Landscaping Services
What are the Best Plants for Landscaping?
Deciding which plants you need to use for your backyard’s landscape can prove to be a challenge. Beyond choosing the most attractive plants, you also need to consider other factors. For instance, you need to consider the climatic condition of the place you reside in. Additionally, you also need to devote a lot of time and effort for the maintenance. The plants also need to be suitable for exposure conditions like rainy weather, shade, or dry conditions.
Additionally, you also need to know what you want your plants to achieve. Are you looking to add share and privacy to your backyard? Or are you looking for something colorful to attract butterflies, birds, and other fauna? Hence, you need to select the type of landscape that reflects the style of your garden or backyard.
What are the best plants for landscaping?
If you are looking for the best plants for landscaping, you can easily consider these easy-to-grow perennials, trees, and shrubs:
- Barberry
Barberry is a deciduous shrub; it is deer-resistant and has thorny stems, which makes it a perfect foundation plant for increasing home security. If established, the shrub is also drought-tolerant. Some varieties like the Sunjoy Tangelo are known for their bright orange growth that turns chartreuse on the margins of the leaf when the seasons change.
However, some barberries are invasive and are not allowed to be grown in some states/countries. Hence, you need to check with your local extension service office before deciding to grow the plant.
For the best foliage color, you need to plant the barberry shrubs in part- or full sun. The soil needs to be well-drained and moist. You can shape the plant in summer and fertilize them in spring. After the first frost, mulch heavily and pull the mulch back in spring.
- Smoke tree
Smoke trees are small trees, or also considered as large deciduous shrubs. The leaves are reddish-purple and turn scarlet in the fall. Additionally, the smoky-purple and airy seed clusters beautify the plants further. One of the most favorite varieties is the Royal Purple.
Smoke trees thrive in full-sun conditions. Additionally, the soil needs to be drained easily. These plants can reach the height of more than 15-feet and grow as wide as 12-feet. The best time to plant them is in spring or early fall. You also need to apply extra mulch as soon as the first hard frost melts and pull it back in spring. For dry spells, provide extra water.
- Peony
Peony is a very fragrant herbaceous flower that is deciduous and grows mostly in spring. The most common type is the double-pink varieties known as the Sarah Bernhardt; it is popular as a specimen plant and in mixed borders.
The best time to plant peonies in spring or fall; they may also need the morning sun and afternoon shade if you live in regions with hot summer seasons. For cold seasons, you need to plant the peonies two-inch deep one-inch deep in warmer climates.
The soil needs to be well-drained and mixed with organic materials like compost. All you need to do is add some fertilizer on the planting and then top-dress it with compost once a year.
Peonies vary in sizes; you will find some that can reach as high as 36 inches. Once the plant dies, it falls to the ground. You can cut any remaining plant parts to the ground and discard them.
- Hawthorn
Hawthorns are plants that are native to the US. The leaves turn from purple to red in winters, followed by orange-red fruits and white spring flowers. One of the most popular hawthorns is the Winter King, which is a deciduous, upright tree. Despite its name, the tree does not consist of a lot of thorns.
The plant thrives well in full-sun conditions and the soil needs to be well-drained. The plant is also tolerant of drought, light shade, and urban pollution. Under optimum conditions, the plant can grow to be as tall as 30-feet high. You need to plant the hawthorn in spring and apply as much mulch as possible, especially after the first hard frost. Provide extra water during the dry seasons.
- Feather reed grass
To add movement and color to the landscape, you can opt for ornamental grasses, specifically the feather reed grass. The Karl Foerster is a great herbaceous grass with feathery and reddish-brown stalks that turn buff to golden-brown in winters.
The ornamental grass needs to be planted in light shade (for hot summer climates) or full sun. The soil needs to be moist and rich. Once the grass is fully developed, it can also tolerate some drought. At best, the grass can grow up to 24-inches. As the winter season ends, you need to cut the foliage to the ground.
- Thornless honeylocust
The thornless honeylocust is a deciduous tree that grows fast and offers dappled shade. One of the best examples is the Shademaster, which has green and fine foliage that turns yellow in the fall. Since the leaves break apart, you do not have to rake the surrounding ground.
The tree can be planted on soil that is well-drained and in full sun. After a healthy growth, the tree becomes tolerant to drought. If needed, you need to prune away the deadwood and any suckers. These trees can grow up to 75-feet tall and mostly planted in spring. The mulching is done after the first frost. For some regions, the planting is done between spring and fall and mulched as soon as the planting is done.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned plants and trees are some of the best flora that you can buy for improving the landscape of your home. Most of these plants only need care during the growing season; once fully developed, they do not require a lot of maintenance. You will just have to water them accordingly and mulch them after the fall. With some hard work, your landscape, whether it is a garden, lawn, or backyard, will look stunningly beautiful!
