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Jai_Ganesha
Full Member
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2015 1:24 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Planning next year's flower bed

This is an area of my front yard. It is impossible to mow it well because of the large tree stump that has been cut down for at least 10 years.

This view is from my porch, but you can also se that the road passes by my yard.

Pic: https://I.imgur.com/dDg7lds.jpg

Next spring, I want to grow annuals there and turn it into a flower bed. I want to grow bread seed poppies for Hungarian poppyseed cake.

However, poppies are ugly after they bloom and before they dry out. That is why I am planning to use cosmos, Mexican sunflower, and zinnias in front of them to help block the ugly view.

MY QUESTIONS:

1. Will the Tithonia, Zinnia, and cosmos grow fast enough to obscure the drying poppies behind them?

2. Can you think of anything else that would grow really fast? I have considered ornamental corn or morning glories on a trellis. What are your thoughts?

This area gets some shade in the afternoons but not a lot. I am in USDA Zone 6 (western Pennsylvania).

ButterflyLady29
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1030
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:12 pm
Location: central Ohio

What about planting perennials to hide the poppies? Echinacea would grow tall before the poppies are done, they flower for a few months, and they attract goldfinches and hummingbirds. There are a few types of perennial sunflowers that would be beautiful in that spot. And a lovely finishing touch would be some crocosmia. Then some sort of low growing mounding plant around the edges would gently lead back to the lawn area. Winter savory would probably be a good choice there. But thyme or some creeping sedum would work just as well, or maybe some alpine or groundcover strawberries.



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