Are you one of those who are very keen on the beauty of their property’s landscaping? If yes, you probably know that one of the best landscaping includes healthy greenery. Not only is the sight of flowers in full bloom and bushes with lush leaves life-giving, but it also helps promote biodiversity in an otherwise urbanized space.
Still, you might have had experiences of losing a lovely plant no matter how much tender loving care you gave it. You may wonder where you went wrong until you arrive at the realization that you don’t know your garden plants all that much yet. If you’re in such a predicament, you’re on the right page. Here are the most common landscaping plants and how you should care for them
Evergreens
As the name implies, these plants stay green through all seasons, giving your garden hints of life amid cold autumn and winter months. This makes them a popular landscaping option. Evergreens you may be familiar with have needles instead of leaves, such as pine trees, false cypress, and fir, which are widely used for live Christmas trees. Ideally, needle-leaved trees should be planted in sunny spots and, since they tolerate drought well, watering their roots as often as once a month should suffice.
Evergreens come in other varieties. There are flowering ones such as rhododendrons, gardenia, and azalea. At the same time, there are also fruit or berry-bearing ones such as blue and inkberry holly. In general, evergreen shrubs thrive best in acidic soil. Also, they must be prune in the later parts of spring, especially for flowering ones whose buds should have already by then.
Annuals
Annuals are plants that go through their entire life cycle in one season. That said, they bloom flowers abundantly, and more so if you remove dead ones within a specific period to the delight of any observer. During the same period, annuals ramp up seed production and can sow the seeds themselves for new shrubs to grow the same season the following year.
They come in varieties that tolerate different levels of heat and cold exposures, leaving you an infinite amount of options for every season. Cool-season annuals such as calendula, lobelia, and forget-me-not tend to linger during autumn and early spring. Warm-season ones such as petunia, geranium, and marigold are primarily endemic in tropical and subtropical regions. And so, it’s best to plant them in the late spring for them to bloom just in time for summer.
Biennials
These plants live for as long as two years, the first year growing foliage and flowers the next. Common examples of biennials include hollyhock, California poppy, and pansy. Still, most biennials are vegetable-bearing ones like beets, carrots, and Brussels sprouts, which aren’t exactly ideal for landscaping.
The tough part of caring for biennials is waiting for the second year for them to flower and, in turn, saving their seeds for the next season. Companies with landscape maintenance services are knowledgeable about these. And so, you can entrust them the year-round availability of biennials in your yard.
Perennials
Unlike biennials, perennials can live for more than two years. Perennials like peonies, lavender, and violets bloom only one season a year but, unlike annuals, they have higher chances of blooming even beyond their season, especially if you diligently trim off dead flowers. Roses, perhaps the most popular perennial plant, is notable for their self-seeding nature.
Although some types require pruning, others maintain tidy shrubs, which is why low-maintenance property owners prefer them. Other perennials would require to be divided and replanted elsewhere for them to stay healthy. Also, it is important to place perennials where extreme weather conditions would not kill them.
Deciduous
Deciduous plants are predominantly characterized as being woody. They, like maple trees, are iconic for their red and orange leaves during the autumn. They are supported by a single trunk and can grow well beyond 20 feet. On the other hand, deciduous shrubs like hibiscus, Cornus, and ilex are supported by several stems and tend to grow less than 20 feet. All types shed their leaves off-season.
Deciduous plants thrive in mild climates, some may require a certain level of moisture, but others can do with dryer conditions. To care for them, you have to regularly rid them of dried branches and those growing inward or against other branches. Especially when the colder and drier seasons are approaching, also make sure to remove water-sucking shoots that may dwell on the plants’ branches.
Maintaining your landscaping takes more than just regular pruning and watering. You also have to know what types of plants are suitable for your space. Also, heed the instructions indicated in the description that comes with the plant when you purchase it.
