As a homeowner, you want your spring landscape to be as fresh and vibrant as possible. You can add fresh color to a backyard with these top picks from a garden center in Ulster County and Rockland County, NY.
Choose Natives
The best way to achieve this is by curating your favorite native plants from your local garden center. Native plants will always help your backyard look gorgeous while flawlessly integrating into the ecosystem. Exotic plants may look pretty, but they aren’t adapted to the climate and require constant maintenance. You don’t want to be constantly worrying about your plant life, so choose native.
Location is Everything
Even within the consistent climate of the Hudson Valley, there are still variations in what each plant needs. Much of the time, it comes down to two factors: sun exposure and moisture levels. This is often dictated by the position of the plants in which cardinal direction they’re facing. North- and East-facing areas will generally hold moisture in soil much longer than South- and West-facing areas. There can be shady and sunny areas in both. With a general idea of the cardinal directions in mind, you can easily plan a successful garden with some advice from the professionals at your local garden center.
Shady and Moist Gardens
The plants here are happiest beneath some tall trees or behind rock outcroppings. Colorful shrubs to consider could be the Mountain Laurel, Spicebush, or Wild Hydrangea. For fantastic flower options, consider the Wild Ginger, Black Cohosh, or Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Ferns are happiest in this environment and can produce impressive and beautiful growth. The maidenhair fern, in particular, has a soft visual texture and adds to the magical feel of your landscape. As you consider which plants to use, simply check your soil and see which colors apply to your overall color scheme.
Shady and Dry Gardens
In the Hudson Valley, shady and dry gardens will be found typically on the North and West reaches of your property. They might be covered by trees or rocks, but still get some decent sun exposure as well. Shrubs that do well in these areas include the Rosebay, Witch Hazel, and again the Mountain Laurel, which proves to be a versatile shrub in shade. The flowers you might consider are the Wild Columbine, White Wood Aster, and again the Wild Ginger.
Sunny and Moist Gardens
As the seasons move along, you’ll notice that the southern part of your property receives the most sun, with the southeast portion generally more moist. In this area, consider the Summersweet, Red-Osier, and Black Chokeberry shrubs to soak up all that sun while producing delicious berries and beautiful flowers. Perennial flowers you may include can be the Wild Geranium, Oxeye Sunflower, and Turtlehead. The Cinnamon Fern is an outlier in the fern family in that it actually does well with lots of sun exposure.
Sunny and Dry Gardens
Finally, in your southwest corner you might include some natives that are more adaptable to dry soil and lots of summer sun. The Lowbush Blueberry, Red Chokecherry, and Blackshaw are excellent shrubs that thrive in the sunlight. You might find yourself again using the Wild Columbine flower, but also make sure to consider the Sundrops and Bee-Balm perennials as well. Soon, you’ll have a well-rounded perennial garden that wows your guests.
