Adding colorful plants to your landscape will make a big impact on how you and your loved ones enjoy your home. Color is available in all seasons if you choose the right flowers, shrubs, ferns, and trees to surround your home. By visiting your local plant nursery to get some inspiration and talk to experts, you’ll be on the road to year-round color. To help you plan, here’s how a plant nursery can help with a summer landscape in the Hudson Valley, NY area.
Before Your Nursery Visit
First, get a good idea of how your garden fares in different weather and different seasons. Find out the cardinal directions of where you’re looking to plant. The North/East areas of your yard tend to be very shady and moist. South/East exposures are typically sunny and moist. South/West areas are generally sunny and dry. North/West areas are predictably shady and dry. Take photos and make a note of the sun exposure. Another strategy is to wait several days after a rain and dig 6 inches below the surface and check the moisture level of the soil. Once you’ve got these details in mind, you’ll be much more prepared to visit the plant nursery, since choosing the right plants for each location will be more satisfying right from the beginning as they will require less babying.
Chat With An Expert
At your local nursery, talk to a garden expert who is ready to guide you in the right direction plants that will suit your landscape and your aesthetics. Make sure to mention which areas of your landscape you want to add plants to. Take photos of the plants recommended by the garden expert so as you gradually build your garden, you can reference back to which plants intrigued you the most. Always ask about when to plant, how often to water, if you need to prune, etc. And if you decide that landscape installation and maintenance is more than you want to take on, nurseries are great places to be put in contact with landscaping contractors.
Prioritize Natives
Plants that are native to the Hudson Valley will fare far better in your garden than any exotic import because they’ve already lived in the area for millions of years. These plants are perfectly evolved for this climate and that simplifies the job of caring for them. They will require much less watering, maintenance, and fertilization throughout their lifespan. Best of all, the diversity of plants in the region means that you have a wide variety of gorgeous flowers, shrubs, ferns, and trees to happily take root in your landscape; and these plants naturally attract pollinators that are struggling with loss of habitat.
The Right Supplies
Your local garden nursery is your one-stop shop for the right supplies to keep your landscape in tip-top shape. With all the tools necessary, you’ll be ready to address many problems that arise and, with the landscaping contacts, solve any of the tougher ones. Beyond just plants, a nursery will have a variety of materials that can further beautify your landscape, including gorgeous river rock, decorative stones, standalone solar light fixtures, and creative decorations.
Jump-Starting Your Healthy Garden
By purchasing native plants at your local plant nursery, you’ll be adding healthy plants to a landscape. Healthy plants have already built strong root systems and are much more disease- and pest-resistant than exotic imports. The plants grown at nurseries have been cared for by experts and are ready to join your landscape to live a healthy life and look beautiful as part of your home.
