Gillette's Habitat GardenAbout 40-48 sq ft L-shaped alcove, brick on three sides · open left arm, shaded back corner · near-total eave cover, hand-watered under the eaves only · heat sink, behaves about a zone warmer · nothing taller than the birdbath (about 18 in) · 7 plants
In the ground: purple coneflower 'Powwow Wild Berry' (Echinacea purpurea 'Powwow Wild Berry'), red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia, survival confirmed at spring 2027 emergence), hairy alumroot (Heuchera villosa), bushy aster 'Wood's Blue' (Symphyotrichum dumosum 'Wood's Blue'), royal catchfly (Silene regia).
Not Ohio native: lesser calamint (Calamintha nepeta, non-native).
2026: Royal catchfly bloomed its first year on August 16, the first on the property. It reaches 3-4 ft against the 18 in rule, so it's being watched.
Next: creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera), woodland stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) and bristleleaf sedge (Carex eburnea) for the back-corner eave. Option for the June gap: hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) or harebell (Campanula rotundifolia).