Plans to Create a Year-Round Blooming Garden

Design a dynamic, multi-season garden with a mix of colorful foliage and seasonal flowers. By combining textures, heights, and colors, you can achieve a year-round garden that shines even on gray days.

Plants to Include in Your Year-Round Garden

The plants in this garden offer a diverse range of textures, forms, and colors. Use a combination of perennials, shrubs, and evergreens to maintain interest throughout the year.

  1. Japanese Forestgrass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’): Zones 5-9, vibrant yellow-green foliage.
  2. Winter Daphne (Daphne odora): Zones 7-9, fragrant pink flowers in winter.
  3. Tree Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa): Zones 4-9, large, showy spring blooms.
  4. Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba): Zones 3-10, bright yellow flowers from summer to fall.
  5. Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’): Zones 7-9, golden foliage with white blossoms.
  6. Angelwing Begonia (Begonia coccinea): Zones 9-11, vivid red flowers in summer and fall.
  7. Rhododendron spp.: Zones 5-11, evergreen shrub with spring blooms.
  8. Winter Heather (Erica carnea): Zones 5-8, small pink flowers in winter.
  9. Foetid Iris (Iris foetidissima): Zones 6-9, sword-like leaves and seed pods in winter.
  10. Japanese Anemone (Anemone x hybrida): Zones 5-9, delicate late summer blooms.

Steps to Plant Your Year-Round Garden

  1. Plan the Layout: Arrange plants with varying heights and textures. Place evergreens as a backdrop and layer perennials and shrubs in front for year-round interest.
  2. Plant in Part Shade: This garden thrives in part shade where the bright foliage and colorful flowers can shine without too much direct sunlight.
  3. Water and Mulch: Water regularly during the first growing season and apply mulch to retain moisture and prevent weeds.

Design Tips for a Year-Round Garden

  • Incorporate evergreen shrubs and trees to ensure your garden remains colorful even in winter.
  • Use plants with multi-hued foliage to create contrast throughout the year.
  • Consider long-blooming perennials to extend the flowering season.

Gifting Your Garden Plan

Want to share the excitement? Package a selection of seeds or small plants and share your year-round garden plan with others.

Year-Round Garden Layout Diagram

This diagram below shows the ideal placement for each plant mentioned in the year-round garden plan. The table includes recommended spacing and neighboring plants.

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Plant Number Plant Name Placement in Garden Space Allocation Neighboring Plants
#1 Japanese Forestgrass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) Front border, near walkways 18-24 inches apart Winter Daphne, Angelwing Begonia
#2 Winter Daphne (Daphne odora) Middle of the garden, part shade 4-6 feet apart Japanese Forestgrass, Rhododendron
#3 Tree Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) Center focal point, sheltered area 3-4 feet apart Mexican Orange Blossom, Brown-Eyed Susan
#4 Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) Mid-border, full sun 18-24 inches apart Tree Peony, Japanese Anemone
#5 Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’) Back border, full sun 3-4 feet apart Tree Peony, Japanese Anemone
#6 Angelwing Begonia (Begonia coccinea) Front corner, full sun to partial shade 12-18 inches apart Japanese Forestgrass, Winter Heather
#7 Rhododendron spp. Back of the garden, part shade 3-5 feet apart Winter Daphne, Foetid Iris
#8 Winter Heather (Erica carnea) Front border, ground cover 12-18 inches apart Angelwing Begonia, Brown-Eyed Susan
#9 Foetid Iris (Iris foetidissima) Mid-border, part shade 18-24 inches apart Rhododendron, Japanese Anemone
#10 Japanese Anemone (Anemone x hybrida) Middle to back border, full sun 2-3 feet apart Brown-Eyed Susan, Foetid Iris

Year-Round Blooming Garden Layout

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Scale: Approximately 20 feet wide by 8 feet deep

Legend:

  1. Japanese Forestgrass
  2. Winter Daphne
  3. Tree Peony
  4. Brown-Eyed Susan
  5. Mexican Orange Blossom
  6. Angelwing Begonia
  7. Rhododendron
  8. Winter Heather
  9. Foetid Iris
  10. Japanese Anemone

DOWNLOAD A FREE PDF COPY HERE! (no email needed)

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