Create a romantic garden filled with purple Meadow Blazing Star, lavender-pink Wild Bergamot, violet Showy Fleabane, and graceful Little Bluestem. Native to Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming, these flowering perennials and ornamental grass bring soft summer color, pollinator appeal, and beautiful coppery autumn foliage to sunny borders.
Imagine strolling along a winding sandstone path, surrounded by soft pink wildflowers, purple flower spikes, and graceful native grasses, with distant mountains glowing in the evening light. A pair of wooden chairs beneath the trees invites you to linger, while drifts of summer flowers create a garden that feels both welcoming and wonderfully natural.
Four North American natives create this romantic display: Liatris ligulistylis (Meadow Blazing Star), Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot), Erigeron speciosus (Showy Fleabane), and Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem). All four are native to Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Together, these flowering perennials and native grass bring soft color, contrasting textures, and valuable habitat for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Main plants used: Liatris ligulistylis, Monarda fistulosa, Erigeron speciosus, and Schizachyrium scoparium.
The beauty of this combination lies in its gentle colors and contrasting flower shapes. Liatris ligulistylis provides the vertical accents, sending up rosy-purple flower spikes in midsummer to late summer. Particularly attractive to monarch butterflies, it brings height and movement without overwhelming the surrounding plants.
Monarda fistulosa fills the middle of the border with soft lavender-pink flowers, creating generous clouds of color that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Its informal habit contributes to the garden’s relaxed, romantic atmosphere.
Closer to the path, Erigeron speciosus produces charming violet-blue daisies with golden centers, usually flowering from late spring into summer. Schizachyrium scoparium adds slender blue-green foliage that gradually develops warm copper and reddish tones in autumn.
The curving sandstone path, natural boulders, rustic fence, and inviting seating nook give the planting the structure of a home garden while preserving its meadow-inspired character. The design can be adapted to different landscapes, from mountain foothills to open prairie settings.
Create a romantic, pollinator-friendly native garden with soft summer flowers, graceful grasses, a winding stone path, and an intimate seating area overlooking the surrounding landscape.
Approximate visual proportions, not exact plant quantities.
Let the curving sandstone path lead toward a small seating area beneath the trees. Place Meadow Blazing Star in repeated groups through the middle and rear of the beds. Surround it with generous drifts of Wild Bergamot, then bring Showy Fleabane toward the path for a softer foreground. Weave Little Bluestem among the flowers and beside boulders. Keep the distant view open and allow the planting to frame, rather than obscure, the seating nook.
Showy Fleabane begins the display in late spring to early summer, followed by Wild Bergamot and the vivid flower spikes of Meadow Blazing Star in summer. By autumn, Little Bluestem develops warm coppery foliage and delicate seedheads, extending the garden’s appeal well beyond the flowering season. Timing varies with elevation and local conditions.
| Hardiness |
4 - 7 |
|---|---|
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low, Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Neutral, Alkaline |
| Soil Drainage | Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Showy |
| Native Plants | United States, Midwest, South Dakota, Southwest, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Rocky Mountains, Wyoming |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | Butterfly Garden, Informal and Cottage, Pollinator Garden |
| Hardiness |
4 - 7 |
|---|---|
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low, Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Neutral, Alkaline |
| Soil Drainage | Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Showy |
| Native Plants | United States, Midwest, South Dakota, Southwest, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Rocky Mountains, Wyoming |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders |
| Garden Styles | Butterfly Garden, Informal and Cottage, Pollinator Garden |
Recreate this garden. Specify the percentages you would like to have of each plant and input the dimensions of your garden space.We'll give you a shopping list so you know how many plants you need.
| Plant | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|
| Erigeron speciosus (Showy Fleabane) | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot) | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Liatris ligulistylis (Rocky Mountain Blazing Star) | N/A | Buy Plants |
| Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem) | N/A | Buy Plants |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
