What to plant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

12 × 6 ft · Zone 7a · 6+ hours of sun · Cottage

• Ninebark 'Summer Wine'

  × 1

  Physocarpus opulifolius 'Seward'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 5 ft apart · grows 5–6 ft tall · Jun

  Can't find it? Use Shrubby cinquefoil (potentilla) 'Goldfinger' or Shrub rose 'Knock Out'.

• 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'.

• Meadow sage 'May Night'

  × 5

  Salvia nemorosa 'May Night'

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

  Can't find it? Use Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun' or Yarrow 'Moonshine'.

• Russian sage

  × 3

  Salvia yangii (syn. Perovskia atriplicifolia)

  Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 3 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · Jul–Oct

  Can't find it? Use Yarrow 'Moonshine' or Butterfly weed.

• Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'

  × 7

  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 Two-row stonecrop 'Dragon's Blood' or Creeping phlox.

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.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 7a · 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 Glossy abelia 'Kaleidoscope' or Spreading yew 'Densiformis'.

• Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'

  × 7

  Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'

  Grass · Front of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 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'.

• Bleeding heart

  × 5

  Lamprocapnos spectabilis

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

  Can't find it? Use Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost' or Coral bells 'Palace Purple'.

• Hosta 'Patriot'

  × 5

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

  Can't find it? Use Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost' or Coral bells 'Palace Purple'.

• Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'

  × 12

  Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'

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

  Can't find it? Use Blue star creeper.

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 7a · 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 forest grass 'Aureola'

  × 5

  Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'

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

  Can't find it? Use Lilyturf 'Big Blue' (invasive in North Carolina: don't plant it there) or Japanese sedge 'Evergold'.

• Hosta 'Sum and Substance'

  × 3

  Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 4 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Aug

  Can't find it? Use Bleeding heart or Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'.

• Lenten rose

  × 3

  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'.

• Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'

  × 3

  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 95% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.