With the summer weather arriving quickly, many people are looking for fantastic ways to really make their yard shine. One of the ways to do this is to create a beautiful garden or do some Charlotte landscape updates with fresh greenery. Because plants come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles, everyone is able to find plants that can reflect not only the beauty of nature but also their own personal styles.
With endless opportunities, people might be wondering how to showcase everything their yards have to offer. Here are seven easy gardening ideas that everyone should keep in mind.
A Beautiful Summer Border: Purple Fountain Grass and Mealy-Cup Sage
This desirable and long-lasting summer border is fairly easy to replicate in order to be enjoyed at home. Gloriously teaming up with the vertical purple-blue spikes of Salvia farinacea (Mealy-Cup Sage) are the long arching plumes of Pennisetum setaceum (Purple Fountain Grass), which sway gracefully in the summer breeze. Both plants are drought tolerant, deer resistant, require very little care, and have won prestigious awards.
Highly remarkable, Salvia farinacea ‘Evolution’ is the first Salvia farinacea with violet flower spikes. Blooming continuously from late spring to frost, it is also very adaptable. Perfect in a sunny spot in an annual or perennial garden, it can be grown in patio containers or ceramic pots. The deep violet flower spikes can also be cut, dried and used as everlasting flowers for bouquets, decorations, or craft projects.
Add Striking Colors and Graceful Movement: Rubrum
Requiring very little care and providing striking color as well as graceful movement in the garden or patio, Pennisetum setaceum, or ‘Rubrum’, has become a real favorite among gardeners. How can you resist the spectacular, rich burgundy foliage, the exceptionally long, arching crimson plumes or the outstanding contrast provided with the surrounding plants and flowers?
A fast grower, Rubrum typically grows in 3-5 ft tall and 2-4 ft wide rounded mounds. They are topped with soft and fluffy red-burgundy flower plumes on arching stems from mid-summer until frost. Drought tolerant and ignored by deer!
Add Some Structure with an Easy Shrub: Barberry (Sunjoy Tangelo)
Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a thorny shrub that is a great foundation for any garden. Resistant to deer and deciduous in nature, this is a dense shrub that can tolerate drought. Requiring little water and resisting nearby wildlife, planting doesn’t get much easier than this shrub!
For those who are looking to make their yard glow, invest in the Sunjoy Tangelo! It is known for having a bright orange hue when it first blooms. As the season progresses, the leaves turn chartreuse on the edges, bringing a bit of character to every yard!
This beautiful shrub should be planted in a sunny area to take advantage of its beautiful color. This plant will grow to around three to four feet in height. In the summer, it can be easily pruned into whatever shape is desired!
Take Advantage of the Perennial Flower: Peony
When it comes to fragrant spring flowers that are easy to take care of, it is hard to beat the peony. Paeonia lactiflora is a deciduous plant that comes in plenty of color varieties; however, a fan favorite is always the double pink variety. This is a popular option both in plant borders as well as on their own.
These flowers are best planted during the spring or fall. Try to plant them in a sunny area that provides some afternoon shade, particularly in hot areas. Peonies need to have soil that drains well. They bloom best with some compost or organic material. Aside from this, peonies are easy to take care of and will instantly diversify any landscape border!
Don’t Forget Groundcover: Liriope muscari
Anyone who is looking to add some groundcover will want to check out the liriope. Liriope muscari is a groundcover that feels like a clump; however, it has foliage that resembles grass. Furthermore, it produces gorgeous, blue-violet flowers during the summer. The Big Blue variety is one of the most popular because of the instant contrast between the green and blue, which works well together.
One of the major advantages of this plant is that it stays evergreen during mild winters. This makes it incredibly useful both as a border and as groundcover. It is particularly useful for those who live on slopes that might be hard to mow.
This plant should be placed in partially shaded areas with fertile soil that drains well. It does not require much water and local animals usually leave it alone. Be sure to remove the brown tips during the winter. This is one of the easiest plants to care for.
Ornamental Grass Options: Feather Reed Grass
For those looking to complete a beautiful Charlotte landscaping project that is easy to create and care for, how about adding some ornamental grass? This is where Feather Reed Grass shines. Calamagrosits acutiflora is an herbaceous grass that comes with feathery stalks that blend both red and brown. During the fall, the colors shift to a golden-brown.
This grass species will blend well with just about any landscaping project. The brown and red colors work well with blues, greens, and oranges. They even blend well with pink and yellow flowers. Feather Reed Grass should be planted in a sunny area. It does require moist soil; however, once planted, it tolerates drought well. It grows to around two feet high; however, the stalks can get as high as six feet.
Finish With the Easy Shrub: Juniper
In the eyes of many, the easiest shrub to plant and care for is the juniper shrub. Juniperus horizontalis is an evergreen shrub that has gorgeous light green foliage that will work well with nearly any landscaping project. Furthermore, when the temperatures fall, the colors shift to a gorgeous orange tone that fits perfectly with the changing weather.
These junipers should be planted in soil that drains well. While fertilizer helps, it isn’t completely necessary if the soil is strong. This makes them easy to maintain. These shrubs reach about one to two feet in height; however, they will spread out several feet. This means that people don’t need to plant many of them to finish off their project.
Planting and Landscaping Made Easy
For those who are looking for easy plants to grow in your backyard, it doesn’t get much easier than this! With plants that are easy to maintain, nearly any backyard landscaping vision can come to life!
If you want to make things even easier, contact MetroGreenscape. Our landscaping and lawn care professions can help you develop a custom landscape design that’s beautiful and easy to care for. We’ll do all the hard work, including planting the flowers, shrubs, trees, and grasses you choose.
