FLOWERS FOR LANDSCAPING

Flower brings colour and texture to a landscape design, it makes the scene more welcoming. The entrance can be adorned with assorted annuals and perennials to keep colour year long. When landscaping a flower bed, the design and features should complement the other landscaping characteristics in the outdoor space, and use plants that grow well in the areas. A flower bed can take many shapes and can incorporate everything from small annual flowers to large heirloom shrubs. If colour variation is desired, choose from complementary colours or contrasting colours. Flowers with different blooming times can be selected in order to have flowers in bloom throughout the growing season.

Annuals are plants that grow, flower, set seed and die in a year. Empty spaces in flower beds can be easily filled with annual flowers, they also make great additions to container gardens. Annuals may not come back year after year, but you cannot beat them for shear flower power. When annual flowers grow in shade, it will fill even the shadiest corner with plenty of colour. However, for any garden, there are dozens of annuals that might work for particular sun or shade situations, soil conditions, and colour or plant preferences.

Perennials are plants with a three or more year life span, they are the foundation of the garden. Perennials offer tremendous diverse colours, form, bloom time, size, texture, foliage, light, soil requirements and fragrance. Perennials typically grow structures through a form of vegetative reproduction rather than seeding. These structures include bulbs, tubers, woody crowns and rhizomes. They have specialised stems which allow them to survive over wet or dry seasons during the year. Perennial plants have deep, extensive root systems that can hold soil to prevent erosion, capture dissolved nitrogen before it can contaminate ground or surface water, and out-compete weeds (reducing the need for herbicides).

What type of flowers do you prefer?