We’re visiting with Lilli Hazard today in southern Indiana.

This past May we moved to a little cottage nestled in the hills of the Hoosier National Forest (Zone 6a). Our home is surrounded by huge native trees and is built into a slope where the driveway is higher than the house. The prior owner/builder landscaped with a rock garden leading to the north-facing front door to mitigate erosion. When we moved here it had several shrubs, ferns, hostas, and ornamental grasses, but very few flowers. I adore flowers, and it’s been my goal to incorporate more into my landscape. I started by bringing primroses (Primula hybrids, Zones 3–8), golden alexander (Zizia aurea, Zones 3–8), ‘Jacob Cline’ bee balm (Mondarda didyma ‘Jacob Cline’, Zones 4–9), and my cherished potted roses (mostly David Austin’s) from my last home. I have supplemented with some additional natives, including giant rubeckia (Rudbeckia maxima, Zones 5–9), Tennessee coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis, Zones 5–9), purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea, Zones 3–8), and prairie smoke flower (Geum triflorum, Zones 3–7). Nonnatives I added are beautiful daylilies (Hemerocallis hybrids, Zones 4–9) purchased from a local daylily nursery and Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, Zones 5–9) that still needs to be planted among the rocks. It’s a work in progress, but I’m enjoying the new challenge of rock gardening (digging holes among rocks can be an acrobatic skill) and adding more native and nonnative flowers.

As an aside, I have been letting certain areas of our yard go wild to see what native flowers are there. I have many beautiful ones that are worthy of their own entry. And I’ve been enjoying all the butterflies and dragonflies they’ve attracted.

A gorgeous rose blooming in a pot

This daylily is over the top, with incredible fringed edges to the petals.

Hosta blooming in the new garden

Perennials and a brilliant orange zinnia (Zinnia elegans, annual) bring color to this pot.

This giant rudbeckia is starting to live up to its name. When mature, it will have a mass of huge, silvery leaves and tall spires of yellow flowers.

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