Flowers -- Bulbs for Spring?

[Little Monster]

Hello everyone...

It is finally starting to feel like spring around here (east coast)... please let me not jinx that

There were a few daffodils & tulips that survived from the last owners, but that''s about it. I added some bearded irises last year that look great but that was it! I don''t have much experience with flowers or gardening.

I want things that will:
a) bloom year after year
b) NOT have to be dug up before frost time in winter
c) survive without much babying...
d) be happy in Zone 6

What do you have in your gardens or yards that seems to thrive??

Thanks for any suggestions!!

 

[somethingshiny]

Do you have shaded or sunny areas?
What''s the water situation?
Do you only want flowers, or do you want flowering bushes, plants?

 

[Little Monster]

Shiny,

Suggest anything - flowers, shrubs, plants, etc... all would be great - there''s almost nothing there now

The poor house looks un-lived in... like it was just built & not landscaped!

we have full sun in the front, full sun/partial sun & full shade areas in back, so anything could have a home...

the front area has some old much beds that probably need some fresh mulch(?!) that drains really well... The rest drains okay, though it can get a little boggy when there''s tons of rain. I have no idea what kind of soil we have. If you meant can we water? Yes... though I''d rather not have to water really frequently. If you meant something else... just let me know!

Thanks for your help!

 

[somethingshiny]

I think gardens and landscaping look best when they have a bit of a theme, whether it''s color or style. Figure out if you want a very mixed look or separate areas of individual flower species. Also take into consideration the foilage and blooming time for different plants. That way you''ll always have something interesting to look at.

I think a cottage style is very easy to do and care for. This means using lots of repeating plants in little clumps. So, you can have 3 groups of lillies, a butterfly bush, 2 stands of salvia, etc until it''s all filled in. I anchor this look with a "hedge" of a tall flower like iris or something and then have the little clumps scattered. I also like to add a little walking path if the area is big enough. Within just a couple years they will fill in just about everywhere and there will be very little weeding and maintenance.


I would stick with perennials because they are usually the hardiest.

I love lilies, hyacinth, delphinium, irises, and salvia for growing just about anywhere. Lots of colors too and they increase in size and numbers every year.

Lilac bushes and butterfly bushes are a great way to add lots of color in a hurry. They both come in lots of colors and there are species in both that grow really quickly. They''re also very fragrant and of course attract birds and butterflies. I cut my butterfly bush back in the fall so it gets fuller rather than taller, but they require little maintenance after the first year of intensive water. There are lots of shrubs that flower and do well in your area. I have something called Mountain Fire. In the spring the new growth is red and then in the summer cascades of white bell shaped flowers drape over them.

Don''t discount ornamental grasses. Lots of them have beautiful foilage and change colors. They also play in the wind and you can get a lovely background noise out of them to cover up other neighborhood sounds.

All of the above are pretty hardy.

I start very simply when creating a garden or landscaping. I just go to the nursery and look around to see what catches my eye. Then I start carrying different plants around and grouping them together until I like what I see. Then I just pay attention to when the blooms will come so I always have color.

For me, gardening is much more about planting what you''d like to look at than following any mold. Find what you like and make sure the colors coordinate and you should be happy.

THIS is a fun place to start. You can get an idea of what you would like and you can choose plants by zone, color, etc.