Go big or go home! Garden Plan
By: Garden Gate staff
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Bold, fast-growing garden plan
Large plants like elephant ears and grasses can work in a small space! It might take a season or two for these perennials to fill out to their full size, but you’ll still end up with a full, finished-looking planting much more quickly than if you had to wait for trees or shrubs to grow. And while you may want to keep your elephant ear plant going from year to year, you can change out the coleus and the sweet potato vine every summer for a totally new and exciting look!
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Ravenna grass Saccharum ravennae Type Perennial Blooms Purple-brown plumes in mid- to late summer turning silver-white in winter Light Full sun Size 6 to 12 ft. tall, 4 to 6 ft. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 5 to 9 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
Ravenna grass
Saccharum ravennae
Type Perennial
Blooms Purple-brown plumes in
mid- to late summer turning silver-white in winterLight Full sun
Size 6 to 12 ft. tall, 4 to 6 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 5 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae Type Perennial Blooms Purple in fall Light Full sun Size 3 to 6 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 8 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
New England aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Type Perennial
Blooms Purple in fall
Light Full sun
Size 3 to 6 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 8
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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Boltonia Boltonia asteroides Type Perennial Blooms White in late summer to midfall Light Full sun Size 4 to 6 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 4 to 9 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
Boltonia
Boltonia asteroides
Type Perennial
Blooms White in late summer
to midfallLight Full sun
Size 4 to 6 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 4 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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Elephant ear Colocasia gigantea ’Thailand Giant’ Type Annual tuber Blooms White in late summer Light Full sun Size 6 to 10 ft. tall, 4 to 6 ft. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 8 to 10 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 10 to 1
Elephant ear
Colocasia gigantea ’Thailand Giant’
Type Annual tuber
Blooms White in late summer
Light Full sun
Size 6 to 10 ft. tall, 4 to 6 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 8 to 10
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 10 to 1
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Coleus Solenostemon ‘Redhead’ Type Tender perennial Blooms Purple flowers all summer, pinch back for tidier plant, red foliage Light Full to part sun Size 18 to 36 in. tall, 16 to 20 in. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 10 to 12 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
Coleus
Solenostemon ‘Redhead’
Type Tender perennial
Blooms Purple flowers all summer, pinch back for tidier plant, red foliage
Light Full to part sun
Size 18 to 36 in. tall, 16 to 20 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 10 to 12
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
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Sweet potato vine Ipomoea Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Jet Black™ Type Tender perennial Blooms Heart-shaped deep purple-black foliage Light part to full shade Size 6 to 16 in. tall, 20 to 36 in. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 8 to 11 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12
Sweet potato vine
Ipomoea Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Jet Black™
Type Tender perennial
Blooms Heart-shaped deep
purple-black foliageLight part to full shade
Size 6 to 16 in. tall, 20 to 36 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 8 to 11
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
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