Four Seasons of Garden Plants
Choose vegetables and herbs your family members enjoy eating. Think about growing vegetables that do well in shade, such as spinach and kale.
Learn the difference between plants belonging to the same family by knowing their botanical names. Knowing their life cycle will aid you in planning and caring for your garden.
Small Ornamental Trees
Trees can add a sense scale to your garden, and provide visual interest all year round with their vibrant spring blooms leaves, autumn foliage, berries or seeds. They can also be used to provide privacy and shade to a patio or entranceway. Ornamental trees work well for creating a focal point. They can also be planted in small groups to form an intimate grove, or as part of an ornamental shrub and flower border. You can purchase smaller ornamental trees that have been pruned into tree form in nurseries, or buy them as bare-root. Viburnums, winged Euonymus, and late lilacs are large plants which can be cut down to small ornamental trees.
If you have a garden that is in an area that is sunny and hot with well-drained ground, flowering trees will attract butterflies and other pollinators. Crape myrtle, as an example (Lagerstroemia Indica) is a southern favorite due to its long blooming time in pinks and violets from summer to fall. Its leaves turn red and yellow in the fall and it has attractive exfoliating bark in winter. This plant is hardy in zones 5 through 9.
The heptacodium or the seven-sons tree can withstand full sun and produces tiny white flowers from the late summer and early autumn. It's an excellent option to add height to an uninspiring deck and is drought tolerant once established. This plant is hardy from USDA zones 5 to 9.
In shadier areas in shadier areas, the golden Irish yew (Chamaecyparis tricarpa) can add a splash of color to shady corners of the garden thanks to its blue-green to green leaves. It grows slowly is tolerant of pruning, and can thrive in full sun or partial shadow. The narrow, fastigiate habit of this plant makes it an ideal solution for planting in tight areas.
Flowering Vines
Flowersing vines can be annuals for one season or perennial plants that provide some color to the landscape over many years. Many of these plants need a sturdy trellis or other support to climb. However, a few can simply sprawl across the ground. They are able to quickly fill the vertical spaces creating beauty and a sense of interest to a garden. Vines are available in a wide variety of colors and bloom times, and are suitable for every USDA Hardiness Zone. There are also many different varieties of climbing vines, from clinging or woody varieties, like English ivy, to non-woody or herbaceous varieties, like morning glory and nasturtium.
The flowering vines are accentuated by a few types of flowers. The black-eyed Susan vine produces scores of bright yellow, orange or white flowers with dark centers. This fast-growing annual is a good option for a sunny trellis and is great for containers too. It's also a favorite for hanging baskets where it can twist around the supports.
Try clematis if you want something more durable than the black-eyed Susan. This popular perennial comes in a variety of shades including shades of pink, yellow, white and apricot. Certain clematis like Duchess Edinburgh and Josephine have large, fragrant flowers that appear in the early spring. Others, like Sweet Autumn, bloom all summer and autumn.
Carolina jessamine is another evergreen flowering vine. This native to the southern United States is a lovely choice for a garden or a container with its golden yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers. It will reach towering heights with the proper support and if it is not cut back. This makes it a great plant to shade views, or for an area that is shaded in a garden.
Container Plants
Container plants can instantly add colour to your garden without the burden of planting plants in raised beds or on the ground. They can also serve as a focal point at the entrance of a home. They are also a great way to grow herbs, flowers or vegetables at eye-level to make it easy to pick and cook. Containers can be anything including barrels (even wooden half-barrels) and baskets, buckets containers, window troughs, boxes and even bath tubs or urns.
Knowing your plants and giving them the right amount of attention is essential to an effective container garden. Watering plants in containers more frequently is important since they dry out quicker than plants that are planted in the ground. Morning watering is the best time to water, as this gives them enough moisture to last the hotter midday hours and prevents dampness on leaves at night that promotes diseases.
For containers, look for trailing plants with vibrant flowers or interesting foliage. Coleus is a great option for pots. It is available in a variety of forms and colors, including dark green and variegated. Another option that is vibrant is the Ivy-flowered Geranium. It's a classic flowering plant that can be grown in sunny containers and it's self-cleaning, so you don't have to deadhead.
If you're looking for a taller potted outdoor plant, you can try Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica and cvs., Zones 6-8). It blooms in spring and summer with stunning pink white, salmon-pink, or red flowers. A container of this deer-resistant shrub will transform a space in shade or sun. Papyrus is also a fantastic filler for large containers, and its tufts with brightly colored leaves look gorgeous draped over the sides. Golden creeping Jenny is a different option (Lysimachia numularia 'Aurea', Zones 4-8). It's a great trailing plant that looks stunning in containers that have brighter light. The yellow, coin-shaped foliage blends well with all shades.
Mid-Sized Trees
There is room in the garden for flowers that don't attain heights that are imposing. These beautiful trees provide interest throughout the year and give visual texture and form to a garden. Their flowers, colors, and scents also help bring the garden to life. These tiny trees are ideal for filling in a smaller garden, in front of the garden or as a focal point.
Crape myrtles are an iconic example of this type of flowering tree. Plant breeders have created a wide range of colors, ranging from the lilac-purple flowers of Muskogee crapemyrtle, the hot pinks and deep reds in Dynamite crapemyrtles, as well as the beautiful whites of Natchez crapemyrtles. These trees are fast-growing and bloom all summer. They can last for 40 years with proper care.
Another stunning deciduous flowering plant is serviceberry (Melancholia x lucida). This native tree is adorned with stunning white flowers in spring. They are followed by delicious dark blue berries, and finely toothed leaves. It also has a red and yellow fall colour as well as a light-brown winter bark. It is easy to grow Serviceberry in full sun and in well-drained soil. Once established, it will be drought-resistant.
If you are looking for a small evergreen tree, you should consider swamp white oak. This fast-growing tree is disease-free and grows in wetlands, areas where other trees cannot adapt. It will even tolerate some flooding and is a great option for wet areas where other trees can drown. It can eventually grow to 50-60 feet with the form of a rounded head. It is a great option for clay and soils that are wet. vegetable gardens is also drought-resistant once established and resists air pollution.
Light Requirements
There are mentions of "full shade," "partial shade" and even "part sun" on plant tags. These terms are not always specified in a clear manner. Plants that require full sun need at least of 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. The sun's rays reach their peak between 10 am and 4 pm, therefore plants that are full sun must be protected from the brutal afternoon sun.
Most fruiting and vegetable vegetables require full sun, however a few will tolerate light shade. The same applies to leafy green vegetables. However, it could take longer for these crops to mature and produce when they are growing in shaded locations.
Partial sun is a term used to describe garden areas which receive between three and six hours of direct sun each day. The rest of the day the areas are moderately shaded or have diffused light from the trees and leaf shadows. The ideal partial sun/partial shade location is on the east side of your home. This will provide shade in the early afternoon and cool morning sun for sun-loving plants such as rhododendrons and azaleas.
Full shade refers to very dark locations that seldom get direct sunlight. These locations may be covered by tall evergreens, overhanging structures or simply enclosed passageways and gardens between houses. These areas are difficult to grow in as a result of the competition for moisture with tree roots and the lack of sunlight. If you find a flower or vegetable that does not thrive in this type of shade move it to another area and add more water as needed. The most reliable shade-producing plants include Astilbe and golden Hakone grass goatsbeard, goatsbeard and a range of ferns.