Solomon’s Seal (genus Polygonatum), especially Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’), native Solomon’s Seal and Giant Solomon’s Seal). Rhizomatous, lankily arching, and elegant like the curves in paisley.
The variegated version lives in miserable conditions along the garage. Dry, dark, abandoned. Does it distract from the concrete foundation? Maybe not, but lie to me and make me feel better. (I’m probably the only distracted person. Everyone else is probably like, ‘ew, her house has a foundation’ and I’m walking past swooning.)
Two feet high, white, teardrop-shaped flowers in spring, good healthy color all summer long, drought resistant. In the fall a soft, ghostly yellow maintaining the same form until the first hard frost.
Non-native but not invasive, it’s not overly interesting to most of the pollinators, although I do see them visit. The opposite side of the path by the garage is a slope in full sun and host to goldenrods, asters, Amsonia, butterfly weed, mayapples, and many other pollinator supporters. I should add some more things on the sunny side to feed the bumblebees in the early spring. It faces south and warms early in spring. We leave the leaves along the base of the slope so the fall bumblebees over-winter there thanks to the fall abundance, and also wake up early.