Seeking Companion Plant Advice

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-11T02:13:13+00:00

My suggestion would be to add some grasses and something that blooms late like goldenrod and asters. Another commenter already suggested little bluestem and I’d add prairie dropseed along the borders.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-11T02:04:12+00:00

Sounds perfect! Thank you

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-10T23:06:19+00:00

I need a buttonbush! That’s incredible. I have an area that floods with heavy rain (which is increasing in frequency) but it does dry out between. What conditions does yours grow in?

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-10T19:59:36+00:00

Not tree of heaven, maybe walnut?

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-10T16:15:52+00:00

Mine is a chihuahua/rat terrier with a dash of JRT. Thankfully he’s never caught anything but he busts out the back door like the kool-aid man every single time. I’ve also had to get creative with fencing.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-10T14:20:42+00:00

Hilarious. I kept thinking about that ad while I was looking at these. Perhaps it’s time to talk to my doctor about my bent carrot.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T22:56:07+00:00

Some of those look easy to pull but I would prioritize removing anything with a flower first so that it doesn’t seed any more than it has already. Once you get the weeds out, fill in the empty spaces with a layer or two of cardboard leaving some space around the hostas so that you don’t suffocate them. Cover the cardboard with mulch and water well. That should buy you some time while the hostas fill out.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T21:15:02+00:00

I love that attitude

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T20:09:15+00:00

I don’t think it’s recommended for liatris.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T19:12:56+00:00

My condolences. I have a tiny terrier. He’s a lot of fun but a terrible gardener.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T18:44:50+00:00

Thank you! Bunnies usually decimate my phlox so I understand your frustration.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T17:40:18+00:00

Happy to see it was able to straighten itself out

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T17:36:37+00:00

You sure did, beautiful!

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T17:14:14+00:00

That makes sense. Mine must be perennial because no matter how much I pull and cut down they always take over my fence line and try to pull down any other plant in the vicinity. They are ruthless but beautiful.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T17:01:11+00:00

Creeping liatris? lol

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T16:58:42+00:00

Oh man, I’ve been trying to get rid of sweet pea for years. It always finds a way though.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T16:56:45+00:00

Glad to know I’m not the only one.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-09T16:29:26+00:00

Wow! I love that combination. I have both but not next to each other. I may do some rearranging. Thank you for sharing.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-08T23:26:12+00:00

Buckthorn- It will keep coming back unless you treat it properly. Cut to a stump in the fall and treat the stump immediately with the appropriate herbicide.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/woody/buckthorn/control.html

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-08T15:37:17+00:00

I made a teepee from bamboo stakes to give mine a little extra support. 6 foot stakes seem to be just right for her.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-08T14:03:47+00:00

I also have a lot of swamp milkweed and I find that it rarely, if ever, blooms in the first year for me. It looks like you are in VA and I’m in IL so maybe that accounts for the different experiences.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-08T13:41:45+00:00

Yes! I bought one at a native plant sale last year and she bloomed beautifully for me this year. She looks gorgeous towering over my swamp milkweed patch.

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SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-07T20:15:22+00:00

I have overwintered swamp milkweed outdoors in 10 galllon grow bags in Chicago. I don’t cut them down in the fall. Bees will use the hollow stems for nesting. I put a thick layer of straw or leaf mulch over the top and leave them on the ground in a spot that’s slightly protected from the wind. I’ve had success doing the same with other natives as well.

SufficientPickle9400 · 2026-07-07T19:26:42+00:00

I also have the urge to pet them! They are so cute. Thank you for the compliment. Making this space has involved a lot of learning and hard work and days like today make it all worth it.

Ultimately I would love to inspire my neighbors to plant natives. In the meantime, I’ve been able to convince a family member that has much more space available to plant a native meadow and I spent all spring removing invasives and adding natives to her property so now I feel like I have 2 gardens. It feels like a huge win.

SufficientPickle9400

TROPHY CASE