Landscaping For Any And All Climates
Saturday
Jul 31, 2010
A well designed landscape or garden plan needs to consider all details and factors first before deciding on the different elements that will make up the design. One very important consideration is the climate and weather. Regardless of the landscape design style you decide on, the materials and plants you choose should work with the climate in the area that you live in. Adverse climate changes can harm your landscaping, materials, and your landscaping plants. In areas that experience the changes of all four seasons, gardens and landscapes will also feel the effects of these seasonal changes. That’s why you should be more meticulous in making decisions on your landscaping design plans. Here are a few ideas that may be helpful in any climate for designing landscapes or gardens.
Plant choices should be backed by a little knowledge of what works and what’s available in your area. A planting practice used often in Desert and Southwest landscaping design ideas, adaptive and native planting is a good way to match the right plants with the right climate. Designing natives into your landscaping plans wherever they’ll work can help make your landscaping more beautiful and maintenance free all year long. Native plants are able to adapt well in their local soil, so compatibility isn’t an issue. Because they grow in your area, they should also be adapted to the climate of your region. Regardless of where you are, it’s a good possibility that there are lots of native plants in your area that you can use.
Another way to design for climate, almost regardless of what kind of climate you have, is by planting some tropical or Mediterranean landscaping design plants. Many Tropical plants have very bright flowers that will dazzle most any landscape. Unknown to most folks, some tropical plant varieties actually grow well in colder climates. Do a little research on tropical plants and you may find a few that will thrive in your area. A few of the tropical plant varieties you can use in not so tropical climates are Purple Queen Bougainvillea, MidKnight Blue Agapanthus, and some varieties of Hibiscus. Lantana, which is a profuse continuous bloomer, is also a good selection that comes in several different bloom colors from light purple to bright yellow. Mandevillas, which have beautiful trumpet shaped flowers on long vines are also a great choice. There is definitely enough choices of tropical plants to make your landscape stunning with every season.
Seasonal diversity is also an important element for landscaping or gardens with different climates. If you want more bloom time than just having annuals, then you can use plants with different blooming times and patterns and combine them throughout the landscaping or garden. So when one plant variety finishes its growing season, you’ll still have plants blooming in your yard or garden for the rest of the year. The key here is knowing the different seasonal bloom schedules of your different plant choices. Know which ones bloom in each season and choose one or two for each season.
Besides plants, you can also use other ornaments in your landscaping to add more aesthetic interest. Ornaments and garden decor generally make good placements since they aren’t really effected by changes in the climate or weather. For the most part, many different elements like ponds, pavers, pathways, sculptures and other hardscapes can be added to your landscaping and garden to make it more inviting and appealing.
















































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