What to plant in Richmond, Virginia

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

• Shrubby cinquefoil (potentilla) 'Goldfinger'

  × 4

  Dasiphora fruticosa 'Goldfinger'

  Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Jun–Sep

  Can't find it? Use Shrub rose 'Knock Out' or Virginia sweetspire 'Little Henry'.

• 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 Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster' or Northern sea oats.

• Lavandin 'Phenomenal'

  × 3

  Lavandula × intermedia 'Phenomenal'

  Filler · Back of bed · 1-gallon pot · 2.5 ft apart · grows 2–3 ft tall · Jun–Aug

  Can't find it? Use Bearded iris or Yarrow 'Moonshine'.

• 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 Bearded iris or Yarrow 'Moonshine'.

• Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'

  × 10

  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 Creeping phlox.

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 7b · 2–4 hours of sun · Classic

• Reblooming azalea 'Encore Autumn Amethyst'

  × 1

  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 Korean boxwood 'Wintergreen' or Gardenia 'Frostproof'.

• 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 Japanese painted fern 'Pictum'.

• Hardy geranium 'Rozanne'

  × 3

  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 Coral bells 'Palace Purple' or Bleeding heart.

• Hosta 'Sum and Substance'

  × 3

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

  Can't find it? Use Coral bells 'Palace Purple' or Bleeding heart.

• 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

  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 93% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 7b · 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 Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana' or Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata'.

• Autumn fern

  × 5

  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 Holly fern (invasive in Hawaii, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas: 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 Astilbe 'Fanal'.

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

• 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.