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Dot’s Pennsylvania garden demonstrates how climbers, spikes, daisies, warm-toned perennials and annual fillers can be layered for a long summer display. The garden is in Broomall, Pennsylvania, and the feature identifies it as USDA Zone 7b. Its combinations are visual examples rather than a controlled test, so use the color relationships and plant roles as design inspiration while checking your own frost dates, sun, soil and moisture.
Dot, the contributor featured by Fine Gardening, writes: “Although summer is slipping away, I am still planting perennials and bulbs. I’ve included some garden highlights that I hope you enjoy.” That late-season perspective is important: the photographs and descriptions show a garden still changing, not a fixed planting plan or a promise that every combination will perform identically elsewhere.
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What is the setting for Dot’s summer garden?
The garden is in Broomall, Pennsylvania, with the feature identifying the site as Zone 7b. Hardiness zones describe average winter-temperature ranges; they do not tell you the garden’s soil, drainage, daily sun, irrigation or exposure to wind. Those missing details can change plant size, flowering time and survival, even within the same zone.
The plant list also mixes exact named cultivars with broader groups. ‘Abraham Darby’ and ‘Jackmanii’ are specific selections, while references to daylilies, Shasta daisies, helenium, phlox, agastache and yarrow cover cultivars that the feature does not individually identify. Preserve that distinction when shopping or making a planting plan.
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Which plant combinations create the strongest color contrasts?
| Combination | Color relationship | Primary garden role | Persistence or timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosa ‘Abraham Darby’ with Veronica cultivars | Blush-pink blooms against purple-blue spikes | Arbor climber with a vertical base planting | Rose and veronica are listed as Zones 5–9 and 3–9 |
| Daylily and Shasta daisy cultivars | Colorful daylily flowers with white daisy blooms | Layer behind a seating area | Perennial pairing; Zones 3–10 and 5–9 |
| Cathedral Bells rose (‘DELamo’) with ‘Jackmanii’ clematis | Two flowering climbers kept visually distinct | Climbing display | Zones 5–9 and 4–8 |
| Helenium cultivars | Warm orange late-season color | New seasonal accent | Perennial group; Zones 3–8 |
| Lythrum, white phlox, bush clematis, agastache and Russian sage | White breaking through purple and blue layers | Mixed border with movement and height | Perennial groups spanning Zones 3–9, depending on plant |
| Orange nasturtiums with purple coneflowers | Saturated orange against deeper pink | Annual filler and edge-spilling ground cover | Nasturtium is annual; coneflower cultivars are listed as Zones 3–9 |
| Shasta daisies, purple coneflowers and yarrow | Pink-and-white effect | Raised-bed massing | Perennials; yarrow cultivars are listed as Zones 3–9 |
‘Abraham Darby’ rose and veronica
Rosa ‘Abraham Darby’ (Zones 5–9) climbs an arbor, while Veronica cultivars (Zones 3–9) gather around its base. Fine Gardening describes the visual contrast as purple-blue veronica spikes beside blush-pink rose flowers. The design works because the plants occupy different vertical levels: the rose supplies height and a broad flowering presence, while veronica creates repeated narrow accents close to the ground.
If you adapt this idea, think in terms of a support-bound focal plant plus a lower, upright partner. The exact veronica cultivar is not named, so choose a form appropriate to your conditions rather than assuming every veronica has the same height or bloom time.
Daylilies and Shasta daisies behind a seating area
Daylily cultivars (Hemerocallis, Zones 3–10) mingle with Shasta daisy cultivars (Leucanthemum × superbum, Zones 5–9) behind a seating area. The feature does not identify individual cultivars. Their appeal is the informal interweaving of two familiar perennial groups: daylily foliage and flowers create a substantial backdrop, while white daisy blooms provide a lighter visual punctuation.
Placement behind seating also illustrates a practical design principle: a planting can be judged from the viewpoint where it is enjoyed. Before copying it, check mature height and sightlines for your own chairs, paths and windows; the source does not provide dimensions for Dot’s bed.
Cathedral Bells rose and ‘Jackmanii’ clematis
Cathedral Bells is identified as Rosa ‘DELamo’ (Zones 5–9), paired with Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ (Zone 4–8). Fine Gardening says the pairing helps each flower stand out against the other. This is a second example of using two climbers as contrasting focal points rather than blending them into an indistinct mass.
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Because both plants climb, the support structure and available space matter. The feature does not state how the plants are trained, how much sun they receive or how they are pruned. Treat the combination as a color-and-form concept, and follow the instructions supplied for the particular rose and clematis you buy.
Helenium for warm, late-season color
Helenium cultivars (Zones 3–8) were described as a new addition that year. Their warm orange flowers add a late-season note to a palette otherwise rich in pink, white, purple and blue. In a border, orange can act as a visual pivot: it attracts attention where cooler colors might recede.
The feature does not name the helenium cultivar or give a flowering calendar beyond its late-season role. Local weather and cultivar choice will affect timing, so use the description as a seasonal-color cue rather than a guaranteed date.
The mixed border of purple, blue and white
Another grouping combines Lythrum cultivars (Zones 3–9), white garden phlox (Phlox paniculata, Zones 4–8), bush clematis cultivars (Zones 3–9), agastache (Agastache, Zones 4–9) and Russian sage (Salvia yangii, Zones 4–9). Fine Gardening says the white phlox breaks through layers of purple and blue and keeps the eye moving.
That description points to layering rather than a single two-plant contrast. Repeated cool colors establish continuity, while white creates intervals of visual relief. Different plant heights and flower shapes add another layer, but the source does not assign a precise position or spacing to each species. When adapting the idea, map your border from front to back and verify each plant’s mature dimensions from its nursery label.
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Orange nasturtiums woven through purple coneflowers
Annual Tropaeolum majus nasturtiums weave through Echinacea purpurea cultivars (Zones 3–9). The feature praises saturated orange against deeper pink and notes that nasturtiums can act as seasonal ground cover, filling bare spots or spilling over raised-bed edges. This is the clearest example of using an annual as a flexible filler around an established perennial backbone.
Nasturtium seeds are one practical way to recreate that temporary element. Their annual status means the effect depends on sowing and frost timing in your location; it should not be treated as a permanent ground-cover solution. Leave room for the coneflowers’ mature clumps, and use the nasturtiums to bridge gaps while the perennials establish.
Shasta daisies, purple coneflowers and yarrow in a raised bed
A raised bed combines Shasta daisies, purple coneflowers and yarrow. Yarrow is identified as Achillea millefolium cultivars (Zones 3–9). Fine Gardening calls attention to the pink-and-white effect, created by coneflower color against the white daisies and the additional flower structure of yarrow.
This grouping shows how a limited palette can still feel layered when flower shapes differ. As with the other examples, the feature does not provide cultivar names for the daisies, coneflowers or yarrow, nor does it establish the bed’s soil mix or irrigation routine.
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The examples can be compared on three useful axes: color relationship, plant role and persistence. Purple-blue with blush pink appears in the rose-and-veronica pairing; white interrupts purple-blue in the mixed border; orange opposes deeper pink in the nasturtium-and-coneflower planting; and pink-and-white defines the raised bed. These are observations of the featured compositions, not performance rankings.
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Plant roles are equally important. Roses and clematis provide climbing focal points; veronica and other upright perennials supply vertical accents; mixed-border plants create repeated layers; and nasturtiums provide seasonal filling and edge spill. Perennials form the continuing framework, while annual nasturtiums offer a changeable accent that can be renewed from seed.
How can Pennsylvania gardeners adapt the ideas responsibly?
- Start with the viewing point. Decide whether the planting will be seen from a seat, path, window or property edge. Dot’s daylilies and daisies are specifically described behind a seating area, but your sightline may require different heights.
- Choose a color relationship. Select one of the documented effects—cool purple-blue with blush pink, white through cool layers, orange against pink, or pink-and-white—before buying plants. This keeps a long plant list visually coherent.
- Assign each plant a job. Mark climbers, upright accents, broad perennials, border layers and seasonal fillers. Do not assume an unnamed cultivar will occupy the same height or spread as another cultivar in the same species group.
- Check hardiness and site preferences. The listed zone ranges are useful starting points, but they do not replace information about sun, moisture, drainage or soil. Penn State Extension’s guide to Pennsylvania native perennials provides a regional reference for comparing bloom season, color, sun and moisture preferences; it does not establish that Dot’s plants are native or that her site matches those recommendations.
- Plan annual timing around local frost. Penn State Extension advises that most summer annuals can be sown indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. Pennsylvania has several average-last-frost ranges, so use your local guidance rather than treating Broomall’s conditions as universal. Nasturtiums in particular should be timed as annuals, not as hardy perennials.
- Leave room for change. Dot was still planting perennials and bulbs as summer wound down. A garden assembled in stages may look different from month to month; reserve gaps for later additions instead of packing every space immediately.
What should you not assume from the Zone 7b label?
Zone 7b alone cannot tell you whether a rose will climb vigorously, whether a clematis will flower at the same time as a rose, or whether a raised bed drains quickly. It also cannot predict the exact last frost date, heat stress, rainfall or the amount of maintenance a border requires. Those factors are not reported for Dot’s garden in the feature.
Likewise, the article is descriptive rather than experimental. It names combinations and explains their visual effect, but it supplies no controlled comparison, yield measurement or statistical outcome. Use the examples to develop a planting concept, then confirm cultivar-specific instructions and local conditions before installation.
Where can the regional context come from?
For Pennsylvania-specific plant-selection context, consult Penn State Extension’s native perennial guide. It organizes regional plants by attributes such as bloom season, color, sun and moisture needs. That resource can broaden your options, but it should not be read as evidence that every plant in Dot’s garden is native.
For starting annuals, Penn State Extension’s annual-seed guidance gives the six-to-eight-week indoor-sowing interval and discusses Pennsylvania’s differing average last-frost ranges. Apply that general advice with a locally appropriate frost date and the seed packet’s directions.
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What is the practical lesson from Dot’s planting?
The most transferable idea is not a specific shopping list. It is the deliberate use of contrast and layers: pair a climber with a vertical base plant, let white interrupt cool colors, add a warm orange accent late in the season, and use an annual to occupy temporary gaps around perennial clumps. Dot’s combinations show several ways to do that in one garden while leaving room for ongoing planting and seasonal change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I copy these combinations if my garden is not in Zone 7b?
You can borrow the color relationships and plant roles, but substitute plants that match your own hardiness zone and site. A zone label does not account for microclimates, soil, drainage or exposure, so verify each cultivar locally.
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Are the plants in Dot’s garden native to Pennsylvania?
The feature does not make that claim. Penn State Extension’s native-perennial guide is a separate regional reference and should be used to investigate native alternatives rather than to classify the featured plantings.
When should I sow nasturtium seeds for a similar summer effect?
Use your local average last-frost date and the seed packet’s instructions. Penn State Extension gives six to eight weeks before the last frost as general indoor-sowing guidance for most summer annuals, while direct-sowing timing depends on local conditions.
Why combine annual nasturtiums with perennial coneflowers?
The annuals can fill bare soil and spill over an edge while the perennial coneflowers provide the enduring structure. This creates a changeable seasonal layer without requiring the annual to carry the bed by itself.
What information is missing from the garden feature?
It does not specify Dot’s soil type, irrigation routine, exact sun exposure, maintenance schedule, microclimate or most individual cultivars. Those details are necessary for predicting growth and bloom timing in another yard.
