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International Peace Garden, North Dakota
You can plant one foot in the U.S. and one in Canada at the International Peace Garden, where bold, bright flowers pack a welcomed spring punch. Annuals such as red salvia, pink pentas and purple verbena wake up the landscape.
The growing season doesn't last long at this 2,300-acre park. With such a short time (frost or snow still can hit in early June), annuals started in greenhouses supply instant color.
The gardens feature broad swaths of flowers in bold, eye-catching designs. Each year brings a different theme to the plantings. When you visit, you'll see about 150,000 plants and 90 varieties.
The Canadian Natural Drive, United States Cultural Drive and a walking tour of the formal garden take about 21/2 hours. Expect to travel through border checks when you leave.
Planting suggestions:
Use two or three plant varieties instead of nine or 10 different plants. It's a lot easier on the eye, and simple planting schemes are much more calming.
The puffy flower heads of pentas contrast with light-green and ivory variegated spider plants. Or try the spider plants, usually used as houseplants, with fragrant heliotrope. Satin Mix godetia blends well with pink fountain grass, and purple-black perilla foliage looks great with silver plants such as dusty miller.
Parsley, frequently used as an herb, doubles as a bright-green edging plant. For something unusual, try artichokes. The silver color of their jagged, thistlelike leaves is a great conversation starter. In late summer, each plant sends up one or two large buds. You can harvest them as vegetables or allow the buds to develop into 6-inch wide, lavender-pink flowers.
While many perennials only bloom for a couple of weeks, newer varieties of annuals flower all summer long and require only minimal removal of dead blooms.
Box 116, Dunseith, ND 58329 (888/432-6733)
