What to plant in Birmingham, Alabama

12 × 6 ft · Zone 8a · 6+ hours of sun · Cottage

• Chinese fringe flower 'Purple Diamond'

  × 1

  Loropetalum chinense 'Shang-hi'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4 ft apart · grows 4–5 ft tall · Mar–Apr

  Can't find it? Use Gardenia 'Frostproof' or Sasanqua camellia 'Shishi Gashira'.

• Pink muhly grass

  × 3

  Muhlenbergia capillaris

  Grass · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 2.5–3.5 ft tall · Sep–Nov

  Can't find it? Use Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln' or Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster'.

• Hardy geranium 'Rozanne'

  × 5

  Geranium 'Gerwat' (Rozanne)

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Jun–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Garden peony 'Sarah Bernhardt' or Butterfly weed.

• Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'

  × 7

  Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Jul–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Garden peony 'Sarah Bernhardt' or Butterfly weed.

• Angelina stonecrop 'Angelina'

  × 9

  Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'

  Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 1 ft apart · grows 3–6 in tall · Jun–Jul

  Can't find it? Use Hens and chicks or Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'.

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 87% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 8a · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic

• Gardenia 'Frostproof'

  × 4

  Gardenia jasminoides 'Frostproof'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · May–Jun

  Can't find it? Use Dwarf boxwood 'Green Gem' or Glossy abelia 'Kaleidoscope'.

• Japanese painted fern 'Pictum'

  × 9

  Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'

  Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' or Japanese sedge 'Evergold'.

• Hardy geranium 'Rozanne'

  × 5

  Geranium 'Gerwat' (Rozanne)

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Jun–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Hairy alumroot 'Caramel' or Coral bells 'Palace Purple'.

• Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'

  × 7

  Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Apr–May

  Can't find it? Use Hairy alumroot 'Caramel' or Coral bells 'Palace Purple'.

• Mondo grass

  × 16

  Ophiopogon japonicus

  Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 0.8 ft apart · grows 6–9 in tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance' or Japanese sedge 'Evergold'.

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 91% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 8a · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic

• Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'

  × 2

  Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata' or Sweetbox.

• Japanese painted fern 'Pictum'

  × 9

  Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'

  Grass · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there) or Japanese sedge 'Evergold'.

• Chinese astilbe 'Visions'

  × 10

  Astilbe chinensis 'Visions'

  Filler · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Jul–Aug

  Can't find it? Use Hosta 'Patriot' or Coral bells 'Palace Purple'.

• Lenten rose

  × 7

  Helleborus × hybridus

  Filler · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Feb–Apr

  Can't find it? Use Hosta 'Patriot' or Coral bells 'Palace Purple'.

• Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'

  × 18

  Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 4-inch pot · 0.5 ft apart · grows 2–4 in tall · Foliage plant

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 81% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.