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7 Species of Daisies for Your Flower Garden

Few flowering plants are as popular and recognizable as daisies. These plants also come in several different interesting varieties, seven of which we’ll cover in this article. Read on to find your favorite.

Barberton daisy

The Barberton daisy produces bright, attractive flowers. It is native to Southeastern Africa and has become increasingly popular as a house plant far outside its home range. The South African province of Mpumalanga includes the Barberton daisy on its flag and coat of arms.

Oxeye daisy

Leucanthemum vulgare is a very adaptable perennial herb native to Eurasia, commonly known as Oxeye daisy. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant. Oxeye daisy is a common weed in lawns and crop plants. It is also considered an invasive species in some areas in the world.

Common daisy

The Common daisy produces iconic flowers that are seen in European and American folklore dating back centuries. It is often a representation of childlike innocence. The plant is edible and can be used in small quantities in salads, sandwiches, soups, or tea. However, it can also become toxic and cause digestive problems if eaten in quantity.

Marguerite daisy

Marguerite daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens) is a perennial flowering shrub that attracts butterflies and bees. This daisy is a prolific bloomer and will bloom again. It grows best in full sunlight to partial shade and is heat tolerant.

Blue daisy

Blue daisy (Felicia amelloides) is an evergreen perennial that is native to the coasts of South Africa. In the 19th century it was introduced to Europe as an ornamental plant and is still commonly cultivated for its vivid flowers. It does well in moist, well-drained soils and in full sun. It dislikes humid conditions.

Pyrethrum

Pyrethrum (Tanacetum coccineum) is a flowering plant native to southwestern Asia. Pyrethrum is also commonly referred to as the painted daisy. This species attracts butterflies and tolerates the presence of deer.

Swan river daisy

Brachyscome iberidifolia is also known as its graceful common name, Swan river daisy. It is native to Western Australia, and the purple daisies bloom between August and May. It is mostly used as a garden plant because of its attractive flowers.

10 Vegetables That Will Self-Sow

Self-sowing vegetables are some of the most convenient plants that you can grow in your garden if you want to enjoy an ongoing harvest. This article will introduce you to ten of the best vegetable plants in this category.

Corn salad

Corn salad (Valerianella locusta) is a small annual that grows to 6 to 12 inches in height. It grows on bare ground with rocky soils or coastal dunes, producing small clusters of white flowers that bloom from April to June. Sow in August to produce deliciously-edible salad greens throughout winter.

Radish

Radish (Raphanus sativus) is a plant species that represents a food staple in many cultures around the world. The Radish has a wide range of variations, including variants that grow in the spring, summer and winter. The root is generally eaten raw and can be used in salads or as a garnish.

Coriander

Coriander is well-known in many countries and is most commonly used for cooking. The dried seeds of the Coriander plant are ground and used to season dishes, while the leaves and stems can be eaten cooked or raw. In the United States, the leaves and stems of this plant are called cilantro.

Bok choy

Bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage. Chinensis varieties do not form heads and have green leaf blades with lighter bulbous bottoms instead, forming a cluster reminiscent of mustard greens. Chinensis varieties are popular in southern China and Southeast Asia. Being winter-hardy, they are increasingly grown in Northern Europe.

Field mustard

Field mustard (Brassica rapa) is a plant that is widely cultivated and produces oilseed. Canola oil is made from the Field mustard oilseed. Field mustard attracts white butterflies who gain nutrients from its flowers.

Sweet fennel

Sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a flowering perennial plant related to carrots. It is native to the Mediterranean region, but is used throughout the world as a flavoring herb. Sweet fennel has a sweet aromatic flavor similar to anise, and is an important ingredient in absinthe. In the wild, it often becomes a noxious weed.

Garden lettuce

Garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is a hardy annual plant commonly cultivated as a leafy vegetable. The earliest evidence of its cultivation goes all the way back to Ancient Egypt. Its leaves are often used for making salads and they are an excellent source of vitamins K and A.

Common borage

Common borage is often used to make soup, sauces, pasta filling, and a flavoring for pickles in Germany, Spain, Greece, and Italy. It is also occasionally used as a drink garnish and is an ingredient in some gins. Common borage flowers can also be made into blue or pink dyes.

Wild carrot

The Wild carrot is a common flowering plant with light, delicate flowers. Originally native to Europe and Asia, it has also spread to North America and Australia. Studies of historical paintings suggest that the Wild carrot was cultivated in Turkey, Spain, and North Africa for centuries.

Spinach

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is an edible plant species that is often considered a ‘superfood’ due to its high content of vitamins, folate, fiber, iron, magnesium, and other nutrients. Spinach is grown in gardens around the world and provides an important food source.

18 Garden Plants That Tolerate Salt

Do you live in an area that has high levels of salt in the soil or air, such as by the coast? It’s no good choosing plants that struggle to grow in salty conditions; instead, choose from this diverse selection of salt-tolerant species to help you grow a healthy and beautiful garden.

Moss rose

Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) is an ornamental flowering succulent native to South America. It is usually cultivated in annual flowerbeds and as a container plant. Different cultivars have been selected for achieving variation in color, shape and petal number of the flowers.

Virginia creeper

The Virginia creeper is a North American vine from the grape family that has it all – vigorous growth, fragrant flowers, decorative blue-colored berries, and leaves that turn crimson in the fall. Using small forked tendrils with adhesive pads, the Virginia creeper will cling strongly to almost all surfaces. It can grow over entire walls, providing shelter and food for wildlife.

English ivy

English ivy is the most common climber of European forests. It is a perennial woody vine with evergreen, dark, shiny lobed leaves. It utilizes aerial rootlets to attach to the tree bark with exceptional strength, helping the ivy creep more than 15 m up a tree. English ivy also grows as a forest groundcover and is invasive outside of its native range.

Orange daylily

The Orange daylily is a perennial plant known for its captivating lily-like blooms. Its natural habitats are meadows and forests, but it is also a common garden plant in temperate regions around the world. Each individual flower lasts only a day, but the plant will bloom new ones for weeks. Orange daylily’s young buds and flowers are edible either raw or cooked. As a bonus to vegetarians, the flowers contain more fats than most vegetables.

Canary island date palm

This slow-growing tree takes decades to reach its maximum height of 40-50 feet. It produces large, orange fruit that, while edible, look better than they taste. Canary island date palms have been imported to the warmer regions of the US, but require careful fertilization to grow outside their native Canary Islands.

Prickly pear

Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) is a flowering cactus native to Mexico. Prickly pear is a widely domesticated species grown for agricultural purposes in arid climates throughout the world. This species is edible and planted widely as a fruit and vegetable crop. Prickly pear is commercially valued as food, animal fodder, an adobe ingredient, and is also planted to control soil erosion.

Adam's needle

Adam’s needle (Yucca filamentosa) is a compact evergreen shrub highly appreciated by horticulturalists and landscapers worldwide. Yucca filamentosa takes the spotlight in almost every garden due to its stunning looks. It is easily recognized by its large clusters of gentle white flowers, which are in sharp contrast to the green rosettes of sword-shaped leaves.

Common coleus

Common coleus is probably best known for its beautiful multicolored foliage while it also has delicate flowers. The patterned leaves of its many variants can show off nearly every color of the rainbow. Common coleus is mildly toxic if consumed, but was once used in rituals by members of the Mexican Mazatec tribe.

Common lantana

The Common lantana is a flowering plant that grows best in tropical environments. It spread outside the Americas when the Dutch brought it to Europe. The plant is generally regarded as an unwanted weed that reduces biodiversity. Additionally, it is toxic to livestock and harms the output of farmland.

Eastern red cedar

Eastern red cedar is a coniferous evergreen tree that is native to North America. The fruit of this tree, juniper berries, is an important food source for birds in the winter. The wood of the Eastern red cedar is used in fencing as it is resistant to rot, and it is also used to line closets and chests since it also resists moths.

Pin oak

Quercus palustris, colloquially known as Pin oak, is a deciduous tree native to North America. Due to its favorable growing qualities and beautiful bronze coloration in autumn, Pin oak is one of the most common oak species used in landscaping.

Common winterberry

Common winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a berry species commonly grown in eastern gardens within the United States. Common winterberry is valued for its ability to grow in temperate climates and the colors it provides as an ornamental plant. The Common winterberry is also called Michigan holly.

Honey locust

Gleditsia triacanthos is a deciduous tree that is native to the Central part of Noth America. The trunk of the Honey locust is covered in thorns that are soft and green when young, but age to be hard and brittle. These thorns are relatively large and can reach up to 8 inches in length.

Ivy geranium

Ivy geranium (Pelargonium peltatum) is a flowering perennial plant that grows in rocky, well-drained soils. It was first brought to Europe by the Dutch. Blue dye can be made from its flower petals. The genus name “Pelargonium” means “stork” and was so given because the shape of Ivy geranium’s fruits resemble that of a stork’s beak.

Creeping juniper

Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) is a juniper shrub native to North America, particularly Canada. Creeping juniper is mainly grown as an ornamental plant for ground cover in gardens. There are over 100 cultivars of Creeping juniper.

White oak

Quercus alba is a long-lived oak with a broad canopy. The common name, White oak, refers to the color of its processed wood, which has a wide variety of uses – construction, for wine and whiskey barrels, making musical instruments and weapons in Japanese martial arts, etc. White oak is rarely cultivated as an ornamental due to its large size.

Creeping lilyturf

Creeping lilyturf (Liriope spicata) is an herbaceous flowering plant native to East Asia. It is commonly used in landscaping for ground cover. Blackish berries develop on this plant in the fall season.

Northern red oak

Arguably the most popular hardwood in the US, lumber from Northern red oak is used for cabinets, flooring, veneers, trim, and more. When growing, the tree is large and reaches between 50 to 75 ft tall. The foliage on this tree is stunning, with dark green leaves in summer giving away to brilliant red in the fall.

18 Shrubs That Grow in Shade

Lack of sun getting your yard down? It can be so hard to fill those cozy, shady strips near walls or the bare expanses beneath your fullest trees. The shrubs on this list are here to save the day! All of these species thrive in indirect sunlight and are ready to fill in all your blank spaces.

Japanese pieris

Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica) is an evergreen shrub that produces chains of small flowers. But be careful, it can cause seizures and temporary blindness if consumed by animals or people. Even so, is sometimes grown in the foundation portion of gardens along with other shrubs.

Winter daphne

Winter daphne, or Daphne odora, is an evergreen shrub grown for its strongly fragrant flowers. This shrub is toxic to humans and animals. Winter daphne grows 3 to 4 feet tall and is highly susceptible to root rot from soggy soil.

Japanese laurel

The Japanese laurel is a hardy green shrub native to Asia. It is a popular garden plant that grows best in moist soil, in places near water or rocks. The yellow flecks on its leaves have sparked the nickname, “gold dust plant.” Japanese laurel is mildly toxic – birds even avoid eating its fruit.

Tea

The leaves of the Tea (Camellia sinensis) are used to make black, green and oolong tea. A small, evergreen shrub whose small, fragrant, white flowers bloom in fall. Prefers full sun, in well-drained, slightly acidic, sandy soil. Tea leaves can be harvested after the third year.

Arrowwood viburnum

Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) is a small perennial woody shrub native to the eastern United States and Canada. This shrub is not typically used for ornamental purposes aside from shrub hedges. It has the potential to attract songbirds and whiteflies.

Japanese holly

Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) is an evergreen shrub native to China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Japanese holly is a flowering plant, and its flowers transition into berries during the summer season. This plant is popularly planted as an ornamental shrub and can be grown as a Bonsai tree.

Fringe flower

This evergreen shrub is used in outdoor landscaping. It flowers in early spring. Some varieties of Fringe flower grow green leaves and white flowers. A more popular maroon-leafed variety hit the US market in the 1980s, which flowers in eye-catching pinks or reds.

Red buckeye

Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) is a flowering plant native to the midwestern and southern United States. Red buckeye is also called the firecracker plant. This plant attracts bees, and its seeds are poisonous. The Red buckeye can be used to make soap.

Japanese rose

Japanese rose (Kerria japonica) is a plant species native to China, Japan and Korea. The Japanese rose is known as yamabuki in Japan. Both the Golden Guinea and Bachelors Buttons cultivars have received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Bunchberry dogwood

Bunchberry dogwood (Cornus canadensis) is a herbaceous, flowering perennial plant that grows along the ground and spreads by underground rhizomes. Bunchberry dogwood flowers bloom in the spring, followed by clusters of red berries that ripen in summer. This plant attracts birds, deer and other wildlife. It is commonly planted in gardens.

Catawba rosebay

The Catawba rosebay is usually cultivated in North America and Europe as an ornamental plant. The Rhododendron catawbiense generally grows up to 3m tall, but can occasionally reach heights of 5m. In the United States, the Catawba rosebay is often found in the Appalachian Mountains.

Witch hazel

Witch hazel was used quite commonly in the 20th century for locating water sources. The practice, called dowsing or water witching, is still occasionally used. In dowsing, a forked stick of Witch hazel is held perpendicular to the ground and moved slowly over it. The belief is that when a water source is directly under the stick, it will dip or jump.

Japanese skimmia

Japanese skimmia (Skimmia japonica) is a rounded evergreen shrub that is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks. Japanese skimmia is often planted in Chinese gardens and grown as a bonsai tree. This species has a variety of small cultivars for ornamental purposes.

Canada yew

Canada yew (Taxus canadensis) is a conifer tree native to northeastern North America. Canada yew produces poisonous toxins called taxanes. All parts of this plant are toxic.

Mountain laurel

The Mountain laurel is most known for its reproductive methods, in which it creates tension on its stamens and flings its pollen onto insects. It is possible for the Mountain laurel to release pollen in a range of up to 15cm.

Western sweetshrub

Western sweetshrub is a large, easy-to-grow deciduous shrub that produces showy flowers with a spicy, fruity fragrance. Despite a proliferation of common names referring to its sweet and spicy scent, this plant is toxic to humans and livestock and should not be eaten.

Eastern hemlock

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) really takes its time to mature. In fact, it may take up to 300 years to reach what’s considered adulthood among evergreen trees. It can even live for another 100 years if conditions are right. Other names for this majestic species include hemlock spruce and Canada hemlock.

Toyon

Toyon produces a berry that has multiple culinary uses. The berries can be cooked and eaten by themselves, or made in multiple preparations. Some of the most common of these are jellies, custards, and teas. The berries can also be dried and stored for later consumption. These berries have been a food staple for Native American tribes for generations.

错过浇水

当你没有给你的植物充分浇水时，它们最终会枯萎和死亡。植物需要水才能生长和茁壮成长。它们通过根部吸收水分，从而进行光合作用。这为植物提供了生长所需的能量和营养。植物还利用水将土壤中的营养物质通过植物茎向上移动到叶子、花朵和果实中。

如果没有适当的水，植物就无法参与光合作用或获得保持健康所需的营养。即使是最轻微的缺水也应立即纠正，以保持植物茁壮成长。

轻度缺水

症状

植物没有得到足够水的第一个迹象是它的生长会受到阻碍。新的增长将低于正常水平。叶子也可能有点枯萎。

解决方案

为了纠正这个问题，通过在根部浇水给你的植物喝一杯好水。植物应在 1 至 2 天内恢复正常。然后，继续遵循建议的浇水时间表。

中度缺水

症状

您将开始看到植物的叶子枯萎并垂下，因为细胞没有获得足够的水分

解决方案

让你的植物在根部充分浸泡。这应该在太阳的热量消散的清晨或下午晚些时候进行。当您的植物处于充足的阳光下时，请避免在头顶浇水，因为这会灼伤叶子。随着根部吸水，您的植物应该在几个小时内开始恢复。

对于室内植物或容器中的植物，给它们水浴是个好主意。把你的花盆带进浴室，在浴缸里放几英寸厚的水。将你的植物放在浴缸里一两个小时。一旦叶子恢复膨胀，将植物从浴缸中取出，让它们排干。

严重缺水

症状

如果您的植物有一段时间没有喝水，叶子会开始完全干燥，变成棕色，然后从植物上掉下来。最终，树枝也会像植物的其余部分一样死亡。

解决方案

您可以尝试通过切断所有枯木并减少一些顶部生长来使遭受严重缺水的植物恢复活力。然后，给你的植物一个很好的浸泡。密切注意植物，看看它是否正在恢复，并确保不要让土壤变干。

Penyiraman yang Dirindukan

Ketika Anda gagal menyirami tanaman Anda secara memadai, mereka akhirnya akan layu dan mati. Tanaman membutuhkan air untuk tumbuh dan berkembang. Mereka mengambil air melalui akar mereka yang memungkinkan mereka untuk terlibat dalam fotosintesis. Ini memberi tanaman energi dan nutrisi untuk tumbuh. Tanaman juga menggunakan air untuk memindahkan nutrisi dari tanah ke atas melalui batang tanaman dan ke daun, bunga, dan buah.

Tanpa air yang tepat, tanaman tidak dapat mengambil bagian dalam fotosintesis atau mendapatkan nutrisi yang mereka butuhkan untuk tetap sehat. Bahkan defisit air sekecil apa pun harus segera diperbaiki agar tanaman Anda tetap tumbuh subur.

Defisit Air Ringan

Gejala

Tanda pertama bahwa tanaman tidak mendapat cukup air adalah pertumbuhannya akan terhambat. Pertumbuhan baru akan lebih kecil dari biasanya. Mungkin juga ada sedikit layu daun.

Larutan

Untuk memperbaikinya, beri tanaman Anda minuman yang baik dengan mengoleskan air di tingkat akar. Tanaman akan kembali normal dalam 1 hingga 2 hari. Kemudian, terus ikuti jadwal penyiraman yang disarankan.

Defisit Air Sedang

Gejala

Anda akan mulai melihat daun tanaman layu dan menggantung karena sel tidak mendapatkan cukup kelembaban

Larutan

Berikan tanaman Anda perendaman yang baik di tingkat akar. Ini harus dilakukan di pagi hari atau sore hari ketika panas matahari telah hilang. Hindari penyiraman di atas kepala saat tanaman Anda berada di bawah sinar matahari penuh karena ini dapat membakar daun. Tanaman Anda akan mulai pulih dalam beberapa jam karena akarnya menyerap air.

Untuk tanaman hias atau yang di dalam wadah, ada baiknya untuk memberi mereka mandi air. Bawa pot Anda ke kamar mandi dan masukkan beberapa inci air ke dalam bak mandi. Letakkan tanaman Anda di bak mandi selama satu atau dua jam. Setelah daun mendapatkan kembali turgornya, keluarkan tanaman dari bak dan biarkan mengering.

Defisit Air yang parah

Gejala

Jika tanaman Anda tidak menerima air selama beberapa waktu, daunnya akan mulai benar-benar kering, berubah warna menjadi coklat, dan rontok dari tanaman. Akhirnya, cabang-cabang juga akan mati seperti halnya sisa tanaman.

Solusi

Anda dapat mencoba dan menghidupkan kembali tanaman yang mengalami defisit air yang parah, dengan memotong semua kayu mati dan mengurangi beberapa bagian atas pertumbuhan. Kemudian, rendam tanaman Anda dengan sangat baik. Awasi tanaman untuk melihat apakah tanaman itu hidup kembali dan pastikan Anda tidak membiarkan tanah mengering.

Kegagalan Menerapkan Pupuk

Pupuk memberi tanaman nutrisi yang mungkin kurang di tanah. Namun, melewatkan satu dosis pupuk tidak akan berpengaruh signifikan kecuali sedikit memperlambat pertumbuhan tanaman. Jika Anda melewatkan satu dosis, jangan panik, karena ini dapat dengan mudah diperbaiki.

Gejala

Tanda-tanda tanaman tidak menerima nutrisi yang cukup dari waktu ke waktu termasuk kurangnya pertumbuhan dan produksi bunga dan buah yang lebih rendah. Anda mungkin juga melihat hilangnya warna pada daun, yang merupakan tanda yang jelas dari kekurangan nutrisi.

Solusi

Jika Anda tidak melihat tanda-tanda kekurangan unsur hara yang terlihat, seperti perubahan warna daun, langsung saja gunakan dosis pupuk normal dan kembali ke jadwal pemupukan yang disarankan.

Jika ada gejala kekurangan unsur hara, kali ini Anda dapat menambahkan sedikit lebih banyak dari biasanya, tetapi lanjutkan jadwal pemupukan yang disarankan setelahnya.

施肥失败

肥料为植物提供土壤中可能缺乏的养分。但是，缺少一剂肥料不会产生任何显着影响，只会稍微减缓植物的生长。如果您错过了剂量，请不要惊慌，因为这很容易补救。

症状

随着时间的推移，植物没有获得足够营养的迹象包括缺乏生长以及花朵和果实的产量降低。您可能还会注意到叶子颜色变淡，这是营养缺乏的明显迹象。

解决方案

如果您没有看到任何明显的营养缺乏迹象，例如叶子变色，只需立即施用正常剂量的肥料，然后返回建议的施肥时间表。

如果出现营养缺乏的症状，您可以比平时多加一点肥料，但之后继续建议的施肥时间表。

Common Garden Questions

Question 1: How do I know when to water my plants?

The best tool you have for gauging plants’ need for water is your own observations. Most plants will droop slightly when they are thirsty. A finger inserted an inch or so into the soil will also tell you whether a plant needs water. Ideally, you should give water at the very first indication that a plant needs it. Succulents will not droop, but the leaves may become less glossy, dull, or wrinkled, and worst they can turn yellow and begin to fall off. Any yellowing of leaves is an indication that there is a water problem: yellow leaf tips indicate overwatering, overall yellowing is often a sign of under-watering. Generally, before watering you should wait until soil has mostly dried out, but it should never be allowed to dry out completely. If you can, water using rainwater whenever possible, because it has the perfect PH for plants.

Question 2: Where should I put a houseplant for the most natural light?

A good guide to light levels is the orientation of your windows.

North-facing windows offer weak, diffuse light that is unsuitable for most plants, but perfect for orchids and other low-light-loving plants.
South-facing windows provide consistent, direct sunlight for most of the day, which is good for Mediterranean plants, cacti, and succulents.
East-facing windows give plants excellent morning sun and then moderate light levels for most of the day.
West-facing windows are appropriate for most sun-loving plants, as they give strong light for the latter half of the day.

Question 3: When and how often do I need to fertilize plants?

There are very specific rules for fertilizing houseplants, beginning with when is the best time to do it. Never fertilize a sick plant, a new arrival, or a plant that has recently been re-potted. Furthermore, refrain from fertilizing a plant anytime it is not actively growing, namely in the cooler months. At the first sign of spring growth, you can start supporting plants with some appropriate fertilizer. Follow the instructions for liquid and granular fertilizers, and never add more than is recommended. Some people fertilize every few weeks, others do so every week during the growing season. Find a frequency that works for you and your plants.

Question 4: How should I design my garden?

Look at lots of other people’s gardens — go on garden tours, check out books, explore online galleries — to gain an understanding of the style of garden that you like. Then, create a design that uses the same principles. Don’t just plant things at random, use a design that repeats colors, textures, and shapes, and create visual patterns.

Question 5: Is it really necessary to have holes in my planting containers?

Yes, even though it is a hassle, containers without holes will collect water in the bottom, eventually causing root rot and premature plant death. Filling the bottom of a pot with rocks will not perform the same function as holes that allow water to drain out, either. Salts also build up from minerals in the water as well as fertilizer residues. Drain holes help excess water move through the soil to effectively “flush out” these buildups that can eventually harm plants if allowed to remain.

Planting Seasonally

When planning out a garden, most people are thinking about spring and summer — the warm months when the garden is most inviting. Once autumn has come and gone, what’s left is uninspiring. The most thrilling gardens are planted for all four seasons, with careful consideration given to creating visual interest and color all year round. These five steps will show you how to think about each season when planning out a garden.

Step 1: Have Perennial Color

As you select species for the garden, think beyond flowers, fruit, and summer foliage. Make a plant chart with four columns, one for each season, and try to incorporate plants that offer some color during the times other plants are dormant. Consider shrubs like red stemmed dogwood, whose crimson branches offer a splash of color in the snow or against the grayest winter skies. Select evergreen plants whose needles are unusually yellow or bluish, and always think about how fall foliage will enrich the landscape with yellows, oranges, and reds.

Step 2: Grow in Layers

In nature, plants grow in layers, each adapted to different strata of light. By mimicking this in a garden design, you can create year-round seasonal interest. Planting a variety of forms, with varying heights, volumes, bark, and texture will ensure that every season is visually interesting. Filling in gaps in the garden can prevent it from having large bare spots during winter and fall.

Step 3: Think Beyond the Bloom

Many plants have exceptionally beautiful features that remain after the blooms have long since fallen away. Teasels, ornamental grasses, and shrubs with unusual profiles can lend rich character to a garden as it moves through the coldest and most austere months of the year. Plan for texture as you plant your garden, imagining what the bare stems and branches of plants will look like in fall and winter.

Step 4: Build Evergreen Architectures

From the needlelike points of Italian cypress trees to the splayed out arms of a Douglas fir, evergreen trees and shrubs can give structure to gardens in all seasons. A well-manicured laurel hedge or a boxwood border serve the same purpose: directing the eye and ushering visitors along pathways, 12 months a year. Well thought-out evergreen plantings can create the illusion of outdoor rooms so that gardens inspire a sense of wonder and discovery even when they are blanketed in snow.

Step 5: Push Petals into Off-Seasons

There are few sights more welcome than the first crocuses of spring, snowdrops announcing longer days, and the brilliance of the earliest daffodils. The relief of early blooms is matched only by the nostalgia of those lingering blooms of late autumn: the graceful roses, purple asters, and glorious dahlias that continue until the first hard freeze. Planting a profusion of bulbs promises an early spring surprise, and a collection of late fall flowers helps to shorten the period of time between the final bud of fall and the first bloom of spring.

With a little creativity and foresight, you can create a garden that delights year-round.