What to plant in Columbus, Ohio

12 × 6 ft · Zone 6b · 6+ hours of sun · Cottage

• Shrub rose 'Knock Out'

  × 3

  Rosa 'Radrazz'

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

  Can't find it? Use Ninebark 'Summer Wine' or Shrubby cinquefoil (potentilla) 'Goldfinger'.

• Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster'

  × 3

  Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'

  Grass · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2 ft apart · grows 4–5 ft tall · Jun–Jul

  Can't find it? Use Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln' or Northern sea oats.

• English lavender 'Hidcote'

  × 7

  Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'

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

  Can't find it? Use Hardy geranium 'Rozanne' or Garden peony 'Sarah Bernhardt'.

• Bearded iris

  × 7

  Iris germanica

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

  Can't find it? Use Hardy geranium 'Rozanne' or Bee balm.

• Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'

  × 13

  Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Firewitch'

  Edge · Edge of bed · quart pot · 0.8 ft apart · grows 6–9 in tall · May–Jun

  Can't find it? Use Angelina stonecrop 'Angelina' or Two-row stonecrop 'Dragon's Blood'.

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 85% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

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

• Korean boxwood 'Wintergreen'

  × 2

  Buxus sinica var. insularis 'Wintergreen'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 2–4 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Dwarf boxwood 'Green Gem' or Reblooming azalea 'Encore Autumn Amethyst'.

• 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 Autumn fern or Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'.

• Lenten rose

  × 7

  Helleborus × hybridus

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

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

• 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'.

• Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance'

  × 5

  Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Japanese sedge 'Evergold' or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 90% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

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

• Spreading yew 'Densiformis'

  × 1

  Taxus × media 'Densiformis'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4.5 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Sweetbox.

• Japanese sedge 'Evergold'

  × 12

  Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'

  Grass · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Japanese painted fern 'Pictum' or Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'.

• Lenten rose

  × 7

  Helleborus × hybridus

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

  Can't find it? Use Astilbe 'Fanal' or Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'.

• Hosta 'Patriot'

  × 5

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

  Can't find it? Use Astilbe 'Fanal' or Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'.

• Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'

  × 5

  Heuchera villosa 'Caramel'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Aug–Sep

  Can't find it? Use Coral bells 'Palace Purple' or Variegated lilyturf 'Variegata' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there).

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 86% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.