DaisyLover27
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:54 pm
Location: Bowling Green

What should I plant?

Hello. I just recently moved into a new home, and I need some advice on what plants, shrubs or flowers would be good to plant. I really enjoy color, but I do not want somthing high maintnece that is going to require a lot of work. Right now the only thing I recognize planted is a few holly bushes, a rose bush/plant, and some bush looking thing with big huge light purple flowers that only stayed bloomed for a short period of time. There is also some monkey grass. I want to completly redo it, it looks terrible, in my opion. This area is right in front of the house, and so it gets strong direct sunlight pretty much all day. Also, should I use weed paper when I start this landscaping? I have no experience with plants! Any help would be great!

Thanks.

bullthistle
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Posts: 1152
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:26 am
Location: North Carolina

The purple flowers could be rhododendron. Liriope can be a chore to remove unless you dig down deep to get all the runners, but it's a good groundcover. You might want to contain it though if you want perennials because they will overtake. Weed barrier is okay around the woody plants but not in the perennial beds, if you want them to spread. Might consider bulbs in the fall. A good layer of mulch, say 3" should keep most of the weeds down. Daylilies bloom in the summer, Iris in the spring, it just depends what you seek. You might want to go to perennials.com to find the color of blooms you are seeking and the time of year.

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rainbowgardener
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Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Agree with bull thistle that bulbs are one easy way to create a constant show of color. Start with crocus in early spring, then daffodils and tulips, then iris, then daylilies. All of them come in a variety of brilliant colors and once planted are pretty low maintenance (some tulips tend to die out and have to be replanted, all the rest will just multiply).

To fill in with perennials here's a selection of hardy, low maintenance, long blooming colorful perennials: gaillardia (blanket flower), gayfeather, coreopsis (tickseed), lavender, coneflowers, black eyed susan, perennial salvia.

Think about things with colorful foliage. Even long-blooming perennials are only in bloom (ie colorful) part of the season. Colorful foliage provides color all season long. Coral bells (heuchera) and penstemon are a couple that come in a variety of beautiful foliage colors.

For the end of the season, mums, asters, fall crocus.

Also if you really want full-time color, it helps to fill in around the edges with some annuals. Marigolds and petunias are cheap to buy as bedding plants and they just pump out color all season long....



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