Ornamental plants For Design and Color

The most unusual and decorative plants are not always easy to afford or find in your local garden center. You may need to go online to specialty catalogs to find some. These plants are often variegated or striped. Some have spotted leaves and come in hard to find bloom colors. Some of the grasses and ferns are small or very large varieties that you may have never seen before. The lollipop allium, canna lily bulbs and ornamental Fritillaria are showy plants grown from bulbs. Yucca, globe thistle and tall pampas grasses are beautiful additions to a border or circular garden as a feature plant. Variegated dogwood, cottoneaster, and euonymus all are very striking and available in many colors. There are whites or golds and will creep and crawl up walls, foundations and fences.

Japanese painted ferns come with silvery lacy fronds and some have maroon stems. Plant them between all green Hosta in a shady border for impact. There are also many Hosta with variegated leaves. Planted in large drifts you can really make a striking effect as a backdrop for colorful plants placed in front of the green background.

Height, shape, texture and colors add layers: grow some perennials for a different and unusual garden styles. Plants with large blooms as well as interesting foliage are a great way to make a statement. The giant iris are popular plants for the back of borders because many grow at least 24 to 36 inches tall. Their spikes also come in variegated form with vertical stripes in white or yellow. They grow in natural fan shapes with pale purple blooms. Woody herbs like Lavender, Artemesia and Russian Sage have gray green foliage and upright blooms. Their color and form add height and scent to gardens. Shrubs with large ornamental blooms like hydrangea, snowball bush, Oriental poppy, lilac and Rose of Sharon are worth planting for show in borders.

Ornamental trees: Magnolia, Japanese maple and Purple Sandcherry add beautiful blooms and color. Espalier for trees or woody plants are very decorative. It is the practice of controlling growth by pruning and tying branches to a wall, fence or wood frame. Apples, pears and grapes can be shaped into formal patterns that radiate out horizontally along wires or attached using hooks. Training trees this way is very attractive, allows you to grow fruit in a small space and increases the production amount of the fruit. You can as also grow low growing berries by creating a hedge or border with support posts, a trellis, strong wire or an existing fence. Shapes can be fans, square, so shaped, v shaped or circular

 Growing grapes on arbors, pergolas or fences can save space as well as provide some privacy. You can train any type of vine to crawl along and cover an eye sore like utility boxes, compost areas or an unsightly neighbors back yard. Other vines like Trumpet Vine, Wisteria, Roses work well. Living Green Walls are becoming very popular to divide a space in a garden, Be sure to construct a strong frame  using metal pipes for your trellis to grow and support the vines you wish to plant.

 

Hunting for plants

What, where and when to buy plants? Trees, shrubs and perennials are all reduced on sale towards the end of the growing season in late August and September. You can also check your local for sale web sites like Kijiji to find plants. Also by getting to know local plant lovers at garden clubs you can trade plants.

 

1. Wait for sales late in June or July at seasonal garden centers such as grocery stores. Often the plants on sale are pot bound and have already bloomed but you can get them half off or buy 2 get one free. The plants in large pots are usually a good deal because you can divide the roots into two or four smaller plants. Visit local farmers markets to buy from people who grow extra trees and shrubs. Many gardeners grow and sell online so check your area on Marketplace sites too.

2. Buy the hardy tough plants that will do well in your location. Check the stems and leaves for disease and make sure they are healthy. Pull the whole plant up to check the root system. Often the roots are growing out of the bottom of the pots. A full pot of roots can still be cut into multiple divisions and planted. Use scissors and trim the long roots as well as the longest stems and spent blooms. This will allow the plant to rest and use its energy just on sending out some new roots. If the roots are very tight and dense tease them apart gently trying not to break them.

3. Spring time sales are a good time to buy more peat moss, mulch, manure or triple mix if required. Add these as soon as you have done some clean up in April and May. Another option is to trade with neighbors, friends or family who might be digging out and dividing plants so ask around.

Companion plants

 

 

The method of planting certain plants as a Companion will help the whole garden "family" to ward off pests and diseases using safe organic technology. Using some plants to keep the bugs away allows you to grow healthy fruits and veggies with very little spraying of pesticides. Some herbs have a strong smell from the oils they contain and the bugs don't like. Chives, Oregano and Mint are good examples. These can be used in between rows of food crops to ward off and confuse the pests.

 

Marigold, Yarrow, Milkweed and Camomile also attract beneficial predator bugs to eat the pests. Try planting low growing crops in among other tall plants to give weeds very little room and protect the soil from drying out quickly. The taller plants help shelter the low ones from hot sun and wind damage. Cottage gardeners have used this method for many centuries, happily growing their veggies, fruits, flowers, herbs, trees and shrubs all mixed together. Onions and garlic will help deter many beetles and flies that attack crops like cabbage, carrots, lettuce, spinach, beets, potato and tomato. Tansy is another strong smelling native plant that deters many insects like ants, aphids, cabbage worms, beetles and white fly. Chives and Catnip also are good for fruits and vegetables as well as roses. Basil, parsley, Lavender, Dill, Sage, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Tarragon, Hyssop and Garlic are herbs that will benefit many of the vegetables and fruits in your garden. They can be potted up and moved to where you need them most. If fruit trees are something you want or already have in your yard then consider a few companions that attract bees. Thyme, Pulmonaria, Forget me not, Chives, Mint, Heather, Lavender and Lamium all are helpful with bringing the pollinators to the garden.

Basic Pruning

 

 

Generally beginner gardeners are afraid of pruning trees and shrubs for fear of making a mistake and killing off a favorite plant they have spent time and money caring for. People tend to be so happy that it's still alive that they will not trim or prune anything off. If you are unsure how to begin or how much to prune it's best to do a little at a time. Just learning how to shape and promote new growth will do more good than harm. Shaping can be done on shrubs in spring when you can see the shape of the bush easily before leaves begin to sprout. Trim out or shorten any branches that stick out too far horizontally or rub on each other. Dead or diseased branches must go too. Trim back flowering shrubs about 4 or 5 inches to promote new branching as well as blooms. Pruning out thick growth also allows air flow and prevents fungal disease. This is most true for roses.

 

Trees need the same air flow and light to be healthy and grow and thrive. A good rule of thumb is to trim out one third at any one time. Do shaping over a period of say two seasons. Don't prune in very hot and dry conditions. Stress and drought will be very harmful to trees and shrubs. Pruning is good for plants when they are exposed to windy conditions. By removing weak or dead wood you are doing a lot of good. Start pruning when trees and shrubs are young.

 

1. Position your cuts on an angle away from the main stem.

2. Cut above a bud to aid the plant to heal quickly.

3. Cut out small suckers that have grown at the base of the main trunk of a tree.

4. Evergreen shrubs can be pruned in late fall to be used for baskets, swags or wreaths.

5. Leave off pruning all your perennial woody herbs until spring so you will be sure to have some winter protection.

6. Prune out spent roses to keep new blooms forming and do cut out one or two old stems to allow new branching.

7. Vines like grapes or trumpet vine require a good pruning to ensure fruit and flowers. Fasten them to a strong structure like a trellis or fence.

8. Creeping shrubs also need to be checked for winter damage, excess growth or diseased branches to train them to grow where or how you want them to spread. Keep the strongest and a few new healthy branches to easily train them.

Smart gardening tips

 

 

Smart Garden Design: Pick the ideal site and start out small at first.

1. With our very busy lifestyle, it's a good idea to keep your garden simple and small when starting out. Fitting some plants into a compact area makes caring for them easier than trying to go too big. Making a map on paper can help you with a plan on how much you will need to buy and choose the right plants for the spot. Observe how much light and sun the spot gets throughout the day. If it only gets a few hours of direct sun then you might want to plant shade loving plants. If it gets five or more hours of direct sun you could plant herbs and vegetables.

2. Try to enrich the soil at first and then every spring by adding compost. Do this before planting to ensure a healthy stress free start. Buy hardy varieties that you won't have to water or prune all season. Choose some perennials and shrubs that come up year after year and allow them to spread. Mulching with shredded bark also helps keep the moisture in so you can cut back on the watering. Filling in the spaces between perennials with colorful annuals can be changed each year to give you a new look.

3. Grow some creeping vines up a vertical trellis or fence to add veggies like cucumber and flowers like sweet pea for their colorful blooms. It also will attract some bees and butterflies with pollination.

4. Grow herbs in large pots and have them right outside the kitchen door or on a deck to use in cooking. Dill, Sage, Mint, Garlic, Chives, Basil and Parsley are very good ones to start if you are a new gardener. Most are good hardy plants and don't require a lot of care. Place a piece of floral foam in the bottom of the pots to absorb extra water to keep roots from drying out. Line large planter boxes with insulation to help hold moisture. Healthy plants often double or even triple in size to fill a pot; plant small herbs in pots that allow room to grow. Double the size is a good way to go with most perennials.

Many herbs flower and also have very strong scented leaves so you can use them to make herbal teas, potpourri, soaps, candles or place in a vase with other cut flowers. Some even have long lasting blooms you can cut and hang to dry for crafts like wreaths.

Water Wise Gardens

 

A rockery is the ideal spot to plant groups of drought tolerant plants. They all do well in full sun, poor soil, dry conditions and need very little care and maintenance.

A water wise garden includes mostly those plants that thrive in hot dry conditions but are easy to care for and don't require a great deal of water or maintenance. Some drought tolerant plants are gray in color: they include lambs ears, artemisia, lavender, rosemary and Salvia. All of the native or alpine plants, woody herbs and some creeping ground covers all do well in full sun. They've adapted to many harsh elements, have survived well on their own with little water or nutrients so do very well in a water wise garden. The soil is often dry, sandy, rocky or heavy clay so search for the plants that tolerate all types of soil. Native plants grow in fields, ditches, meadows or along country roads have survived well in nature for a very long time by adapting. You can take a walk along a railroad track and see what grows there naturally and take note of what flowering plants do grow all on their own. Day lilies are one of the most drought tolerant plants and come in many colors.

 

For a new location you want to make sure it looks natural so arrange your rocks randomly to form planting pockets, with winding pathways that invite people to walk among the plants and explore. If it slopes slightly use gravel or bricks on pathways or edges to help hold soil in place. Flat stones should be placed in among the flowers to allow you to weed or walk into the garden for harvesting herbs or blooms or for pruning. Ornamental grasses also do well and will only take a year or two to become established. Include some spring flowering, mid summer and late summer blooming plants to have color all year round. Sedum blooms in late summer and lasts until the cold frost in November. Giant Iris blooms in June, while Shasta Daisy is in full glory in July to August. You might want to plant a few annuals that do well in full sun to add some more colors. Try petunia, portulaca and snapdragon.

 Globe thistle tolerates full sun and is another drought tolerant plant. It's blue globes are easy to dry for making dried flower arrangements.

Simple designs for a garden

First of all the site chosen and style of the garden is the most important thing to consider before you buy any plants. If you want to include shrubs or trees you will want to plant them first. It's the best way to establish shape before adding other plants. Trees are a good way to add some shade, shelter and privacy. Leave plenty of room for the tree chosen to grow into the spot. Don't plant trees and shrubs close together. Do some research about the plants you want to include and know how large they get.

Aruncus (Goatsbeard) is a herbaceous perennial that can reach six to eight feet tall if not pruned back. It grows in any type soil, in sun or shade. It's hardy in zones 4-9.

 

Planting a rock garden requires a sunny, dry slope. Alpine and low growing creeping plants do well in amongst rocks. Cactus dish gardens can be placed outside with other sun loving plants.

 

A front entrance garden is important because it is the first thing people see so should be welcoming. Keep the path wide and don't block steps or walkways with too many large pots. Instead use hanging plants or place planter boxes along a railing or on a porch. Stairs allow potted flowering plants to greet guests as they arrive at the door. By choosing one or two colors for flowering blooms, you can keep your theme simple.

 

If you have a very shady stand of trees consider a woodland style garden. Country cottage style is easy and includes stone paths, wooden gates and fences. Plant flowers, vegetables and old fashioned herbs to add country charm.

Modern style gardens go well with homes that are sleek shapes and ultra mid century modern design. Use clean lines in simple geometric shapes as well as large plantings of bold bright color. Japanese design gardens are peaceful, tranquil and uncluttered. Include a bridge, lanterns, sand, water features, gravel and stones. Shrubs with large blooms like Peony, Iris, Rose of Sharon and magnolia are appropriate for this style.