Year-round Flower Garden Ideas
by
Coco Tree Service Corp
(IC: professional)
Color is easy in the spring and summer, but fall and winter can be more challenging. When picking perennial flowers, keep the foliage in mind since that's what you'll be looking at when the flowers are gone for the season. Pick interesting textured foliage or pick variegated or colored foliage. There are many plants who's branch or foliage become brightly colored in the winter. Yellow or red twig dogwoods or Sango Kaku (coral bark) maples offer intense wither color on their bare branches. When leafless, these plants add color and are sculptural. Many coniferous evergreens can also add winter color. Junipers or Cryptomerias turn purple or orange in cold
weather. The colder it gets, the brighter they become.
Incorporate 'Fall color'. Look for plants that offer many different shaves or red, orange, purple, and yellow as they drop their leaves in the fall. Maples are a good choice.
Pair winter deciduous plants with summer deciduous plants or winter blooming with summer bloom in the same bed. Hellebore is winter blooming and pairs well with summer blooming Astilbe or Hosta.
Plant plants with berries. Pittosporum, rose (rose hips), pyracantha, and cotoneaster all have berries that ripen into bright red or orange in the winter. These berries can also be cut along with evergreen boughs to be used for winter holiday decorations.
The best practices are to look for plants native to your local area, and suited to the microclimate of your particular garden (sun/shade, or wet/dry, soil types, etc.)...these plants will tend to grow vigorously and require the least care.
weather. The colder it gets, the brighter they become.
Incorporate 'Fall color'. Look for plants that offer many different shaves or red, orange, purple, and yellow as they drop their leaves in the fall. Maples are a good choice.
Pair winter deciduous plants with summer deciduous plants or winter blooming with summer bloom in the same bed. Hellebore is winter blooming and pairs well with summer blooming Astilbe or Hosta.
Plant plants with berries. Pittosporum, rose (rose hips), pyracantha, and cotoneaster all have berries that ripen into bright red or orange in the winter. These berries can also be cut along with evergreen boughs to be used for winter holiday decorations.
The best practices are to look for plants native to your local area, and suited to the microclimate of your particular garden (sun/shade, or wet/dry, soil types, etc.)...these plants will tend to grow vigorously and require the least care.
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Published September 6th, 2013 5:52 AM
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2 comments
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Douglas Hunt on Sep 06, 2013Great suggestions (but surprising coming from Miami!).
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Coco Tree Service Corp on Sep 12, 2013Thank you. Just sharing our knowledge for everyone (even if not in Miami) to enjoy.
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
My yard is wooded. It gets tons of leaves. Is there any plant that would grow in an area that gets partial sun?