Last spring, my husband removed some really overgrown burning bushes, also called winged euonymus or Euonymus alatus, from the garden at the top of the driveway.

I was surprised that he wanted to do this – he usually balks at felling plants that are still alive – but I was overjoyed at the chance to get rid of these shrubs that are considered to be invasive because they are encroaching on our native plants in nearby woods and wild spaces. More about this at the end of the post . . .

The excavation exposed a large blank wall, our air conditioner unit, and at one end, some yews that need to fill in where the burning bushes used to reside. Not a pretty picture.

So we put up some trellising to hide the air conditioner, and then I planted some tiny Arbor vitae, roses and other treasures. I never spend big money on big plants, and these were actually free sample plants, so think of four-inch pot size. You really have to use your imagination to visualize this garden full grown!

In the mean time, I filled in with some annuals that I started from seed. You can see that the sunflowers are towering above the height of the garage door, almost to the second story window . . .

These sunflowers are loved by birds, but I am hoping to harvest some of the seeds myself to make a tasty snack. There are some purple Amaranthus, which are grown as an edible “grain” crop, and the leaves are also eaten as a salad green. The third edible plant in this garden is the hyacinth bean vine, Dolichos lablab. The beautiful purple bean flowers mature into a broad, purple bean pod. Both the pod and the individual seeds are edible, but should be thoroughly boiled first.

Decorative plants in this garden that are not edible include orange and yellow Zinnia angustifolia, some ‘Kiwi Fern’ and ‘Trusty Rusty’ coleus started from cuttings, and the feathery-foliaged, red-flowered cypress vine shown below.

You can’t see the woody plants amid the annuals, but they are there and will increase each year. For now, I kind of like the riot of colorful annuals that greets me each time I pull up the driveway.

Happy Gardening!

Sue

FYI: What exactly is an invasive species? According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, invasive plants like the burning bush usually have fast growth rates, high seed production, and efficient seed dispersal and germination. Since these plants are not native to Ohio, they lack the natural predators and diseases which would naturally control them in their native habitats. There are about 60 species on the list of Ohio’s Invasive Plant Species, including a few that are regularly used as landscape plants in Ohio. Check it out!

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