Why on ground would you ever put a magniloquent flora in the front of your garden — even in the middle ? You ’d block whatever is behind it , right ? Not necessarily . go into the amazingly various family of see - through plants . Many of these unsung hero have a bulk of tufted leaf that stays under a foot tall , but from that wad shoots a superfluity of delicate flowers that grant the garden beyond to be seen . Other options let in incredibly fine - textured plants with leaves resemble smoke . We even blab about an cosmetic grass that shoots off its own nursing bottle Eruca vesicaria sativa just in time for the 4th of July . Listen to the interesting options in this episode and you ’re certain to put a few improbable plants at the front of you garden ASAP .

Expert testimonial : Leslie Harris , owner of LH Gardens , a landscape pattern and criminal maintenance firm in Charlottesville , Virginia .

STEVE’S PLANTS

Bronze fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare‘Rubrum ’ , zone 6–9 )

‘ Skyracer ’ imperial moor grass ( Molinia caeruleasubsp.arundinacea‘Skyracer ’ , Zones 5–8 )

Knautia ( Knautia macedonica , Zones 5–9 )

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‘ Brunette ’ fatal baneberry ( Actaea simplex‘Brunette ’ , Zones 3–8 )

DANIELLE’S PLANTS

Tall vervain ( Verbena bonariensis , Zones 7–11 )

Meadow rue ( Thalictrum rochebruneanum , Zones 4–9 )

Peruvian feather grass ( Stipa ichu , Zones 8–10 )

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New York vernonia ( Vernonia noveboracensis , Zones 5–9 )

EXPERT TESTIMONY

‘ Anastasia ’ Orienpet lily ( Lilium‘Anastasia ’ , Zones 5–9 )

‘ Purple Lady ’ Orienpet lily ( Lilium‘Purple Lady ’ , Zones 5–9 )

‘ Hyperion ’ daylily ( Hemerocallis‘Hyperion ’ , Zones 3–9 )

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‘ Autumn Minaret ’ daylily ( Hemerocallis‘Autumn Minaret ’ , Zones 3–9 )

‘ Moon Ladder ’ daylily ( Hemerocallis‘Moon Ladder ’ , Zones 3–9 )

Variegated Japanese weewee iris ( Iris ensata‘Variegata ’ , Zones 5–8 )

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Yellow signal flag iris ( Iris pseudacorus , Zones 5–8 )

Gaura   ( Gaura lindheimeri , Zones 5–9 )

‘ Chocolate Shogun ’ astilbe ( Astilbe‘Chocolate Shogun ’ , zone 4–8 )

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Plants mentioned in this episode

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Episode 69: See-Through Plants

Leslie Harris, owner of LH Gardens, a landscape design and maintenance firm in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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Leslie Harris, owner of LH Gardens, a landscape design and maintenance firm in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Yellow flag iris

Yellow flag iris

Variegated Japanese water iris

Variegated Japanese water iris

Gaura

Gaura

‘Hyperion’ daylily (credit: Walters Gardens, Inc.)

‘Hyperion’ daylily (credit: Walters Gardens, Inc.)

‘Chocolate Shogun’ astilbe

‘Chocolate Shogun’ astilbe

‘Autumn Minaret’ daylily

‘Autumn Minaret’ daylily

Tall verbena

Tall verbena

Peruvian feather grass (credit: Brent Horvath)

Peruvian feather grass.Photo: Brent Horvath

New York ironweed

New York ironweed

Meadow rue

Meadow rue

Knautia

Knautia

Bronze fennel

Bronze fennel

‘Skyracer’ purple moor grass

‘Skyracer’ purple moor grass

‘Brunette’ black cohosh

‘Brunette’ black cohosh

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