Why is Gardening Important?
Many homeowners end up choosing gardening as a hobby because it not only adds to the aesthetic of your property and keeps it looking nice, but also comes with a lot of benefits for the environment and your health. Incorporating gardening into your lifestyle is an excellent form of exercise, relieves stress, and is a great way to bring family and friends together. Avid gardeners have reported many health benefits:
- Reduce Risk of Stroke
- Burns Calories
- Controls High Blood Pressure
- Decreases Likelihood of Osteoporosis
- Mood Booster
- Strengthens Immune System
Adding unique garden plantings to your property helps provide a safe habitat for bees and other pollinators. Flowers and plants also send out oxygen, which helps us breathe, remove pollutants from waterways, and provide both food and shelter for other wildlife. Homeowners have also found that incorporating home compost into their gardens help the arrangements thrive and flourish all season long.
Perennials
This type of flower is known for its ability to live for a long time and is a perfect choice for your home landscaping. Perennials grow back every year for many seasons, meaning you’re only required to plant them once, which is incredibly cost-saving. Perennials can last up to fifteen years, depending on the type and generally bloom for a single season. Since perennials are around for years, energy is put into growing a healthy root system rather than producing an abundance of blooms. The blooms produce by perennials are very beautiful and vibrant, making homeowners look forward to their bloom season each year.
Asters
Asters are long-blooming flowers that bring fantastic color to your garden in late summer and fall. They produce a daisy-like bloom that ranges in color from blue and pink to purple, red, and white. Many homeowners use these flowers for indoor flower arrangements. Asters mostly enjoy full, and part sun but do have the ability to flourish in the shade.
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums or Mums come in a variety of vibrant colors such as red, yellow, and purple. Given that there’s a wide variety of chrysanthemums, homeowners can choose the best color, shape, and size for their gardens. There are two different types of florets in a chrysanthemum: ray and disc. The ray florets are the petals, and disc florets make up the center button of the mum. These flowers enjoy full sun and can withstand extreme temperatures allowing them to bloom all summer long and sometimes into the fall.
Coneflowers
Coneflowers or Echinacea are native to North America and a member of the daisy family. This flower produces blooms of purple or lavender hues and sometimes white. After planting coneflowers in your garden, you’ll start to notice more frequented butterflies as well as songbirds visiting your property. Coneflowers are incredibly drought tolerant once they’re established, meaning they can handle the heat in the summer. If you live in an area that deer frequent, coneflowers are an excellent option as they are more deer-resistant than most flowering plants.
Day Lily
Many homeowners place daylilies at the top of their favorite perennials list. Daylilies require little maintenance and can thrive in both sunny and shady areas of your garden. If you’re looking to bring a variety of colors into your garden, daylilies come in many different shades, making them an excellent addition to a big or small garden. This flower stays in bloom for several weeks because of the multiple flower buds existing on each flower stem.
Hosta
There are many different types of hosta available at garden centers today. Hosta are very reliable for shady areas of your garden and are an excellent addition of lush foliage. Since there are over 2,000 varieties of hosta, homeowners can pick from a variety of leaf shapes, sizes, and texture, making designing your garden very enjoyable. Hosta are incredibly hardy and require little to no maintenance once planted.
Peonies
If you’re in search of a perennial that is incredibly fragrant, peonies are an excellent option. Peonies are known for their fragrant blooms and delightful visual appeal that they bring to your garden. You can expect to see flowers from spring to summer, but when not in bloom, peonies produce vibrant foliage that is enjoyed by all. There are a variety of peonies that bloom at different times, and typically nurseries categorize them by early, midseason, and late blooming. This gives homeowners the ability to incorporate beautiful blooms into their garden at various times of the season.
Annuals
This type of flower is known for completing its life cycle in one growing season. Homeowners typically plant annual seeds in the spring, meaning the plant then grows, flowers, and dies after the first frost in the fall. If you want to incorporate annual flowers into your garden, you will have to replant each year. Annuals are classified based upon their tolerance and ability to endure colder temperatures. The various classifications of annuals allow for homeowners to plan accordingly, so they get the most out of the blooms.
- Hardy Annuals: Flowers in this category can stand the most extreme cold temperatures, and can thrive in cold soil, cool air, and light frost without being damaged. Hardy annuals can be planted four weeks before the final frost of the season going into the summer months.
- Half-Hardy Annuals: Flowers in this category can tolerate cold soils and air but can be damaged from frost. Half-Hardy annuals can be planted two weeks before the final frost of the season going into the summer months.
- Tender Annuals: Flowers in this category require warm soil and air to reach optimal growth and do not tolerate any frost. If you plant tender annuals too soon, they can become damaged from frost and die. It’s encouraged to plant tender annuals a few weeks after the final frost of the season going into the summer months.
Begonia
Begonias are very popular in Minnesota gardens because they thrive in a variety of atmospheres, from sun to shade, depending on the variety. This flower creates a bloom that appears in an assortment of colors from pink and red to varying shades of orange and yellow. Each varieties’ bloom time differs, but when incorporating begonias into your garden, you can expect to see blooms from early summer to the first frost in the fall.
Dahlia
This unique flower produces beautiful blooms that many homeowners love. Dahlias thrive in full sunlight and require a regular watering schedule. If you have a busy lifestyle and are unable to water frequently, dahlias may not be the right choice for you. This flower blooms from summer to fall and appears in a variety of colors and eccentric shapes. Dahlias are related to daisies and chrysanthemums, so if you’re hoping to include a flower that looks similar to mums, this is an excellent option.
Geranium
Geraniums are easy to care for as they thrive in full sun but require regular watering and deadheading throughout the season, as this encourages fresh blooms to be produced. Homeowners enjoy including geraniums in their garden arrangement because they bloom throughout the entire season and are available in a wide range of colors. Geraniums do need to be planted in an area with optimal drainage to avoid any root rot and allow for exponential growth.
Marigold
This flower blooms with an eye-catching yellow or orange variety and is unique. Marigolds can do well in both dry and moist soil, making them very versatile. Blooms will appear throughout the entire season and don’t have a preference for sun. Many homeowners choose to include marigolds in their garden arrangement because of their bright, exciting blooms. Some varieties of marigolds even appear in red and white.
Petunia
Petunias bloom from spring to fall, making them another popular choice for homeowners. This flower will attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden oasis. Homeowners can choose from a variety of colors, from pink and purple to yellow and red. The blooms are incredibly fragrant and thrive best in full sun. Petunias are divided into two groups: grandiflora and multiflora. Grandiflora have large flowers and are best grown in containers while multiflora have an abundance of smaller flowers, making them ideal for a bedding arrangement or bordering.
Start Planning Your Garden Layout
Incorporating perennials and annuals into your garden layout is an excellent idea as you will be able to have fresh blooms appearing throughout the season. When planning your garden each year, it’s encouraged to pay attention to when each flower blooms, the light requirements, and how frequently each needs to be watered to allow for optimal growth. Visit a nursery or garden center to begin choosing flowers that appeal to you and compliment your property to start planning your garden layout.