Plant Name: Physostegia virginiana Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist soil Size: To 4 feet tall and wide Grow it With: Black-eyed Susans for a stunning contrast in color and texture. Both bloom like crazy in late summer and into fall. Zones: 4-8 Plant Name: Ajuga reptans Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 6 inches tall and 3 feet wide Grow it With: Japanese painted fern; varieties such as ‘Burgundy Glow’ complement the colors perfectly for a professionally designed look. Zones: 3-9 Plant Name: Crinum americanum Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist soil Size: To 2 feet tall and wide Grow it With: Daylilies, which offer beautiful foliage and similar clusters of flowers. Zones: 9-11 Plant Name: Iris pseudacorus Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist soil Size: To 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide Grow it With: Ranunculus plants, which add a playful contrast in shape and texture. Zones: 5-8 Plant Name: Canna indica Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 7 feet tall and 2 feet wide Grow it With: Lantana, which acts as a great and flowery skirt at the base of the tall canna. Zones: 8-11 Plant Name: Liriope muscari Growing Conditions: Full shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 1 foot tall and wide Grow it With: Grasses often work well with other grasses, and the same is true with striped lilyturf. Play off its shorter height with the blue hue of little bluestem. Zones: 6-10 Plant Name: Dryopteris ludoviciana Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide Grow it With: Pair it with hostas; choose large-leafed versions with deep green or variegated foliage for visual interest. Zones: 6-8 Plant Name: Rudbeckia fulgida Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide Grow it With: Black-eyed Susans make for a great addition to a casual garden bed, as do the summer blooms of accenting phlox. Zones: 4-9 Note: It’s commonly grown as a houseplant in the North. Plant Name: Aspidistra elatior Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall and wide Grow it With: Variegated cultivars of cast iron plant look great against the vertical foliage and lacy leaves of ferns. Zones: 7-11 Plant Name: Phlox selections Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide Grow it With: Purple coneflower; the two bloom at the same time and will put on a display the butterflies can’t resist. Zones: 3-8
