2021 brings on new, exciting landscaping/ gardening trends while revitalizing some older ones. After the particularly long (and odd) year that was 2020, many people feelt ike 2020 couldn’t come to a close sooner. In the last year many people found themselves spending more and more time at home and with that also using there backyards more then in the past. Studies show an increase in gardening & time spent outdoors in 2020, and continuing threw this year.
Outdoor Living Spaces offer privacy while also adding a vibrant landscape of color (with the right plants!) to your home or business
Adjusting to the new way of life brought on by 2020, things like; practicing social distancing, early curfews, buffering zoom meetings, choppy video calls etc became normal & are now common in many peoples lives. This makes having a place to relax & unwind more desirable then ever. Enter outdoor living spaces. Outdoor living spaces in particular are going to be one of the most sought after landscaping trends in this new year. Gardening, outdoor-living spaces, family garden projects, even something as simple as going out for a walk can be great sources of relaxation and or stress relief. If you can do all of these things in your backyard, why not?
Creating a flower bed from scratch is cost efficient & gives both the customer and client a sense of pride after watching their garden grow and seeing the completed project. There are 2 main categories of plants, Annual & Perennial. Perennial flowers will re-bloom year to year while annual flowers will only bloom once. Some popular Perennial flowers include:
Red Columbine
Exposure:
Sun / light shade
Bloom Time:
Summer
Zones:
4 to 8
Height:
15″ to 20″
Width:
10″ to 15″
A long time Jersey favorite, Blooms in springtime, as late as early summer. limestone rich soil that drains well. Reaches heights of about 3 feet, grows taller rather than spreading, Due to its tendency for tall growth, works in a bed with most other flowers(provided that they don’t overshadow the Red Columbine)
Cutleaf Cone Flowers
Exposure:
Sun / light shade
Bloom Time:
Summer – Fall
Zones:
4 to 8
Height:
1′ to 7″
Width:
10″ to 15″
An herbaceous perennial plant is 3-8′ tall; it branches occasionally in the upper half.The alternate leaves are up to 12″ long and 12″ across, becoming gradually smaller as they ascend the stems. With a Long bloom period- up to 2 months This plant is a sunshine spectacle in the garden when it reaches 7 feet. Produces a bounty of beautiful blooms. No serious pest issues.
Chrysanthemum
Exposure:
Full sun
Bloom Time:
September to frost
Zones:
4 to 8
Height:
1.50 to 2.00 feet
Spread:
1.00 to 1.50 feet
Popular perennial all over the world, Chrysanthemum thrives in New Jersey gardens. Outlasting even most annuals this flower blooms in colors ranging from white, yellow to orange. Important planting tips: These particular perennials have a wide spread, leave room for them spread out asthey can clump together if planted too closely and stunt growth.
Achillea ‘Firefly Amethyst’ (Yarrow)
Exposure:
Full Sun
Bloom Time:
Summer
Zones:
3 to 8
Height:
18″ to 22″
Width:
32″ to 36″
This new Achillea variety is one tough plant! It is drought tolerant, doesn’t like rich soil, and resists deer and rabbits. As an added bonus, it isn’t invasive like some varieties of Yarrow can be. One standout variety is ‘Firefly Amethyst’. It’s flowers start out bright pink and fade to a lighter color, giving a multi-shade of pink effect. If pink isn’t for you Achillea is also available in yellow, white and peach
Allium ‘Serendipity’ (Ornamental Onion)
‘Serendipity’ is a low-growing Allium it’s long bloom time of 4 – 6 weeks will provide your garden with color all summer long.
Exposure:
Sun / Part Shade
Bloom Time:
Summer
Zones:
4 to 8
Height:
15″ to 20″
Width:
10″ to 15″
A low-growing Allium that forms a mound of round purple blooms in the summer. This Allium attracts butterflies and resists deer and rabbits. If you leave the flowers on the plant, it may self-seed. However, if you prefer a more orderly garden, removing the spent blooms & will prevent self-seeding.
Pink flowers and leafy blue-green leaves. Grows well in sun, blooms twice yearly in the spring and fall.
While Dicentra ‘Pink Diamonds’ does have the same pink flowers and leafy blue-green leaves that Dicentra are known for, that’s where the similarities stop. It grows well in the sun and does not disappear in the summer. And to top that, it re-blooms. So you can have those pretty pink blooms in your garden in the late spring and the early fall. Just be sure to plant them in well-drained soil. It doesn’t like to keep its feet wet
Salvia ‘White Profesion’ (Perennial Salvia)
A spiky forming Perennial that re-blooms.
Exposure:
Sun
Bloom Time:
Spring / Summer
Zones:
3 to 8
Height:
16″ to 20″
Width:
16″ to 20″
You may be thinking “What’s so new about Salvia? They’re everywhere!” While this may look like your average perennial salvia, it has one distinct advantage. It’s re-blooming! Which means you can have perennial salvia adding its spiky blooms to your garden for a longer period. It’s only available in white as of now.
Echinacea ‘Orange You Awesome’ (Coneflower)
Beautiful tangerine orange flowers with dark cones that are just stunning.
Exposure:
Sun
Bloom Time:
Summer – Fall
Zones:
4 to 8
Height:
18″ to 22″
Width:
16″ to 20″
Looking for a flower that is easy to grow and will add a ton of color to your garden? Check out these new Coneflower varieties. They love sunny and hot locations which is perfect for those tough spots in your yard. Not a fan of deep orange? There’s also a yellow variety called ‘Yellow My Darling’ that you may like better.
Blanket Flower
Low maintenance cut flowers with low water needs that grows in Sand, Chalk, Loam. Perfect for borders.
Exposure:
Full Sun
Bloom Time:
Summer – Fall
Zones:
3 to 8
Height:
1′ to 2′
Width:
2′ to 3′
Also called Gaillardia, this perennial is a drought and heat tolerant member of the wildflower family. Blanket Flowers are an excellent choice for creating flower bed borders in poor quality soil, and they typically form 3-inch daisy-like blooms in red, gold, or brown. Despite its short lifespan, Blanket Flower is a simple seed-to-flower in a year perennial that thrives in a temperate climate.
Contact Hidden Leaf Landscaping for your next home project
That’s it for “2020 Best Perennials” for now. Thanks for reading & get to planting! Check back with Hidden Leaf Landscaping for more Gardening, lawn care, & landscaping help and don’t forget to contact us for your next home project or lawn care needs.
