Find Plants for My Garden: The Right Plants for My Backyard

Find Plants for My Garden: The Right Plants for My Backyard

 

Starting and maintaining your very own backyard garden may sound difficult and intimidating. However, preparation and dedication are more than enough to have a thriving backyard paradise. In this article, I will give my experience on how to select plants for landscaping, choosing the best from contemporary planting ideas, and the different styles of garden fencing. Ultimately, I will do my best to answer the most important question in backyard gardening: “What should I grow in my garden?”

 

 

 

Things to Consider in Backyard Gardening

We start by looking into the three things to take note of when planting in your backyard. Research shows that there are a number of factors that you need to consider. However, I limited it all to three key points needed to get a thriving backyard garden.

 

Know the Different Garden Styles

Different garden styles in landscape design will always be the first and undoubtedly very important thing to keep in mind. Before starting your backyard endeavors, you need to choose or decide on what type of garden style will fit. By fit, I mean which of the different garden styles will satisfy your vision for your garden and is actually possible to do.

You need to consider the amount of space you are working with. The amount of space will actually help in narrowing down the possible choices of different garden styles. The different garden styles also really helped me to find plants for my garden.

 

Different Styles of Garden Fencing

Fencing provides both protection and style for your garden. It can give a clear boundary between the different plants in your garden. The picket walls help protect your garden against strong winds and unwanted and pesky visitors.

 

 

Maintenance and Effort Needed

Having a garden will involve a lot of maintenance and effort. Besides the constant watering and vigilance against pests or pesky animals, you need to provide fertilizer and other needs. Though it is worth mentioning that you can also get a hydroponic system working. Hydroponic systems need more effort in setting up but will need less maintenance overall.

 

 

Know What You Actually Want

Lastly, this is the most important thing to consider in backyard gardening. You need to properly do your research on how to select plants for landscaping. Choosing your plants, contemporary planting ideas and the different styles of garden fencing will not only make your backyard gardening easier but also fun and exciting.

 

 

Three Different Types of Garden Styles

You have probably done a bit of research already or heard of a few different types of garden styles. You should somehow be able to answer “how to find plants for my garden”. However, there are actually a lot of choices or options available. Though you should never be afraid to mix and match as you see fit since everyone has their own preferences. Here are the three general different types of garden styles.

 

 

Traditional Garden Style

The first style focuses on both symmetry and balance. It is one of the contemporary planting ideas that have a formal setting with very strong and bold architectural features. It will have well-trimmed lawns and hedges, along with framed views of benches, statues, or fountains. The walkways should be perfectly trimmed and edged.

There are numerous versions of traditional garden styles. However, they usually share dominance of the color green. Most traditional garden styles are mostly green lawn spaces, trees, and shrubs. You can find a few splashes of red or pink from flowers, but these will only serve as accent colors.

 

 

Elements of Traditional Gardens

• Symmetry and balance from having the same choice of plants.
• Bold geometric lines and forms.
• Clean and uncluttered expanses of green lawns.

 

 

Modern Garden Style 

Different from the traditional style, modern garden styles are asymmetrical or oftentimes interlocking in design. This is one of the different types of garden styles that typically suit commercial property and contemporary looks. It means that these designs are commonly seen in both commercial and residential properties since they are clean and minimalistic.

When thinking of how to select plants for landscaping, a lot of people prefer modern garden styles when choosing different garden styles in landscape design. The popularity comes from the free-flowing spaces, sharp and clean lines, and the general absence of decorative ornaments. You need to be aware and mindful of scales and proportions regarding these spaces as well.

Elements of Modern Gardens

• Use of versatile and inexpensive materials.
• It generally has monochromatic colors like gray in concrete or bold colors for contrast.
• The designs include metals for clean lines and well-defined geometric shapes.

 

New Perennial Garden Style

Lastly, perennial gardens are often known as “enduring” or long-lasting naturalistic gardens. This garden style uses a combination of early-season blooming plants with mid and late-season bloomers. The choice of plants results in a long-lasting display.

It is one of the contemporary planting ideas that aim to give off a naturalistic look. The key point of the style is plant choice. You need to also choose robust or hardy shrubs for landscaping.

 

New Perennial Garden Style

• The scaling of plants is larger than the other gardening styles.
• The emphasis is on plant choice, lasting form, and the overall structure of the garden.
• The clusters of plants will easily give off warm, but modern vibes.

What Should I Grow in my Garden?

Before answering “how to find plants for my garden” or “how to pick plants for landscaping”, you need to note the styles mentioned earlier. Although it will not hurt to research even more. There are numerous choices and combinations out there. You should never forget though that there are no rules really when it comes to planting choices.

Regarding how to select plants for landscaping, it all boils down really to personal preference. However, people often go with the suggested plants based on the different types of garden styles. Here are five of the best ones for me which you can put in any of the three styles.

 

Peonies

Back when I looked for what to grow in my garden, I stumbled upon peonies. They are simple to cultivate and keep with little effort. Peonies can be positioned anywhere between two and four feet apart, depending on the intended appearance. The peony, however, is more than just a beautiful flower that can withstand the test of time. It is also rich with symbolism.

I was also trying to find plants for my garden during spring and found peonies to be perfect. They bloom in late spring or early summer, dazzling those who see them with their magnificent flower show. Peony flowers are a springtime classic and a favorite decorative flower. It is typically offered on important occasions as a gesture of goodwill, best wishes, and delight. Lastly, it generally indicates love, dignity, happiness, riches, passion, and grace.

Plant peonies in places with direct sunlight and rich yet well-drained soil. Planting these often-expensive plants in damp soil is a bad idea. Peonies, unlike annuals, require 3 to 4 years to become a well-established flowering plant. If flowers appear in the first year, they may be smaller and of a different shape or color than those seen in a mature planting.

 

 

Lavender

What should I grow in my garden? Lavender! It has a purple color. It symbolizes the color of royalty and also represents elegance, refinement, and richness. Its flower and oil have a pleasant aroma and medicinal value. Lavender includes oil that appears to have relaxing properties that can relax specific muscles. It also shows antibacterial and antifungal properties.

I also tried to find plants for my garden that will bloom throughout the year. I found lavender to fit the bill. It may be grown in a variety of ways to boost its longevity. It may live in home gardens for up to 15 years. Some even bloom consistently throughout the spring and summer. Depending on where you live, you can enjoy Lavender flowers in your garden virtually all year.

Lavender grows slowly and might require one to three months to achieve transplanting size. Soil preparation, soil supplements, drainage, trimming, winter protection, and correct harvesting can result in a lavender hedge that can last a lifetime. You also need to maintain a wet soil mix while allowing for excellent air circulation to help minimize disease outbreaks.

 

 

Aeonium

Aeonium, often known as saucer plant, is a succulent evergreen subshrub in the orpine family that grows to be about 2 feet tall. It is indigenous to the Canary Islands. As another fantastic plant for the modern garden design, this succulent has squishy leaves and a geometric form. It represents eternal and timeless love since they are hardy plants that retain water in their thick leaves and stalks.

 

 

Before, when trying to find plants for my garden, aeoniums were a wonderful fit. They are hardy plants that can endure cold and thrive in conditions ranging from full sun to light shade. Lastly, they fall dormant under extremely hot and dry weather.

 

 

 

Rose: Roald Dahl

The ‘Roald Dahl’ is a free-flowering rose with peach-colored flowers that are moderately sized when open and produced practically regularly. It has a delightful medium-intensity tea aroma. It also has a beautiful bushy shrub with little thorns.

‘Roald Dahl’ roses are regarded as breakthrough roses due to its excellent levels of resistance to disease and a speedy recurring bloom. Initial testing indicate that it should flourish in a wide variety of diverse growing environments in the United States and Canada. It flowers from late spring to mid-autumn. When matured, this free-flowering rose creates a rounded, dense shrub with very few thorns and semi-green leaves.

Plant in wet, but free-draining soil in full sun. Plant from November to May for the best results. It’s a wonderful rose and the blossoms are plentiful. The stems clump up well and hold the roses in place very wonderfully.

 

Golden Japanese Forest Grass

Lastly, when thinking of what should I grow in my garden, try out the Golden Japanese Forest Grass. It is a low-growing shade-tolerant mounding grass that can be used as a ground cover in your modern garden. It is an attractive, graceful plant that grows slowly and is not invasive. Best planted under full shade and when sunlight hits, they will fade the yellow leaf blades to a whitish color.

The leaves get a pinkish color on their edges as fall arrives. This change increases its appeal for many people. It is also an excellent spreading ornamental grass for use as an understory or ground cover in gloomy regions or as a focal point in woodland gardens. Lastly, it is one of the easiest to grow and maintain plants.

 

Bonus: Hardy Shrubs for Landscaping

When thinking of how to select plants for landscaping, you need to consider hardy shrubs. Aside from contemporary planting ideas, you also need to carefully choose your plants. I’ve already given the different garden styles in landscape design. Here are for me, the best hardy shrubs for landscaping.

 

Azalea

What should I grow in my garden? Azaleas! They thrive in full sun or partial shade (around three or four hours of sun). Grown in full light, it will be denser with a significant amount of flowers. Despite their notoriety for being difficult to cultivate, these magnificent shrubs are simple to grow if you grasp their fundamental requirements.

You may cultivate beautiful azaleas of your own by selecting the ideal azaleas for your house and carefully caring for them. Spring and fall would be the best time to plant Azaleas. You should plant them in a place with both a sufficient amount of sunlight and an afternoon shade. Gently tap firmly on the ground where you planted it and water thoroughly.

 

 

Lilac

What flowers attract dragonflies? Lilacs! They are also sturdy, simple to cultivate, and require little care. Lilac has a delicate violet tint that represents the typical hue of most lilac blooms. It’s also known to have a dark mauve or light blue tone. They represent spring and rejuvenation.

Although, they also have varied connotations in different civilizations. White lilacs indicate purity and innocence. Purple lilacs reflect devotion and piety. Magenta lilacs represent love and passion.

Lavender and lilac are purple and violet hues, respectively. Similar to each other, many people get these two colors mixed up. The primary color distinction between lavender and lilac is that the former has a faint purple with a bluish tint, whereas the latter has a light purple with a rosy tinge.

 

 

In Summary, To Find Plants for My Garden

Again, as mentioned before, there are no hard or strict rules regarding the different styles in gardening. Personally, the best garden is the one that you actually love having. This choice can be limited to just the aesthetics of the garden, the ease of maintenance or even its ability to seemingly stay in perpetual bloom. A lot of breathtaking options and combinations come from experimentation. Just make sure you do your due diligence in researching specific requirements and you’ll have a thriving garden in no time.

 

 

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