Going for it...

So after years of hemming and hawing, I went for it this year. I finally decided to start planting perennials in my front yard. The starting point is the patch of bare soil where the grass has died from being too near to the red maple tree. I had started earlier this year by making a brave foray into dividing the large hosta on the side of the house and transplanting two parts of it in the front. Over the past two weeks I have added a bunch of plants to join the hostas and the butter-and-eggs that was already growing there. Many of them are local wildflowers, many attract butterflies, some of them are very useful, and all of them produce some of the most beautiful and unique flowers that exist, in my opinion.

Here's the list:

• Delphinium (one light blue, one dark blue)
• Allium (I hope to add more flowering onions next year because they make the coolest puff ball flowers)
• Echinacea (two types, need to figure out how to make into the cold cure)
• Yarrow
• Evening Primrose
• Bee Balm (wild bergamot that will make a perfect tea when dried with peppermint to produce memories of the growing season this winter)
• Butterfly weed
• Iris (dark blackish purple)
• Pincushion flower
• Purple prairie clover

It was hard to stop, but at least I know I will get to add more in the coming years with the goal of completely taking over the front yard. In October, I will plant some spring bulbs in this patch so I can have some instant gratification in April when everything just seems brown.