I'm interested in trying to garden, but I've never had good success with it. Below, I have a list of plants. Which of these will do well in Wisconsin (Zone 4 in winter, cool in summer) and are EASY to grow? I admit, I'm NOT a good gardener.
http://66.102.7.104/search?sourceid=navclient-menuext&q=cache:http%3A%2F%2Fplantsdatabase.com%2Fzipbyzip.php%3Fzip%3D53181but the first two (and maybe others in the list) are indoor/greenhouse only!
at barnes and noble, this book looked good to me. Growing Perennials in Cold Climates. John Whitman and Mike Heger
should be able to find it used
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get
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Astilbe likely
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begonia summer
many species, blow your mind here:
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Cerinthe
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Corydalis almost certailnly
native to north prairie/plains, but it's probably boring looking
immediate interest to me (see my imminent post!)
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of many salvias, but a california author.
also Siberian iris do well lilium (true lilies) hostas of course. tulips sedum
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and beware of
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(!) north central Europe should be good
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check out Canadian gardening books.
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Hole series, these are good. Nice number of recommended plants, easy reading.
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nice WI list
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has rep, but I've never visited:
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I've never seen
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reviews look good. Google author: Melinda Myers. Host of Great Lakes Gardener, is an instructor in horticulture at the Milwaukee Area Technical College and holds a ... mptv.org/glghome/melinda/myers.html
NARGS, start googling here
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people print a high proportion of good books
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=================== and try plums, apricots, grapes!
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Jennifer. The Harrowsmith Book of Fruit Trees. Camden East, Ontario: Camden House Publishing, 1991 a bit out of date, but looked good to me
Keep it simple. Don't bite off more than you can chew.
Depending where you are in Wisconsin, visit your country extension office and talk with the master gardener or extension specialist for help. It's free and often they are lonely and want someone to talk with.
Keep your initial planting area small and manageable. Prep the soil, get a soil test... Your plants will respond with years of beauty and pleasure.
Many factors are taken into account before buying plants: daylight, shade, soil, drainage, water. All the plants you list are good and should do fine provided they are given the right growing conditions. A garden isn't just something one does or has. It is something alive and hence requires care. Perennials are good but will need maintenance, too.
Plant grasses and then fill the holes with perennials and surprises. Grasses are trouble-free plants that just do their thing all season long. Some are spectacular in the winter landscape provided Wisconsin ever gets snow again or has winter.
Perennials each have their moment in the garden when they are spectacular. Plan the garden so you always have something happening.
Looks like you may have a shady area to address. Some of these are annuals and others perennials - annuals are often considered the easiest types of plants for novice gardeners, but IMO they give the least satisfaction as they are so temporary, lasting only for a single season. I'd stick to the cottage type perennials on your list - they tend to be very hardy, require minimal care and perennialize well:
- Dicentra/bleeding heart
- Campanula/Canterbury Bells
- columbine
- Tricyrtis/ toadlily
- Corydalis lutea
- Hardy Geraniums/cranesbill
- Myosotis/forget-me-nots
- Epimediums
- ajuga and vinca as groundcovers
the rest tend to be tender perennials or annuals or are fussy about conditions and climate. Some, like the houttunyia and parthenocissus can be very aggressive and difficult for a new gardener (and experienced, as well) to control.
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