If you want your garden to attract more wildlife, it’s worth considering plants that are good for deer, rabbits, and butterflies. Consider a yellow-budded perennial, such as a hosta or a fuchsia. These blooms are a magnet for many animals, including deer. And when you’re planting your garden, you’ll enjoy a variety of wildlife-attracting flowers, including butterflies and hummingbirds.
Succulents
Succulents are hardy and can tolerate extreme temperatures, which makes them an excellent choice for many climates. This is why they require less water, but you must make sure the soil is well-drained so they do not suffer from root rot. You should also keep the soil dry, especially during the hot summer months, so they don’t suffer from drought. Water succulents at least once a week, but if you have them in pots, you can water every other day. Succulents can also tolerate cold temperatures, but their moisture-rich soil makes them susceptible to frost damage.
Aside from being beautiful, succulents also have a number of other advantages. They can be grown in almost any type of container, from old pots and pans to hanging baskets and hanging plants. In addition, they can be grouped in different levels, like on the roof of a house. Succulents can even survive in extreme temperatures, such as minus thirty degrees Fahrenheit. But if you’re planting them outdoors, don’t forget to feed them with a water-soluble fertilizer every week or so.
Hostas
If you want to grow hostas in your garden, here are some tips to keep them looking healthy. First, water them regularly. Hostas are very susceptible to the effects of winter. They should be watered well before the first frost. Mulch them well to encourage new roots. In addition, you can use copper bands around the pots to deter slugs. Slugs are active at night, so you can trap them with beer traps.
Next, choose the right variety of hosta for your garden. A white-variegated hosta is going to compete with a solid gold one. The latter is more attractive, but you may want to choose a blue or green hosta to surround it. In addition, use plants that provide soothing foliage to give the entire area a sense of balance. Hostas are one of the easiest plants to grow, so they are great for gardeners with little experience.
One of the advantages of hostas is that they are easy to grow. There is no special time to plant them. You can plant them any time during the growing season. A variety with a lower hardiness zone will die back after the winter, and vice versa. They also tolerate moist conditions. You should check the soil for moisture every few weeks, especially during periods of hot weather. And last but not least, if you’re worried about moisture retention, you can buy quart-size hostas to display in your garden.
Fuchsias
The first step to care for fuchsias is pruning them in late winter and early spring. Remove dead or diseased branches and prune off the top half of the plant. Pinch out the tips to encourage new growth. If you have fuchsias in your garden that bloom every year, you should consider pruning them every spring to encourage new growth. However, you should be aware of their sensitivity to pruning.
Once frost danger has passed, fuchsias can be transplanted outdoors. You should use compost-laced potting mix when replanting. You should also prune back any new growth, including first flower buds, to keep them looking bushier. After transplanting, make sure to water frequently. Also, it is not possible to overwinter fuchsias in hanging baskets, because the soil mix is too loose and too acidic.
Fuchsias are beautiful shrubs, but they can grow very large. Some varieties need trellising or stakes for support. In hanging baskets, choose bush fuchsias. You can also grow fuchsias as trees. They prefer acidic soil with good drainage. If you are considering fuchsias for your garden, consider this article for more information.
Viburnums
Viburnums are one of the most attractive and fragrant trees in the world. They can be enjoyed from a long distance, and their flowers are so delicate they appear frosted with snow. A cross between two viburnums, V. dentatum ‘Christom’ is one of the best varieties. Its flowers are white, and it bears a delicate, sweet-spicy aroma. Other cultivars are similar, with ‘Mohican’ being the best flowering one. This wayfaring tree grows up to 8 feet tall in the Woodland Garden.
This evergreen shrub will grow in sun or partial shade. It has small, glossy leaves and white flowers that mature into clusters of black berries in August. Birds love it, and it has been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Viburnums are also versatile and can grow into large, majestic trees with judicious pruning. They are related to honeysuckle, and they are an excellent choice for a garden.
Ninebark
Among the best outdoor plants for garden, ninebark can also be cultivated as a tree in a yard. This plant can reach a height of five to six feet. It has scaly foliage and blooms that are white or pink in the late spring and early summer. Typically, ninebark trees bloom once per year. Pruning is best done after the flowering period and during late winter to promote new growth.
The bark of the ninebark tree exfoliates, peeling off to reveal a reddish brown inner bark. When grown in a yard, ninebark is best left to grow naturally, as pruning disrupts its graceful habit. In addition, ninebark prefers a slightly acidic to neutral pH, but it can tolerate clay soil. However, if you have poor soil conditions, ninebark can thrive as a specimen plant.
When used as a landscape plant, ninebark thrives in shady areas, but it does not do well in heavy shade. It does well in partial shade, but needs plenty of air circulation to grow. It also needs regular watering when young, but is drought tolerant once it is established. However, ninebark trees are susceptible to certain diseases, including powdery mildew, fire blight, and witches’ broom. Although deer do not usually affect ninebark trees, some gardeners may experience damage from grazing animals.
Creeping thyme
You can find many ways to propagate creeping thyme. Cuttings from the plant are easily propagated because it continues to send down stems as it grows. Digging up a small chunk and transplanting it will give it an entirely new home. The plants will typically continue to grow even after being transplanted. You should take cuttings in late spring or early summer, and remove the bottom third of the stem. Plant the cutting in a seed starting mix. Coarse sand is best for the seed starting mix, and make small holes with a Q-tip.
The plant will grow to two or three inches tall and spread to at least a foot across. The leaves are small and fuzzy and release a pleasant fragrance when crushed. The lavender-pink flowers will attract bees and other pollinators. The species known as mother-of-thyme, T. praecox, is the best known cultivar. There are 350 species of the Thymus genus, all native to the temperate Mediterranean climate. Many species are harvested for culinary uses.
Lavender
Lavender is a fragrant plant that blooms in the spring. Its pale-purple flowers make it a good choice for borders, hedges, and cut flower arrangements. Lavender also attracts many beneficial insects like bumblebees and honeybees. These insects are beneficial for your garden as they pollinate lavender. It is also considered deer and rabbit-resistant.
While lavender plants thrive in full sun, they do not tolerate much shade, so you should plant them away from other plants. However, you should plant the lavender in full sun if you want it to grow into a large bush. Do not plant lavender too close to other plants that require more sunlight. This will encourage it to grow bigger and better. If you want to grow lavender in containers, you may want to consider putting up landscape fabric around the plant to discourage weed growth.
There are many cultivars of lavender, with different requirements and growing conditions. The English lavenders are the most tolerant of a cool climate, and they will thrive in zones three to five. The French and Spanish lavenders are much more tolerant of high humidity. It is best planted far apart from other plants to allow enough air circulation. You will be able to smell the fragrance of lavender even from a distance.
Mint
If you are looking for an herb that adds a nice aroma to your meals and drinks, you should plant some outdoor mint plants. Mint is known to be an effective herb for digestion and headaches. Although it is an invasive plant, it can be propagated easily. It can be propagated from cuttings or divided roots. It is not advisable to let mint take over your garden, though. For this reason, you should make sure to plan your planting carefully.
While mint plants grow well without fertilizing, weed control, and regular watering, you may need to provide them with some additional nutrients to make them grow more rapidly. Mint is most suited to soil that is well-drained and organically rich. Its soil pH ranges between 6.0 and 7.0. Mint plants are hardy and are ideal for gardens in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 8, though variegated varieties may require partial shade. Once they have established, they can be pruned to the desired height, although older stems may become woody.
