Outdoor plants add elegance and serenity to your home’s landscape. From aromatic herbs to elegant vines, you can easily find a plant that suits your tastes. Whether you’re looking for an effective means of privacy screening or eye-catching flowers, the many types of outdoor plants can fulfill your needs. They add an extra dimension of color and texture to a garden.

Before acquiring outdoor plants, consider the following:

• Flowers

– Flowers are very attractive as outdoor plants, but they do need more care than many other types. Consider whether or not you have time to water daily when deciding to grow flowers.

• Larger Plants

– Larger plants require a larger planting space, so be sure to choose plants that fit your budget and available outdoor space.

• Multiple Plants

– If you’re planning to plant several kinds in the same area, make sure they are not all dependent on the same type of soil or will not compete for the same nutrients. For instance, avoid planting ferns in areas with high salt content as they are susceptible to salt damage.

• Care

– Outdoor plants need sun and water just like others. Outdoor potted plants need more frequent watering than planted ones but gardens require regular moisture from rainfall or irrigation to thrive. They also need plenty of sunlight, so choose a sunny location for your garden, and make sure the area you’ve chosen will get enough light each day.

– These are damaged by cold temperatures. Outdoor potted plants should be moved into heated areas before an approaching cold front arrives and garden plants should be protected from winds and cold temperatures with mulch or other forms of protection.

– They need good drainage, so choose a location that is away from areas that might collect standing water.

– Outdoor potted plants can be moved to shaded areas during very hot periods in the summer months. Whereas, garden planted ones can likewise be covered with shade cloth to protect them from the harshest sunlight and heat of the day.

– Outdoor gardens require weeding and maintenance just like indoor gardens. So set aside time to care for your outdoor landscape properly. If you do not have any extra time each week, consider hiring someone else to take on this task. You can find someone locally as well because many independent landscape designers/installers would be happy to do this work for you. Outdoor plants require a lot of preparation to thrive and maintain their beauty with little or no maintenance. Outdoor plants offer the same kinds of benefits that indoor plants provide:

• Fragrance

– Outdoor potted herbs such as rosemary, thyme, lavender, and oregano can fill your outdoor spaces with enticing fragrances.

• Privacy Screens

– Outdoor potted trees like yew, holly, and boxwood make effective privacy screens when planted near windows or patios. Additionally, tall-growing vines like wisteria also help shield these areas from view, while adding color and fragrance. Outdoor plants also provide benefits that can be enjoyed both inside and outside the home:

• Beauty

– Outdoor potted flowering plants like rose bushes, pansies, petunias, and vinca vine are great for adding color to your surroundings. They should be planted close enough together so they will fill in as they grow larger over time. But not so close that their roots touch each other. Outdoor garden plants with flowers like lilies of the valley, hollyhocks, and hydrangeas are striking additions to a landscape since they bloom repeatedly throughout the growing season. Outdoor plants do need some maintenance from time to time:

• Maintenance

– Herbs and flowering plants require regular trimming of spent flower heads and plant debris. Outdoor gardens also need to be fertilized regularly with the type of fertilizer best suited for outdoor plants. Plants should be moved into an unheated garage or covered porch during severe winters to protect them from frost damage. Gardens may need pruning periodically if they outgrow their designated space. But this is only recommended after the first growing season has passed so that the shrub can develop its full root system before being disturbed by such profound changes.

Herbs are susceptible to certain pests like spider mites, mealybugs, and scale insects that feed on natural juices inside the stems, leaves, or flowers of plants; so it’s a good idea to place ladybugs in these areas. Such plants may also suffer from damage caused by deer, rabbits, and even squirrels that are attracted to the leaves, flowers, or fruits of these beautiful outdoor plants. They can be damaged by hail storms if they do not have adequate overhead protection. Trees should be protected with mesh cages during severe winters; this helps prevent them from breaking when heavy snowfalls on them. They need regular maintenance.

• Clean up

– In addition to pruning, caring for your outdoor plants also includes removing weeds. They may be growing between the cracks of pavers and steps, along stone or brick walkways, etc. You can use a pair of hand shears or a small shovel to pull weed roots out by hand. If you use chemicals to remove weeds, use them carefully because they might be harmful to outdoor plants and pets if they are splashed on any surfaces.

• Use of Containers

– The use of containers for growing potted plants is an excellent way to grow herbs, flowering plants, or vegetables in indoor spaces where their use cannot affect the overall landscape design of the home.

There are several benefits to growing potted plants instead of simply adding them to your garden landscape. Growing herbs or flowering plants in containers allows you to move them around the patio, deck, or porch for convenient access. Outdoor plants are an essential part of every garden as they act as a focal point. There are many things that you can grow in your garden and there is nothing more rewarding than doing it yourself while saving money at the same time.