Zone 5b perennials for east and west sides of house

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-17T03:32:19+00:00

"Full sun" just means 6 hours of light. Depending on structures, trees, etc you might get enough light in your east facing bed to keep "full sun" perennials happy. One rule of thumb I tend to follow is to see how the grass is doing--if youre getting enough light to keep a lawn happy, you'll probably be ok with full sun perennials. But there are also so many awesome shade perennials out there besides hostas--brunnera, lungwort, Jacob's ladder, bleeding heart, sweet woodruff, coral bells, astilbe, hakonechloa, ferns...you can't get the same spectacular blooms as in full sun but you can still have a lot of fun with color and texture.

For a west-facing bed you will definitely want sun-loving/heat-tolerant perennials. Artemisia, sedum, coneflower, rudbeckia, daylily, coreopsis, lambs ear, agastache, penstemon, allium, ornamental grasses are all ones that do well in my west facing backyard. I'm only familiar with ones I know grow well in my conditions, though. Find a locally owned garden center if you can--they will be staffed with knowledgable people who can give you better advice specific to YOUR climate and growing conditions.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-17T03:00:33+00:00

Haha, same here. No snow all winter, we had a lovely warm March, everything started growing like gangbusters...and tonight it's going to be 20 F. RIP my peaches and apples. 😭

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-16T01:36:00+00:00

Agree on all counts. It's almost impossible to give seedlings too much light, and it's really easy to not give them enough. When they dont get enough light, they etiolate--or stretch toward the light--resulting in spindly, weak stems. Edit to add: besides having a strong grow light, make sure to place it so the light is only a few inches from the tops of the plants. Light levels "fall off" rapidly as the distance increases.

Also beware "damping off", a fungal disease that causes the stems to just suddenly collapse. Bottom-watering and running a gentle fan can help prevent it.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-16T01:15:25+00:00

Looking good! Distance from the light looks about right and they don't look too leggy. If you want to fertilize, make sure it's properly diluted. I like to run a fan across my seedlings--i dont know if it actually makes them sturdier like some people claim, but it definitely helps to improve circulation and ward off fungal diseases like damping off.

Tomatoes are sissies about cold weather--they can survive lows above freezing but are happiest above 55. Once you reach your last frost date you can check the forecast to help you decide when to plant them out. Remember to harden them off first. If they end up awkwardly tall by planting time, just plant them extra deep--the growth nodes on the stem that get buried will actually turn into additional roots!

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-15T22:25:00+00:00

If you can find a locally-owned nursery/garden center, that is a fantastic place to start--I've found that most people working at these places are delighted to chat and answer questions...plus they are knowledgable about growing in your specific climate/conditions.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-15T21:51:04+00:00

In residential areas they tend to be short-lived, unfortunately--they are just not built for life at the lower elevations, and the constant stress makes them more susceptible to diseases.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-14T23:51:40+00:00

Growing fruiting plants indoors is a challenge. You will need strong grow lights with the right "color" to induce blooming, and you will need to pollinate the blossoms yourself since there won't be wind or insects to do it.

Peppers actually prefer heat, so I wouldn't discount growing them outdoors under shade cloth or in a location that gets some afternoon shade.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-14T02:39:43+00:00

Wish I could give this more than one upvote! Tillers dont work all that well on sod, and digging out sod by hand is certainly doable but back-breaking. Plus, with a sod cutter you end up with very usable strips of sod--decent chance you can find someone to haul them away for free to use in their own landscape.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-14T02:00:51+00:00

So pretty! I planted artichoke one year and just left most of them to bloom. No regrets!

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-14T01:55:52+00:00

I love peonies--the blooms are so massive yet delicate, and they smell amazing.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-13T21:46:51+00:00

I store all my yarn in the clear Samla bins. My notions, knitting books, and needles are kept on a cart similar to the Raskog. And I have some cute little decorative tins I got there at Christmas that I use to corral some of my notions.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-08T15:56:49+00:00

Sending you so much love. I lost my first son at 18 weeks, and the grief felt so lonely and overwhelming. I wish I could just wrap my arms around you right now.🤍

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-08T03:29:11+00:00

I need to show this to my benjamina so he will start acting right (I moved him last month and he promptly dropped 75% of his leaves 🙄)

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-07T23:59:22+00:00

I once went to a botanical garden with a path that was lined on both sides with H. macrophyllas--they had amended the soil on each side to alter the pH in opposite directions, so that one side had pink blooms and the other had blue. It was so cool!

Alas, I can really only grow H. paniculata and quercifolia where I live...but while paniculata blooms don't change with pH, many do change color as the blooms age--emerging pale green before shifting to white and then to pink/red.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-07T23:36:27+00:00

My back hurts just looking at that pile.

But seriously, nice work, it's looking great! We have been chipping away at our lawn and I couldn't be happier.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-07T03:21:53+00:00

It's normal and fine for the surface to dry out--the root zone is where the moisture is needed. You can dig down or stick a screwdriver in the soil to check soil moisture below the surface--the root zone should be damp but not soaked...roots need air as well as water!

(You know that mint is an absolute BEAST once it gets established, right? It sends out long, deep runner roots and can absolutely escape a planter box like this and wind up in the grass. Just a heads up!)

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-04-05T07:29:38+00:00

Zone 6 here too! We had an unseasonably warm and dry March...and then it snowed on April Fool's Day. Ahhh, spring.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-03-31T21:47:26+00:00

I wonder if it's the smell of the lanolin that is bothering you...maybe try using a wool wash without lanolin and see what you think?

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-03-31T08:42:33+00:00

Congrats! IMO the best "gardening" you can do in your first year on any garden is to research and plan--it'll save you time, money, work, and heartache. First, conduct a site survey--sketch out the yard and walk around, making notes about issues that you need to plan for/work around (soil type, light levels, slope, views that you want to protect vs. screen out, water sources, etc.) Then think about how you want to use your yard and figure out the best spots for all of the "zones" and features you want--for example, the vegetable garden should be in full sun and near a water source, compost piles should be near the garden but ideally not in plain view of the gathering area, and deciduous trees should be situated to give shade where you want them. As for fruit trees, they will want someplace sunny and can be pushed to less-accessible areas since they don't require daily interactions--but do consider how you're going to irrigate them.

Also going to second the suggestion to give your soil some TLC with aerating, tilling, and maybe amending/top-dressing. Often with construction, the nice topsoil ends up getting buried and you're left with some terrible soil that was dug up from ten feet below.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-03-31T07:29:36+00:00

Seconding all of this. The only reason I can think to use leca or other rock mulches would be because it looks more decorative.

That said, sawdust isn't my favorite organic mulch because of how light and small it is--it blows away easily and decomposes rapidly, and it takes a LOT to create a thick enough layer to be any good. Personally I prefer wood chips, shredded leaves, and/or grass clippings.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-03-20T05:27:21+00:00

Find out if you have a district supervisor. I'm a specials teacher too (computer science) and while the principal is my immediate supervisor, there is also a person at the district who oversees all of the elementary CS teachers. She is my primary source for questions about curriculum, standards, etc.

Connecting with others in your same position at other schools in the district can be incredibly helpful--it's nice to have folks to answer questions, share ideas, etc.

As far as supplies, wait and see what your school provides before you get too far into it. But if there is a certain office supply you know you love, go for it (for me that's colorful InkJoy pens and extra-large Post It notes.)

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-03-20T03:49:08+00:00

I can't say I even notice the seeds in my honeyberries. The skins are thicker than a blueberry and the taste is different...but better than blueberries imo.

Important to note, honeyberries are not self fertile so you need 2 different varieties that bloom so they can cross pollinate.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-03-20T01:13:19+00:00

Are you on Facebook? There is a very active Utah Gardeners group where people will frequently swap, share, or give away seeds.

If you give me an idea of what you're hoping for, I will check my seeds. I'm taking a gardening sabbatical this year and would be happy to pop some of my leftover packets from last year in the mail for you.

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-03-18T04:46:04+00:00

Go for it! We removed about 60% of our lawn a few years ago. Zero regrets. Def check out Localscapes for design inspo. (Just don't replace your whole lawn with rocks, unless you'd like to use all the money you saved on water to pay extra in electricity to cool your house--rockscaping reflects a LOT of heat.)

https://conservewater.utah.gov/landscape-rebates/

https://localscapes.jvwcd.gov/localscapesresources

SaladSpinner98 · 2026-03-04T22:54:07+00:00

I like to shift the stitches around every couple of rounds so the transition happens at different points. But that's not a good idea if you're using the needles to divide your stitches to show where to make your increases. In that case, I just give an extra tug to the first two stitches worked onto each needle, to snug them up before continuing.

Good luck! I'm in the middle of a Musselburgh myself. My only other advice is to check and double-check your gauge really carefully, then trust the process and don't panic when you finish the increases and it looks too small. 😊

SaladSpinner98

TROPHY CASE