(10/14) Recently I was invited by a couple to offer suggestions at their property. For years they had enjoyed a long-distance view of Pigeon Hills. But as the Littlestown community grew, their lovely view was reduced, much to their disappointment So, with some landscape consultation, they decided to create a Hill Top Garden where they could enjoy their very own oasis of beauty.

Let me paint a picture for you of this creation. The garden is reached by walking up rugged slate steps which blend naturally into the surrounding landscape. At the top of the hill we've created a soft black mulch walk, edged with warm brownish-coloured brick pavers. There you will find an inviting vintage seat where one can sit at the very crown of the hill with a cup of tea in the morning and lemonade in the cool of the evening – to enjoy not only their view of the hills but their very own place of beauty.

The plants that were selected were medium to low or no maintenance, with showy flowers that would make good cuttings – fresh or dried. Soil conditions had to be drought tolerant adaptable to make the plants easy to care for, so soil tests were taken to make sure the soil was augmented for the success of the plants’ growth and maturity.

As for the specifics, we used burgundy red Astilbe arendsii which flowers from June to August. Baptisia Lunar Eclipse, Prairie Blue was added for its showy early spring flower. At its peak, the blue in this flower can be breathtaking. It is low maintenance, and can be pruned to any desired size.

Also in the Hill Top Garden you will find the Echinacea purpurea, Purple Emperor' coneflower. Although they can get quite tall, they make good cut flowers, attract butterflies and tolerate drought, clay, dry, shallow or rocky soil.

For additional interest in the garden, the Iris pallida. Albo- Variegata, versacolor variegate was used. They have a bluey purplish flower that blooms in early spring. This is also a low maintenance plant that is drought and deer resistant.

To add a touch of nostalgia to the garden, the delicate and beautiful old fashioned bleeding heart Lamprocapnos, Valentine spectabilis was just the spark the home owners were looking for. This beautiful plant is low maintenance and tolerates heavy shade and resists rabbits. However, take note that this plant goes dormant mid-summer so if you are new to this plant, fear not, it is not dead during summer. She will be back next spring.

Every garden needs some herbs whether edible or purely ornamental. In this Hill Top Garden, we included the beautiful English lavender, Big Time Blue hybrid & Phenomenal, Lavandula angustifolia. From June to August it sends out aromatic fragrant flowers, and is tasty in sugar cookies and refreshing in bath products. The plant is low to medium maintenance, makes good fresh or dried flowers, attracts butterflies, and is deer, drought, dry, rocky or poor soil tolerant.

Another hardy herb you will find in the garden is the Rue plant. It is low maintenance, pleasantly fragrant and doubles as a host plant for the swallowtail butterfly caterpillar. So when you see those large green, black and yellow striped caterpillar, don't kill them for they will become swallowtail butterflies. They will not devour the shrub, selectively eating only enough to morph into the next life cycle. And when they become beautiful butterflies, they will enjoy nearby Shasta Daisy super Becky, Leucantthemum x superbum, Rudbeckia fulgida, Viette's Little Suzy and Salvia. These plants all are low maintenance with medium watering requirements and are rabbit, deer, drought and air pollution tolerant.

Another beauty the home owners included is the Physostegia Virginiana, Miss Manners Obedient plant. This is a very attractive native North American wildflower, low to medium maintenance, tolerating drought and poor soil conditions. The flower is so very sweet; you can delight your guests by showing them how obedient the plant is, by using your hand to make the flower turn to the left or right and it is so obedient it will stay in whatever position you tell it to turn, hence the name Miss Manners or Miss Obedient plant. Because of its showy flower it also attracts hummingbirds to its trumpet opening.

Another delicate native you can find on the hill is the spiderwort, Tradescantia hybrid Sweet Kate, having a purplish blue flower from April to July. It also is low maintenance with medium watering and attracts butterflies, tolerates rabbit and deer, and is drought and air pollution tolerant. After these plants were placed, mulch was added to keep them cool, and to add visual interest to the garden and walkway.

So the joy of solving some simple outdoor problems can be as easy as landscaping your environment. This garden space is filled with colorful flowers that are hardy and low maintenance while at the same time they provide a focal point for butterflies. Don’t be afraid to try some of these suggested beauties!

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