When you garden with a matrix-style design, different plants can play different roles in the landscape. Here are some ideas to get your designs going.

Matrix plants

• Bloody geranium (Geranium sanguineum and cvs., Zones 3–9)
• Lambs’ ears (Stachys byzantina and cvs., Zones 4–8)
• Moor grass (Molinia spp. and cvs., Zones 4–9)
• Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa, Zones 4–9)
• Wild ginger (Asarum canadense, Zones 4–6)

Primary plants

• ‘Chocolate’ white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima ‘Chocolate’, Zones 4–9)
• Globe thistle (Echinops spp. and cvs., Zones 3–8)
• ‘Jindai’ tatarian aster (Aster tataricus ‘Jindai’, Zones 4–8)
• ‘Matrona’ sedum (Hylotelephium ‘Matrona’, Zones 3–9)
• Siberian iris (Iris sibirica cvs., Zones 3–8)

Scatter plants

• Blazing star (Liatris spicata and cvs., Zones 3–9)
• Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum and cvs., Zones 3–9)
• ‘Northwind’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’, Zones 4–9)
• Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina, Zones 3–8)
• ‘Sun King’ aralia (Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’, Zones 3–9)

More on naturalistic gardens:

• A Naturalistic Garden Is Better for the Environment and Requires Less Work
• Plants for a Layered-Style Garden
• Thomas Rainer and Piet Oudolf on Naturalistic Gardens

Steve Aitken is editor at large.