It’s that time of year when you go to a garden center, “just for a couple of plants,” and can’t resist all of the gorgeous blooms that are on display everywhere you look. It can be overwhelming to know where to start! Here are 5 top picks from our garden center for summer in Hudson Valley, NY. While you’re planning and picking your favorite summer colors, it’s also a great time to start thinking ahead for your seasonal fall colors.
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A colorful and vibrant landscape in the summer can also continue into the fall, with a careful selection of plants as you work on your summer landscaping. There are a variety of plants to adorn your yard that bloom at different times of the year. In addition to focusing on foliage and flowers, also channel your attention to what plants look like after their flowers are gone, and consider plants with darker-hued or textured leaves and stems.
1. Annuals and Perennials
When choosing plants that will give you color throughout the seasons, try to follow the rule of threes: three plants that bloom in early spring, three that bloom later in spring , three that bloom in the middle of summer and three that bloom in the fall. Try planting anemones and dogwood for your summer blooms, and hybrid lilies and chrysanthemums for brilliant color in the fall.
2. Evergreen Trees and Shrubs
Evergreens play an important role to keep your scenery attractive year-round! They are the primary color of a landscape in the winter, and they become a multi-dimensional backdrop when your flowers are in bloom. Choose from a variety of shades, including deep green, silvery, bluish, light green, and golden. Create even more dimension by choosing a combination of styles - mix and match conifers that bear needles with broad-leaf evergreens featuring differently shaped leaves and ornamental grasses. Evergreen such as arborvitae, mountain laurel and emerald gaiety will add a dynamic selection of greenery to your landscape.
3. Colorful Foliage
In addition to choosing green foliage for your year-round garden, you can also plant foliage in a variety of colors as a dynamic background for your fall garden. Add brilliant colors to your garden with the vibrant red of a dwarf burning bush, the rich wine hue of ninebark, a touch of gold with gold hostas or the striking combination of green and pink in coleus plants.
4. Colorful Ground Covers
Accent your gardens and fill empty space with ground covers that have colorful leaves and striking flowers. Many covers that bloom in the spring and summer will maintain their lush foliage into the fall. Creeping phlox will add a beautiful light lavender color to your open spaces. Change up your garden scene a bit with some ground cover herbs, such as creeping thyme, that will add a luxurious scent to your garden, and come in handy when you need a little extra zing in your supper!
5. Ornamental Grasses
Tall, billowing ornamental grasses are a great accent to scatter throughout your gardens. The vibrant green of blue grama grass, or the muted gold tips of feather reed grass, will add an element of lightness and flowing movement to your gardens and complement almost any type of flower.
There are endless options to add vibrance and life to your garden, starting each summer and extending into the brilliance of fall.
Related: ADD COLOR TO YOUR LANDSCAPE WITH THESE PICKS FROM OUR PLANT NURSERY IN ULSTER COUNTY, NY
