How to Create a Year-Round Colorful Border in the Garden
Creating a colorful border in your garden during the summer is easy. It takes a little more planning to plant a border that's colorful year-round, but it can be done. All it takes is a little time and effort. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Garden catalogs and magazines
- Bulbs
- Perennials
- Shrubs or bushes
- Gardening tools
Instructions
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Make a plan for your border. Look at garden catalogs and gardening magazines to get ideas of what plants to purchase. Think about the way the plants will look together, and choose a variety of plants that will bloom at different times, providing for year-round color.
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For spring color, people naturally think of tulips and daffodils. Other, lesser-known plants also bloom in the spring. Lungwort, also known as Bethlehem Sage, has dark green leaves with silvery spots and pink, white or blue flowers. Candytuft has pure white flowers that bloom for several weeks. Moss phlox also bloom for several weeks and comes in an array of colors, including pink, purple and white. Pig squeak's pink and white flowers bloom in early spring; the plant is more noteworthy for its large, shiny leaves that turn red or maroon in the winter. Whenever possible, choose plants that do double-duty like this one.
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Many plants bloom in the summer. You may want to choose a few perennials, such as gas plants with their pinkish blossoms, day lilies, purple bell flowers and bee balm, and fill in with annuals like marigolds, petunias and snapdragons.
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For fall color, plant autumn sedum. The rosy blossoms last for weeks and provide interest even during the winter. Other colorful fall plants include purple asters, chrysanthemums, pansies and flowering cabbages. Many of the summer plants will bloom into autumn, including marigolds and petunias.
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Winter is trickier, but there are a few plants that provide color in the winter. The red branches of a red twig dogwood really stand out on a snowy day. Also, emerald and gold euonymus provides winter color. During the summer, its leaves are dark green with yellow margins, but in the winter, the margins of this evergreen turn pink or red. So, with a little planning, you can create a year-round colorful border for your garden.
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Tips & Warnings
Talk to the people who work at your local nursery and get advice about what plants work best in your region.
