This is another perennial that I’d been trying to grow for years. The problem is that my yard was never quit sunny enough, but some storm-related damage and subsequent pruning opened the tiniest peninsula of garden in total sunlight.

In 2018 I removed all of the weeds, amended the soil for drainage and nutrients, and then I was ready.

I purchased this plant in a quart-sized pot at a local hardware store for a whopping $2.80. I also bought about 40 other perennials with it. According to my records, it went into the ground on May 23, 2018, and it just kind of sat there. I thought it was going to die like every other time, but it had other things in mind for me.

In spring of 2019 it was the size of a large dinner plate and covered in white flowers. I was so excited. This year, in 2020, it’s about 3′ across. I kind of hope it stops because I have other plants I’d like to grow too, so I might have to start enforcing boundaries.

As you can see, it’s covered in white blooms in mid-May here in East Central Illinois. The foliage has a tinge of sage green, and it’s pretty drought tolerant once established. I do need to give it a drink every once in a while, but the most important thing is not to leave it with wet feet. Drainage is super-important!

It’s planted in a bed with a bunch of Sedum and creeping thyme (you can see ‘Foxley’ in the lower right of this photo), as well as some creeping phlox, dianthus, and a whole bunch of bulbs.