The best plants for the west side of your house need to be hardy and tough, since they’ll be getting extra heat reflected off the walls. However, you can choose taller plants that will provide shade from the sun while still providing interest in your yard. To add a rustic charm to your garden, consider hollyhocks, which can grow up to 8 feet tall and produce beautiful, fragrant blooms that range in size from five to eight inches. They’re also hardy, growing in USDA zones 2 to 10.
Campanulas
Planting campanulas on the west side of your house can increase their blooming potential. The best time to repot the plant is when the roots are visible, which is usually early autumn or early spring. When repotting, choose a houseplant potting mix with good drainage. Because campanulas’ roots can spread over a large area, repotting too frequently can cause rot and other problems. A properly sized pot should allow the roots to grow tightly, increasing the chances of a bloom.
If your campanulas are in a sunny location, it will naturally thrive. Nonetheless, if you place them on a west-facing window sill, you should slowly increase the amount of light they receive. Leaving them in the sun for too long can cause them to rot and die. To avoid this, you can transplant the plant in the spring to wrap its roots around moister soil.
A variety of campanulas, from tiny bellflowers to tall spires, are excellent choices for this part of the house. While most campanulas are easy to place and require very little care, you should make sure to deadhead them after they flower. You should also cut back the stems regularly to encourage regrowth. But be warned, campanulas are notoriously poor garden plants. In addition to being difficult to transplant, campanulas can develop a woody rootstock that can be hard to remove.
As with all plants, proper watering is important. If you water your campanula too often, it will suffer from basal rot and Botrytis, which are bacterial diseases that occur when there is too much moisture. Watering campanulas once a week is recommended in bright, warm locations. Also, they will tolerate average room humidity. The best way to water them is to gradually reduce the frequency of irrigation.
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are best planted on the west side of the house because they can tolerate a variety of soil conditions and they thrive in dappled shade. There are several different types of hydrangea, but the most commonly found ones include hydrangea macrophylla and hydrangea paniculata. Both varieties have beautiful flowers that bloom in panicles. These plants are the quintessential flowering plant for the west side of a house.
One of the most popular varieties is ‘Limelight,’ which has unusual lime-green flowers. They bloom profusely in midsummer and can tolerate three to four hours of direct sun. The flowers will develop purplish color as they age. ‘Limelight’ grows best in full sunlight to light shade, although some shade is beneficial for the leaves. It will grow 6-8 feet tall and is hardy from zones 3 to 8.
In addition to mountain hydrangeas, French hydrangeas, known as mopheads, are a good choice for the west side of your house. These flowers have an unusually long blooming period, so you won’t have to worry about them getting overgrown in your west side of house. While they look great, they’re also not good for pets. Dogs can be poisonous to hydrangeas so keep them well away from them.
Hydrangeas respond well to various propagation methods. Two of the most common techniques are layering and dividing. The Dirr’s method produces new plants in four weeks. To propagate hydrangeas, find a softwood stem with several leaves on it and cut them into five-inch pieces. Make sure to place the leaves of the stem towards the top of the cutting.
Japanese barberries
The winterberry, or Japanese barberry, is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that is hardy in USDA zones 7 through 9. It is a vigorous grower and produces flowers in early spring that turn to orange or red berries by late fall. This drought-tolerant plant grows to a height of two to six feet. Depending on the variety, it will grow as a hedge or in a container.
The Japanese Barberry has attractive fall foliage and is resistant to Puccinia graminis, a common weed. It was popularized as an ornamental shrub and began spreading rapidly in suburban areas during the 1960s. By the 1970s, it had become a problematic invasive species in the United States and Canada. Despite this invasive history, it is still sold as an easy-to-grow shrub in the U.S.
The Japanese Barberry is a hardy, deciduous shrub that grows to six to eight feet in ideal conditions. Its leaves are small, oval, smooth and 1/2 to one inch long. Their foliage is green, bluish-green, and dark red. The Japanese Barberry blooms in early spring, followed by bright red berries. The blooms persist into winter, and the leaves turn crimson or yellow in autumn.
Virginia sweetspire
A Virginia sweetspire can be planted in a pot for the first season. Then, you can transplant the plant into the landscape once its root system has become established. It is a hardy plant that does well through winter, although it may suffer from dieback during very cold climates. However, it will come back strong and healthy in spring. So, if you’re looking for the best plant for your west-facing house, start by planting it now.
Virginia sweetspire grows well in full to part-shade conditions. Full sun is optimal, as its shape, flowers, and fall color will be most striking. Part-shade conditions are fine, although shady conditions may limit flower production. Shade is best in warmer climates. Depending on your local climate, it may need more water during the first year. After establishing, however, it can tolerate a bit of drought.
Another native shrub, Virginia sweetspire is a lovely addition to the west side of your house. Its fragrant flowers bloom in late spring and bloom in graceful racemes. The flowers are star-shaped and open in succession from the base of the plant to the tip. The plant will continue to bloom into the fall, so it’s an excellent addition to the west side of your house. A Virginia sweetspire is ideal for the west-facing side of your house if you want to add a dramatic accent to your house.
If you’re planning to plant a Sweetspire on your west-facing patio, you should know that it can spread by pushing up new shoots from its mother plant. You should carefully consider allowing this, as it will eventually colonize. Sweetspire can be a solid hedge or mass-planted shrub, depending on the size of your yard. Pruning should only be done when you notice dead branches, so you don’t remove flower buds next year.
Switch grass
With its versatile use, switchgrass is a perennial that requires little care and maintenance. While the foliage should be removed in early spring, it forms deep clumps of foliage. Cut off the older centers to rejuvenate the plant. In the winter, the grass produces its seed, which birds love to eat. If you are not sure how to plant switchgrass in your garden, you can divide it to get several plants. Panicum virgatum is one of the most popular varieties. Its steel blue foliage is spectacular, and its upright columns up to 5 feet high in bloom form a dramatic contrast.
This warm-season grass can grow up to 48 inches tall and 36 inches wide. The tall panicle is 5 feet tall, with foliage that is a mix of green and blue. The flowers are small, pinkish, and appear on stalks. They can give your landscape year-round interest. You can find several different varieties of switch grass, including a red variety. These will give your home a distinctive, colorful look.
Although switchgrass is native to Maryland, it does well in the garden. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions and thrives in full sun. It can even be used in a rain garden and under black walnut trees. Just be sure to plant it in an area where it gets full sunlight, as it is prone to self-seed. Once established, switchgrass will naturally take over the area.
The plant grows from a cluster of rhizomes and is early-maturing. Switchgrass begins growing in early April, with its flowers blooming in late May and early June. These tiny flowers are wind-pollinated and produce rose-colored seeds. It can be cultivated in large containers and can grow up to five feet tall. It can be used as a groundcover in the spring or as a container plant.
