If  you refer to Nies' design above, you see the use of plugs to create a more naturalized planting with grasses in the foreground of this picture (Little Blue Stem or   Schizachyrium schoparium ).  A native grass that is drought tolerant and beautiful in every season, it will eventually fill in the mulched area, reducing the need for mulch and giving visual appeal all year (the grasses can be left through winter for interest, cutting back in late spring). In front of the grass (not seen in picture) is a groundcover called Green and Gold, or   Chrysogonum virginianum var. Australe  .   For seasonal theme, the Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum' is behind the grasses.
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