April, true to its legend, has brought us showers. Soon, we will be planting the flowers and vegetables, and hoping the drought is over.
However, it is not quite safe to plant most flowers due to the possibility of a late frost. Give it two to three more weeks, and check the weather forecasts.
It is a good time to plan while you wait. For instance, if you feel like your flower beds are getting boring, maybe you need something exotic or heirlooms, new bushes, or trees?
Whatever you plan, keep in mind the size of your property. Large plants, large beds with many colors, may be too much for a small house. Small plants will fade away next to a huge house.
But let’s say you have a good-sized yard and you want a bit of a show. The tallest plants would take center stage. Shorter plants toward the edges. A blooming shrub or perhaps a large rock or two, and, okay, a small fish pond or bird bath would add some new interest.
Use your new plantings against a wall or fence, or to hide an electrical box or the garbage cans.
Annuals will give you steady color and bloom through the summer into the fall. Choose some different forms, like trumpets, spikes, bells, which will add contrast to the bed.
Most perennials have a blooming period, then just enjoy being green until next year. Add a Knock-out rose that blooms from spring to frost. Daylilies are sturdy survivors, and mums will keep their color theme into late fall.
Mulch is a great way to protect new roots and keep weeds controlled, plus the color adds an accent to the plantings.
You can make your planting bed a showplace or a quiet rest area with the plants and colors you chose. Hopefully, you will not have created much extra work and can enjoy what you have planned for many years.
NOTE: I will be reading from my book, “Garden Walks with Judy,” at Prairie Lights Bookstore, at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 19 in Iowa City.
Judy Terry is a longtime garden columnist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Garden walks with Judy: Plan a special garden area
Reporting by Judy Terry, Special to the Press-Citizen / Ames Tribune
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