Planted September 2023
- Red Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
- Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)
- Sullivant’s Milkweed (Asclepias sullivantii)
- Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
- Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)
- Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
- Ox Eye Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)
- Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
- Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
- Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
- Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)
Planted March 2024
- Lavender Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) – dried seeds from plant spread
- Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta) – dried seeds from plant spread
Planted May 2024
- Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
- Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
- Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
- Prairie Spiderwort (Tradescantia bracteata)
- Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)
Planted June 2024
- Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
- Western Sunflowers (Helianthus occidentalis)
- Eastern beebalm (Monarda bradburiana)
- Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
- Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)
- Late Purple Asters (Symphyotrichum patens)
- Sunflowers (unknown)
- Transplanted American Black Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) to another location
Planted July 2024
- Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
- Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
- Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
- Western Sunflowers (Helianthus occidentalis)
Planted August 2024
- Milkweed seeds
Birchwood Butterfly Corner 