What to plant in St. Louis, Missouri

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

• Dwarf panicle hydrangea 'Little Lime'

  × 1

  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'.

• 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 Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln' or Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster'.

• Lavandin 'Phenomenal'

  × 3

  Lavandula × intermedia 'Phenomenal'

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

  Can't find it? Use Catmint 'Walker's Low' or Spike speedwell 'Royal Candles'.

• 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 Catmint 'Walker's Low' or Spike speedwell 'Royal Candles'.

• Two-row stonecrop 'Dragon's Blood'

  × 3

  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 Angelina stonecrop 'Angelina' or Creeping thyme.

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 7a · 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 Spreading yew 'Densiformis' or Glossy abelia 'Kaleidoscope'.

• Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'

  × 7

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

• 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 Chinese astilbe 'Visions' or Astilbe 'Fanal'.

• 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 Chinese astilbe 'Visions' 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 Foamflower.

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 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 sedge 'Evergold'

  × 13

  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 forest grass 'Aureola' or Japanese painted fern 'Pictum'.

• Astilbe 'Fanal'

  × 7

  Astilbe × arendsii 'Fanal'

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

  Can't find it? Use Hosta 'Sum and Substance' or Bleeding heart.

• 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 Hosta 'Patriot' or Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'.

• Coral bells 'Palace Purple'

  × 5

  Heuchera micrantha var. diversifolia 'Palace Purple'

  Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Jun–Jul

  Can't find it? Use Hairy alumroot 'Caramel' or Mondo grass.

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 79% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.