Plan A Year-Round Garden

One of the best ways to have a beautiful lawn is to have a garden, full of colorful plants. Having a garden isn’t difficult; however, planning for a four-season garden takes a lot of effort. By designing and planning a year-round garden, it ensures that your property is surrounded by color throughout every season! 

PLAN IT OUT

Before you hit the store to purchase any plants, it’s best to create a year-round garden planner. This will help you identify which plants bloom in each season, track what you have planted, and any notes that may assist you every year. Also, planning out your garden is a great alternative to hiring a landscaping company, and it will most likely save you a few bucks! 

Your first step will be to choose which plants are appropriate for your region. Depending on where you live, you can use a combination of perennials – which come back every year, annuals – which only last one season, and container plants. Typically it is easier for those in the South to plan and maintain a variety of color all season long, but northern gardeners have the advantage of exciting the neighborhood with vibrant colors and different foliage in certain seasons. Knowing which species do best in your region and understanding when they thrive is the key to planning a successful year-round garden. 

PRO TIP:

Choose at least two types of plants that will flower well together during each season.

DESIGNING YOUR YEAR-ROUND GARDEN

As stated above, your choice of plants will vary depending on where you live and that amount of sunlight your garden will receive. It’s always best to choose species that are native to your region when you can, but if you need any help, check out this guide! 

Below is a list of plants that will give you an idea of what a four-season garden would have growing in it. 

SPRING:

Following a long winter, you’ll want to have your garden full of flowering bulbs and other spring-blooming plants for a burst of color. We suggest:

• Tulips
• Crocus
• Snowdrop
• Daffodil
• Peony
• Pansy

SUMMER:

Summer offers the best climate for endless blooming flowers, here’s some of the common options:

• Daylily
• Coneflower
• Zinnia
• Nasurium
• Black-eyed Susan
• Bee Balm
• Rose
• Guara
• Hydrangea 

FALL:

This is the season for transitioning from vibrant flowers to warmer ones:

• Asters
• Ornamental grasses
• Mums
• Hardy Begonias
• Ornamental kale
• Flowering cabbage
• Pansy
• Sedum

WINTER:

This season can be difficult to garden for, especially for those in northern regions. Gardeners in the south can continue to enjoy their plants from other seasons and even Camellias. However, northern gardeners can still ass curb appeal with:

• Evergreen Hollies
• Firethorn
• Chokeberry bushes
• Snowdrop
• Hellebores

CONTAINER GARDENS

If you lack lawn space, or you just want to add even more vibrance to your home, container gardens are an excellent alternative for year-round gardens. 

Containers are a flexible solution for annuals, and a great home for lovely evergreen or perennial plants. Spring-blooming bulbs can be mixed with summer and fall-blooming plants in a mixed container display that provides color well into the cool season in most areas.