In 2015, PEC finished the renovation and expansion of our historic headquarters office, which was built in 1784 in Warrenton, Virginia. As part of the vision for a more sustainable building, we began extensive restoration work on the office grounds.
“Once we completed the building addition, I was anxious to see PEC keep up the momentum and continue with the landscaping. We made such an effort to have the building reflect the organization’s values — from the reuse of an old building, geothermal HVAC system, solar panels, state-of-the art windows and insulation — it was important the landscaping also make a statement that was in keeping with our programmatic goals.” -Douglas C. Larson
Doug Larson, former vice president of PEC
As of summer 2018, the garden is largely complete, and we are proud to name it in honor of Doug Larson. Doug is a former vice president of PEC, and served in that capacity for 16 years before his retirement in 2016. Thanks to Doug’s passion for natives and dedication to the organization, Piedmont residents have a site that they can visit that demonstrates how native plants can be used in an urban and suburban landscape.
The Design
Since native plants are supposed to be a part of our local landscape, they use less and provide more. They also provide food and shelter to local wildlife, which helps build a stronger ecosystem.
The primary design was provided by PEC’s own Dan Holmes, director of state policy, who has a background in horticulture and a masters in landscape design. Celia Vuocolo, PEC’s habitat and stewardship specialist, was responsible for selecting the perennials and designing the pollinator garden.
Plant List
Anise hyssop | Agastache foeniculum | Jul-Aug | |
Nodding onion | Allium cernuum | Jun-Aug | |
Field pussytoes | Antennaria neglecta | Apr-June | |
Wild ginger | Asarum canadense | Apr-June | |
Swamp milkweed | Asclepias incarnata | Jun-Oct | |
Common milkweed | Asclepias syriaca | Jun-Aug | |
False yellow indigo | Baptisia sphereocarpa | May-June | |
Blue wood sedge | Carex flaccosperma | ||
Fringe tree | Chionanthus virginicus | Apr-May | |
Summersweet | Clethra alnifolia | Jul-Aug | |
Mistflower | Conoclinium coelestinum | Jul-Nov | |
Flowering dogwood | Cornus florida | Mar-May | |
Poverty oat grass | Danthonia spicata | May-July | |
Rattlesnake master | Eryngium yuccafolium | May-Aug | |
Fothergilla | Mt. Airy | Fothergilla | Apr-May |
Wild hydrangea | Annabelle | Hydrangea arborescens | Jun-Aug |
Allegheny stonecrop | Hylotelephium telephoides | Aug-Sep | |
Shrubby St. Johns wort | Hypericum prolificum | Jun-Aug | |
American holly | Miss Helen | Ilex opaca | Apr-June |
Sweetspire | Little Henry | Itea virginica | Apr-June |
Dwarf liatris | Liatris microcephala | Jul-Oct | |
Prairie blazing star | Liatris pycnostachia | Aug-Dec | |
Wild bergamot | Monarda fistulosa | May-Sep | |
Pink muhly grass | Muhlenbergia capillaris | ||
Switchgrass | Northwind | Panicum virgatum | |
Wild quinine | Parthenium integrifolium | Jun-July | |
Small's penstemon | Penstemon smallii | Apr-June | |
Beardtongue | Husker Red | Penstemon digitalis | May-June |
Threadleaf mountain mint | Pycnanthemum tenuifolium | Jun-Sep | |
Moss phlox | Phlox subulata | Mar-June | |
Lyreleaf sage | Purple Knockout | Salvia lyrata | Apr-June |
Three-leaved stonecrop | Sedum ternatum | Apr-June | |
American senna | Cassia hebercarpa | Jul-Aug | |
Little bluestem | Standing Ovation | Schizachyrium scoparium | |
Blue eyed grass | Lucerne | Sisyrinchium angustifolium | Mar-July |
Sweet goldenrod | Solidago odora | Jul-Oct | |
Dwarf goldenrod | Golden Fleece | Solidago sphacelata | Jul-Oct |
Heath aster | Snow Flurries | Symphyotrichum ericoides | Aug-Oct |
Smooth aster | Bluebird | Symphyotrichum laevis | Aug-Oct |
Wild blueberry | Duke | Vaccinium corymbosum | May-June |
Ironweed | Iron Butterfly | Vernonia lettermannii | Jul-Aug |
Culver's root | Veronicastrum virginicum | Jul-Sep | |
Appalachian barren strawberry | Geum waldsteinia | Apr-June | |
Kentucky coffeetree | Gymnocladus dioicus | ||
Ear leaved tickseed | Nana | Coreopsis auriculata | May-June |
Threadleaf coreopsis | Coreopsis verticillata | Jun-Sept | |
American alumroot | Heuchera americana | Jun-Aug | |
Swamp white oak | Quercus bicolor | ||
Eastern bluestar | Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia | May-June | |
Prairie dropseed | Sporobolus heterolepis | ||
Blue false indigo | Baptisia australis | May | |
Aromatic aster | October Skies | Symphiotrichum oblongifolium | Sept-Nov |
Aromatic aster | Raydon's Favorite | Symphiotrichum oblongifolium | Sept-Nov |
Plant materials from: Grelen Nursery, Hill House Farm and Nursery, Piedmont Nursery & The Natural Garden.
Contractors: Ironwood Outdoors, Brent’s Native Plantings, Cedar Hill Services, LLC, Aptitude Tree Service.