Brighten up your yard with these colorful garden ideas. Learn how to transform your garden from dull and lackluster to an explosion of color, all year long. From small spaces to sprawling landscapes, we have great ideas for you!
Liven up your garden with these ideas for beautiful and colorful gardens. Whether you're looking for a small space or an entire acre, we have the perfect plan to keep your yard bright and blooming all year long!
We’ve collected some of our favorite ideas for adding color throughout the year, so whether you're gearing up for winter or looking ahead to spring, there's something here that will inspire you.
What's the use of looking at a garden that looks fantastic for just four or five months? Every year, we get excited about how beautiful our yards and gardens look for a short time before all of the vibrant colors disappear into brown leaves on fallen branches in autumn.
With a little creativity and by getting to really know your plants, you can have an colourful garden throughout the entire year.
The first thing to remember when designing your year-round garden is that different plants flower at different times. You can organize it so that certain ones bloom during specific seasons and you have a colorful space all year long, with colors appropriate for each month!
Remember that different seasons will use different plants to provide colors:
Summer/Spring: perennials, annuals, flowering plants
Fall: foliage
Winter: trees, shrubs, evergreens, berries
Here are some recommendations suitable for each different season:
Spring
The colorful change of season is a perfect time to get creative with flowers. In addition, planting bulbs early in the year will allow you to see their earliest bloom which are typically some popular prize winners such as tulips or daffodils!
Make sure you plant them late autumn so you don't miss out on these vibrant colors.
Looking for a plant that will add color and texture in the spring? Look no further than some of our favorite perennials: irises! They're low maintenance, spreading their roots after just one year. And with all different varieties to choose from you'll have something fun every time - both visually speaking as well as when it's flower season again next year or soon thereafter.
If you're looking for a low maintenance plant that is perfect to grow in small spaces, then hosta might be the right choice. With colors ranging from white-green and dark green shades it will provide an interesting background when planted close together or even scattered across your landscape's acreage! These hardy leaves are not only durable but also easy on resources too making them environmentally friendly as well.
Summer
While you're planting all of your favorite colorful annuals, don't forget to include some nice leafy shrubs that can provide a beautiful green backdrop. These will add color and stability for any blooming spring flowers in the garden!
Your mid-summer border can include lots and lots of perennials that love the sun. Think about wildflowers or you could even add some roses to your collection!
One of the most beautiful things about fall is how nature changes. Flowers that were bright and colorful in summer become more subtle shades, like brown or yellow with red hints to them now that it's autumn time. The black-eyed Susan flower fits right into this trend - not only does its color scheme match well against other seasonal flowers but also before they bloom their dark green leaves make great backdrops too!
Fall
In the fall, think about how your leaves change color and become more vibrant. Think of those early days when you first notice them as they begin to unfurl from their green state into a bright array of oranges, reds and yellows before taking on their final hue in preparation for winter - brownish-yellow!
Here are some more plants that will change color, depending on where you live.
Fall plants that work well in warm climates:
Japanese Maple
Boston Ivy
Chinese Pistachio
Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba)
Eastern Redbud
American Sweetgum
Fall plants that provide color for cooler climates:
Dwarf Burning Bush
Virginia Creeper
Sugar Maple
Northern Red Oak
European White Birch
Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea
Winter
When it's cold outside, you'll need something warm and colorful to brighten up the landscape. A winter yard full of berries is perfect for anyone in search of some cheer! Consider holly with its red berries.
For something more traditional but still stunning look no further than birch trees whose leaves turn fiery shades before beginning browning at branch tips once snowflakes start falling on them heavily each evening; while ironwood provides an earthy feel due out from its dark green bark which contrasts beautifully against lighter greens found elsewhere around these parts (such as dogwoods).
Colorful plants for winter:
Red Twig Dogwood
Groundcover Cotoneaster
Yellow Twig Dogwood
Coral Beauty Cotoneaster
Cranberry Cotoneaster
Monrovia Pyracantha
Red Elf Pyracantha
Yukon Bell Pyracantha
Holly (English, Japanese, and Chinese)
With so many options of what to plant and how to decorate we hope you'll find something that sparks your interest.