Landscaping Ideas for Zone 6 Southern Exposure

Cut Flower Garden

• Southern Exposure is ideal for a cut flower garden. Most cut flower varieties like full sun. Varieties that work well in zone 6 include Cone Flowers (Echinacea), Shasta Daisies (Leucanthemum), Knock Out Roses, Hydrangeas, Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia), Butterfly Blue (Scabiosa caucasica). All of these plants are easy to care for perennials. They will bloom for up to 6 weeks year after year. In addition, some varieties of Echinacea and Knock Out Roses are fragrant.

Low Maintenance Drought Resistant Garden

• A low maintenance, drought resistant garden is also a good choice for southern exposure. Plants that will do well include ornamental grasses, such as Festuca Boulder Blue or Pennesetum Red Head. To attract butterflies, add color and fragrance, plants like the Happy Returns Daylily, Lavender Hidcote, Sedum Autumn, Caryopteris Grand Bleu and Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) are good choices. All of these plants bloom from mid to late summer and require little water and pruning. Some of them, like the Sedum and the grasses add interest in the winter, when they are dry, but add color to the landscape.

Butterfly Garden

• One of the benefits of a garden can be the wildlife that it attracts. A well-designed butterfly garden will result in a habitat full of wild butterflies to enjoy in addition to the flowers. Zone 6 flowers that attract butterflies include Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Butterfly bush (Buddleja), Aster, Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), Cosmos, Ironweed (Vernonia), Phlox, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea), Sedum and Zinnia. In addition to the flowers, be sure to provide puddles to hydrate the butterflies and light colored flat stones for basking. Also, make sure there is adequate wind protection. Finally, adding landscape lighting will attract moths at night.