Aubrieta 'Cascade Purple' Cascade Purple Rock Cress, 3"h x 15"w, zones 4-8. Semi-evergreen groundcover ideal for front border and rock gardens. Flowers are a radiant purple and beautifully compliment spring flowering bulbs such as tulips and ornamental onion. Requires a well-drained, amended soil in a sunny or lightly shaded area. Two Rivers Road Gardens ~ Photo: Lisa DiNardo 5-12-11
Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly Weed, Pleurisy Root - 18-24”h x 18-20”w, zones 4-8. A native of our Western Slope, Butterfly Weed prefers dry, alkaline sandy-loam soil. However, it thrives in the loamy soil in Basalt’s gardens. Flowers are orange, bloom in summer and are followed by ornamental, upright seed pods 4-5” long that open to release silky seeds that are easily adrift in the breeze. s how the common name "pleurisy root" originated. Butterfly weed has a low success rate for transplanting due to its taproot. Not to worry because it’s a self sower. Dead-head if you don’t want volunteer seedlings the following season.
Two Rivers Road Bed ~ Photo: Lisa DiNardo 8-5-09
Amorpha canescens Leadplant, Two Rivers Road at green bridge, Basalt, 2-4’h x 3’ w: An adaptable plant with an open and spreading habit with attractive blue to violet flower which are born on several terminal spikes in summer. Prefers a sunny location with well drained soils. For more blooms, prune back in late-fall to 12-18”. Zones 4-8. As a legume, lead plant is a host to nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its roots. The bacteria provide the plant with nitrogen in echange for sugars that the plant produces through photosynthesis. The plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates for energy and a stable environment for growth, while the bacteria give the plants usable nitrogen and other essential nutrients. The neighboring plants in your garden/landscape and the rest of the soil community benefit from the nitrogen and other rich compounds exuded from the nodules, and from the recycling of the nitrogen as the plant drops its leaves or decays. Photo: Lisa DiNardo 8-19-11 Two Rivers Road garden south east of the Aspenalt Lodge. Pictured here with the yellow Ozark Coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa).
Genista lydia Hardy Dwarf Broom, 12" h x 4' w, cheery and abundant yellow flowers in late spring cover the striking evergreen stems and mold beautifully about draping gracefully over rocks and ledges. Truly a signature plant to incorporate into the landscape. Ideal for exposed & hot hillsides and prefers a well drained soil. Zones 4-10. 7-11 bed on Two Rivers Road, Garden~ Photo: Lisa DiNardo 6-8-10
