Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Videos
  • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Simmering Soups and Stews

      Dish out a steaming bowl of comfort food with 50 of our favorite recipes for soups, stews, chowders, chilis and bisques. Read More Next
    • Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2021

      Read More Next
    • Sparkling Spring Dessert Recipes

      The flavors of lemon, lime, berries and more sparkle in our recipes for pies, cobblers, cookies, cakes and puddings. Read More Next
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel

    50 Midwest Resorts We Love

    Our favorite Midwest resort destinations range from cozy lakeside lodges to indoor water park behemoths. Dive in to check out our top picks for a fabulous Midwest getaway.
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Around the Region
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food

    Midwest Living January/February 2021 Recipes

    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home

    Easy Organizing Solutions for Every Room

    Organizing the clutter of our lives doesn't mean relying on boring boxes. Think out of the box for clever ways to store necessities throughout your home.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden

    10 Trendy Plants for Midwest Gardens in 2021

    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See All Holidays & Entertaining

    50 Easy Spring Decorating Ideas

    Add pretty spring flair to your home with our ideas for centerpieces, table settings, door decorations, Easter egg displays and more.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine's Day
    • Christmas
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
  • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

    Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

    See All Spring Getaways Sweepstakes
    • Best Vacation Sweepstakes
    • Spring Getaways Sweepstakes

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Garden
  3. Featured Gardens
  4. Garden Tour: Three-Part Harmony

Garden Tour: Three-Part Harmony

By LuAnn Brandsen; Photographer Bob Stefko; Producer Shirley Remes
February 20, 2015
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Inspired by music, an Ohio designer composed a rhythmic sequence of plantings that hits all the right notes from early spring through frost.
Start Slideshow

1 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Three-season garden

Fragrant blossoms spill from crabapple trees in the spring garden of Ohio garden designer Bobbie Schwartz. Bobbie, an accomplished soprano, draws correlations between gardening and music to create three-season interest utilizing a plant's height, shape, color, foliage and texture, as well as the flower. "There's an artistry to putting it all together," says Bobbie, who has sung with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and has performed in Carnegie Hall and Europe.

1 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

High notes of spring

Tulips provide color and shape repetition. Creeping phlox and rockcress 'Spring Charm' (front) blanket the stone edging with purple. "You want to create a rhythm in the garden using color, size and shape," Bobbie says. "Think about any musical composition in which the orchestration is a melding of different instruments, tempi and ranges. Instead of those elements, I combine plants in the garden, choosing some to create crescendos and decrescendos, others to speed up here and slow down there." Tall plants or large groupings create the top of the crescendo while short or one-of-a-kind plants form the bottom of the decrescendo. See more of Bobbie's spring favorites ahead.

2 of 25

3 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Summer snowflake

Nodding bell-shape flowers (Leucojum aestivum) on 9- to 14-inch stalks bloom all of April in Bobbie's garden. "This is an underused but wonderful bulb," she says. "It thrives in wet spots, accepts shade or sun, and naturalizes beautifully."

3 of 25

Advertisement

4 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Tulip

Bobbie plants both species and hybrid tulips, such as this graceful lily-flowering ‘Mariette'. To offset the fact that many hybrid tulips die like annuals, Bobbie plants new varieties each year in similar hues to ensure a compatible, ongoing mix.

4 of 25

5 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Anemone

Six-inch white, blue or pink anemones (Anemone blanda) act as a skirt for taller bulbs. "They're terribly underused," Bobbie says. "The more you plant, the better." Deer- and rabbit-resistant, these tiny bulbs prefer well-drained soil and full sun or light shade.

5 of 25

6 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Cushion spurge

This no-fuss plant (Euphorbia polychroma) offers different appeal each season. "It's a favorite because it blooms early with bright yellow flowers, adds nice mounding contrast in summer and turns red in fall," Bobbie says. Site this hardworking beauty in full sun or partial shade.

6 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Hellebore

Shade-loving ‘Red Racer' (pictured) is considered a winner for its color and upfacing bloom. ‘Green Corsican' and ‘Blue Lady' are also notable performers. But Bobbie singles out sturdy, early-rising ‘Cinnamon Snow' as her all-time favorite. This hybrid sports gorgeous blushed white flowers and even beats crocus as the first to bloom.

7 of 25

8 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Trillium

This vigorous, clump-forming woodland native retains attractive leaves once its white flowers have faded. "It's a much tougher plant than I would have ever guessed," Bobbie says. "It even thrives in shady areas that don't get much moisture."

8 of 25

9 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Hits of summer

A wave of various coneflowers creates movement by drawing attention to the repeated colors and shapes. See more of Bobbie's favorite summer plants on the following slides.

9 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Sea holly

Bobbie favors the thistlelike flower form and steel-blue color of sea holly blooms, particularly the variety ‘Blue Cap' (shown). "It is a terrific plant for hot, dry, well-drained sites," she says. "The plant adds interesting texture to the garden, too."

10 of 25

11 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Culver's root

This perennial's unique form and 5-foot height stirs intrigue. "It has a different shape, almost like a candelabra, and the whorled leaves around the stem are unusual," Bobbie says. White or pale purple blooms last midsummer to early fall. Plant in full sun or partial shade.

11 of 25

12 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Clematis

"I love the whole clematis family," Bobbie says. "I let them grow on fences, up trellises and in shrubs and trees. Clematis integrifolias don't have twiners; I let them crawl on the ground." Though most clematis need full sun, partial shade works for ‘Comtesse de Bouchard' (shown), a reliable climber with nonstop 3- to 4-inch flowers that bloom from June to September.

12 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Heuchera

Nine to 12 months of attractive foliage launched heuchera to the top of Bobbie's plant list. "I'm a big fan of Heuchera villosa," she says. "They're tough and very drought-resistant. 'Georgia Peach' (shown) and 'Southern Comfort' have been two of the best for me. The colors are just amazing."

13 of 25

14 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Japanese painted fern

Highlighted with silver or maroon markings, this elegant fern grows 1–3 feet to brighten shady spots.

14 of 25

15 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Perennial geranium

One of the longest bloomers, hardy geraniums tolerate various soil types and can take full sun or partial shade. Bobbie considers 'Azure Rush' (shown) and 'Rozanne' top choices because they bloom into fall.

15 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Overflowing window box

A window box overflows with tall purple angelonia, pink pentas, verbena 'Homestead Purple', sweet potato vine, calibrachoa 'Sweet Tart' and creeping Jenny 'Aurea'.

16 of 25

17 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Fall’s grand finale

Ornamental grass 'All Gold', creeping Jenny 'Aurea' and juniper 'Eternal Gold' carry bold yellow through the garden. The next slides show more of Bonnie's favorite fall plants.

17 of 25

18 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Heucherella

A cross between heuchera and Tiarella, this easy-care groundcover jazzes up shady spots with strong leaf color spring to fall. The ‘Stoplight' variety (shown) is one of many colors available.

18 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Helenium

Sun-loving flowers add orange and yellow hues from summer through late fall. Bobbie's favorite is ‘Short and Sassy' (shown), a compact, 12- to 18-inch dwarf that provides profuse blooms.

19 of 25

20 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Toad lily

"This plant is gorgeous, but you'll need a big clump for impact because the orchidlike flowers are relatively small," Bobbie says. Grow in partial shade.

20 of 25

21 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Yellow corydalis

There are so many positives about this low-maintenance plant, including that it can grow 1–3 feet in part sun or shade, is deer resistant, blooms spring through fall, attracts birds and has lush foliage.

21 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Fountaingrass

Graceful sprays distinguish this ornamental grass, which is particularly attractive from midsummer until frost when its soft plumes turn white, pink or red (depending on variety). Selections range from 1 to 5 feet tall. Plant in full sun or light shade. Be aware that this perennial can vigorously self-seed.

22 of 25

23 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Flowering tobacco

Wonderfully fragrant, this sun-loving annual (Nicotiana sylvestris) can reach 5 feet with clusters of white trumpet-shape flowers.

23 of 25

24 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Fall-blooming anemone

A happy addition to the autumn garden, anemones bear cheery poppylike flowers from late summer until frost. Plants prefer light shade, but tolerate full sun given sufficient moisture. Some grow to 5 feet, but many are shorter like this 18-inch ‘Pretty Lady Emily' that Bobbie mixes with fall chrysanthemums.

24 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Sedum 'T Rex'

This sedum ages to a red-orange and retains strong stems.

25 of 25

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By LuAnn Brandsen; Photographer Bob Stefko; Producer Shirley Remes

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 25 Three-season garden
2 of 25 High notes of spring
3 of 25 Summer snowflake
4 of 25 Tulip
5 of 25 Anemone
6 of 25 Cushion spurge
7 of 25 Hellebore
8 of 25 Trillium
9 of 25 Hits of summer
10 of 25 Sea holly
11 of 25 Culver's root
12 of 25 Clematis
13 of 25 Heuchera
14 of 25 Japanese painted fern
15 of 25 Perennial geranium
16 of 25 Overflowing window box
17 of 25 Fall’s grand finale
18 of 25 Heucherella
19 of 25 Helenium
20 of 25 Toad lily
21 of 25 Yellow corydalis
22 of 25 Fountaingrass
23 of 25 Flowering tobacco
24 of 25 Fall-blooming anemone
25 of 25 Sedum 'T Rex'

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Midwest Living

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Contact Us
  • Help
  • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
  • Renew this link opens in a new tab
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Affiliate Program
  • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
  • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
  • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
  • Video
  • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Midwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

View image

Garden Tour: Three-Part Harmony
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.