What to plant in Portland, Oregon

12 × 6 ft · Zone 9a · 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 Shrub rose 'Knock Out' or Weigela 'Wine & Roses'.

• 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 Pink muhly grass.

• Garden peony 'Sarah Bernhardt'

  × 3

  Paeonia lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt'

  Filler · Middle of bed · 2-gallon pot · 3 ft apart · grows 2.5–3 ft tall · May–Jun

  Can't find it? Use Blue false indigo or English lavender 'Hidcote'.

• Purple coneflower

  × 5

  Echinacea purpurea

  Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 2–4 ft tall · Jun–Sep

  Can't find it? Use Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue' or Lavandin 'Phenomenal'.

• Two-row stonecrop 'Dragon's Blood'

  × 7

  Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood'

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

  Can't find it? Use Creeping phlox or Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'.

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 89% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 9a · 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 Inkberry holly 'Shamrock' or Korean boxwood 'Wintergreen'.

• 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 Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: don't plant it there).

• Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'

  × 7

  Heuchera villosa 'Caramel'

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

  Can't find it? Use Hosta 'Patriot' or Chinese astilbe 'Visions'.

• 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 Bleeding heart or Hosta 'Sum and Substance'.

• 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 Mondo grass.

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 9a · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic

• Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata'

  × 1

  Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4.5 ft apart · grows 4–6 ft tall · Foliage plant

  Can't find it? Use Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana' or Soft Caress mahonia 'Soft Caress'.

• Holly fern

  × 3

  Cyrtomium falcatum

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

  Listed as invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas in our table. Don't plant it there.

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

• 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 Astilbe 'Fanal' or Hairy alumroot 'Caramel'.

• Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'

  × 7

  Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'

  Filler · Front 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 Lenten rose.

• 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 78% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.