Gardens change costumes with the seasons, offering a year-round spectacle. Creating year-round garden interest is about understanding the cycle of seasons and choosing plants that will bloom in succession, providing constant color and texture.
To begin, envision your garden as a stage with four acts; Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Each act requires stars, supporting roles, and background characters that together create a harmonious performance throughout the year.
Spring is the overture, where early bloomers like crocuses, daffodils, and tulips awaken the dormant landscape. Hellebores and pansies can brave the last frosts, hinting at the warmth to come. These early flowers set the stage, breaking through the ground as the first signs of life after the Winter slumber.
Summer brings the drama with a riot of colors. Perennials like daylilies, coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans offer long-lasting blooms, while annuals such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias fill any gaps with their vibrant hues. This is the time for boldness, with flowers like roses and peonies taking center stage.
Autumn tones down the palette but not the spectacle. Late bloomers like asters, chrysanthemums, and sedum come forward as the heat recedes. Ornamental grasses add texture and movement, capturing the low-angled sunlight with their feathery plumes. This is also the season to plan ahead by planting bulbs that will lie in wait over the winter, ready to emerge once Spring arrives again.
Winter might seem like the final curtain, but the show is not over. With the right plants, your garden can continue to enchant. Evergreens like hollies and conifers provide structure and color, while berries and the skeletal outlines of deciduous trees add interest and remind us that life continues even in dormancy.
In planning your year-round garden, consider the climate and the garden’s micro-environments. Some areas may get more winter sun or be protected from harsh winds, making them suitable for less hardy specimens. Remember, too, the importance of foliage. Plants like hostas and ferns may not always flower, but their leaves offer a backdrop that accentuates the seasonal blooms. And when planting, remember that bulbs are underground in some places and will pop back up in their time.
Complement your living palette with hardscaping; benches, artwork, stones, and paths that give the garden form and let you enjoy the garden’s year-round beauty. Finally, don’t forget to add lighting, which can transform your garden at night and in the winter, illuminating the beauty that might otherwise be overlooked.
A year-round garden is a living piece of art, an ever-changing landscape that grows and evolves with the seasons. It’s a testament to the diversity of nature and a source of endless joy for the gardener and onlookers alike. With thoughtful planning, your garden can become a celebration of seasonal splendor, a place where there’s always something blooming, no matter what the calendar says.
Feel free to swing by The Gathering Garden in Mount Gilead at the corner of W Allenton St and School St, if you want to discuss gardening with us, you can find out more about or workdays on our facebook page.
In these weekly columns, I will share the science of gardening and so many more interesting tidbits. Check back here every week for tailored Montgomery County garden advice, sharing our garden updates, and more.
Let’s grow together!
This article was originally published in the Montgomery Herald and is reused here with permission by Mary Poplin.