Benton Soil and Water Conservation District's

2007 Native Tree and Shrub Sale ~ BONUS feature

I've chosen a mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs and perennials so the garden will look lovely year-round. In the winter, the evergreens and the red osier dogwood provide structure and interest to the garden. In early spring the new leaves of the deciduous shrubs and trees will play off of the deep green backdrop of the evergreens.

Later on, the tiger lily and bleeding heart will appear. In the summer, non-native hosta will look great next to the lacy foliage of the ferns, lilies and dicentra. As most of our natives go dormant in the summer, annuals and bulbs could be tucked in the beds to add color and interest. The deciduous shrubs and trees will provide spectacular fall color. All of these plants will provide nutrition and shelter for birds, bugs and butterflies.

As most of our shady areas are created by tall Douglas-fir or buildings, I have added two middle-story trees to bring down the scale of these large elements: cascara and vine maple. These also provide lovely foliage color in the fall. The evergreen huckleberry, not available during the BSWCD sale, provides important size and structure for the garden. The viburnum, hostas and grasses, native to China and Japan, are well-suited to our Western gardens.