Giving Your Garden Flair, with Drama Queen Plants

It’s kind of a shame that just as your garden gets to its ultimate glory, it starts to go downhill. Even so, the end of summer is a good time to take a look at how well your plants work together, now that they’re reached mature size. Are things so tight you’ve lost a few plants under the crush? Did everything peak a month ago, leaving little to look at now? Have you spent the whole summer deadheading and primping, just to keep some color in the garden?

These are the things you’ll want to make note of now, to correct while your dreaming up next year’s garden over the winter. If the problem is too many similar plants fighting for attention, the solution could be to base your garden around one drama queen plant and let your other plants complement her. It’s amazing how a single eye-catching plant, used as a focal point, can pull a garden together. This tip is especially good if you’re trying to down-size your garden maintenance. Most drama queens spend the whole season growing, requiring little to no maintenance. Some could easily be confused for shrubs, but unlike shrubs, they’ll keep their size in check.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.