Learning how to choose the best plants for your yard can take your home’s exterior to the next level. Finding the right plants means looking for ones that are beautiful, grow easily, and don’t require too much maintenance. Unfortunately, if you’ve never spent any time putting plants in your yard, it can be difficult to find the right plants based on your needs.
If you’re someone without a green thumb, you’ll want plants that don’t require much work. However, if you’re someone who enjoys spending time in the garden, then you might want beautiful plants worth the effort. You’ll also have to take into account the location of the plants.
Here’s how to choose the best plants for your yard.
Decide On Colors
You can buy any color plants and flowers you want for your yard, but if you don’t have some sort of plan for colors, you can make your home’s exterior look cluttered and unplanned. Before going out and purchasing any plants, sit down and make a plan for your yard, including the colors of the plants and where they need to be planted to look their best.
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Try not to go overboard; instead, stick to a maximum of three different colors in one area of your yard. You can also choose to use fewer colors if you like a monochrome design for your yard.
Use Multiple Sizes, Shapes, And Textures
If you want to take your landscaping to the next level, try to mix sizes, shapes, and textures as often as possible. Tall, thin plants can fill in spaces between shorter and rounded bushes. Plants with thin leaves, such as tall grasses, look best with plants that have broad leaves.
While you’re at the garden store, experiment with different types of plants before you purchase them. You can carry plants around and put them next together. Once you find a design you like, snap a picture with your phone so you can remember what you were thinking when you get home and start working in your yard.
Consider Climate
Your garden likely won’t be flowering year-found, but you should still be able to see it year-round based on the climate you live in and the seasons. Consider the bloom time of your plants so you can find varieties that bloom in different seasons. By always having a flower in bloom, you can ensure your yard always looks beautiful.
Consider Sun Position
Before you can start planting, you should know where the sun hits your yard. Always plant flowers and other plants that require the most sunlight where the sun hits your yard for longer periods. Other plants might not need too much sunlight, so you can plant those in the shade. Use plants that need the amount of sunlight your yard offers.
Without paying attention to the level of sunlight a plant needs, you could be setting yourself up for dead plants in a matter of time. As a general guide, shade plants only require up to four hours of sunlight per day, part shade plants require at least four hours but no more than six, and full sun plants need more than six hours of sunlight every day.
Consider Mature Size
Depending on the type of plants you get, you may think that their size when you purchase them is perfect for your lawn. However, many plants have a mature size that’s much larger than the size you purchase at the store. Plants that are too big for your space are a common problem since it’s easy to assume the plant you purchase at the store will stay the same size.
Remember, plants grow once they’re put in the ground, so do your research to learn about mature sizes before you begin planting and make sure each plant has a good distance between the other so the roots can grow to their fullest extent.
Consider Maintenance
Some plants are low maintenance, which means they require very little work to look great. Trees, for example, may only require a little trimming every few years. However, some plants, especially flowers, might require more maintenance.
For example, roses need to be pruned regularly to stay healthy while echinacea self-seeds and takes care of itself as long as it’s getting enough water and light. Finally, consider if your chosen plants will affect your pest control needs to avoid unwanted bugs in your home.
Moisture
The moisture level of your lawn can impact the different types of plants that can thrive there. Of course, you can always water a garden to add moisture, but you can’t get rid of moisture that’s in the ground. If you have a soggy yard, plants won’t be able to thrive, and many of them will die. So choose your plants carefully depending on the type of lawn and soil you have to ensure your garden is beautiful no matter what.
Additionally, if you live in the desert, you’ll want to use only plants that can thrive in low humidity and moisture in your yard. Anything else will die unless you water it properly each day, which is just too difficult for a typical homeowner.
Use Perennials
Perennial flowers, shrubs, and trees are great additions to any yard because they grow each year. Perennials only have to be planted once, and they will continue to grow as long as they are properly taken care of. On the other hand, annuals have to be replanted every year. Perennials are the way to go if you don’t want to put that much maintenance into your yard.
You’ll never have replanted perennials unless they die, in which case you can just start over. While your plants may look dead in the winter, they’ll come back each spring, so you’ll have something beautiful to look at year after year.
Consider The Purpose Of Plants
Plants have many functions. For example, the smell of lavender can reduce anxiety in pets and people. However, lavender is poisonous to pets, so it’s not a good idea to grow it in your yard if your pet might eat it. You should also choose plants that are non-toxic to animals if you want your yard to be safe for pets and critters outside.
If you want to have a functional yard, you can consider planting a garden so you can start growing your food, living green, and saving a few bucks at the grocery store. If you’ve never had a garden before, consider starting with a few tomato plants before moving on to carrots and other vegetables.
Author Bio: Marné Amoguis holds a B.A. in International Business from UC San Diego. She is a contributing writer at 365businesstips.com where she loves sharing her passion for digital marketing. Outside of writing, she loves traveling, playing music, and hiking.