What to plant in Kansas City, Missouri

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

• Dwarf panicle hydrangea 'Little Lime'

  × 2

  Hydrangea paniculata 'Jane'

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

  Can't find it? Use Ninebark 'Summer Wine' or Weigela 'Wine & Roses'.

• Northern sea oats

  × 3

  Chasmanthium latifolium

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

  Can't find it? Use Pink muhly grass or Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln'.

• Catmint 'Walker's Low'

  × 3

  Nepeta × faassenii 'Walker's Low'

  Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 2–2.5 ft tall · May–Sep

  Can't find it? Use Bearded iris or Meadow sage 'May Night'.

• 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 Meadow sage 'May Night' or Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun'.

• Lamb's ear 'Helen von Stein'

  × 5

  Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant

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

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 · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic

• Reblooming azalea 'Encore Autumn Amethyst'

  × 2

  Rhododendron 'Conlee'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 3.5 ft apart · grows 3–5 ft tall · Apr–May, Sep–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Spreading yew 'Densiformis' or Dwarf boxwood 'Green Gem'.

• Autumn fern

  × 7

  Dryopteris erythrosora

  Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant

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

• 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 Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost' or Bleeding heart.

• 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 Lenten rose or Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'.

• 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 Hairy alumroot 'Caramel' 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 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 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 Autumn fern.

• Chinese astilbe 'Visions'

  × 10

  Astilbe chinensis 'Visions'

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

  Can't find it? Use Lenten rose or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.

• Bleeding heart

  × 5

  Lamprocapnos spectabilis

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

  Can't find it? Use Lenten rose or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.

• 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 Coral bells 'Palace Purple' or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.

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.