Summer is here! If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to think about what landscaping you will need to make your yard and home your personal oasis. There are so many flowers, trees and shrubs to choose from that are native to Northern Virginia  — you may run out of space for all the ones you like! Read on for some landscaping ideas to beautify your home.

Low-Maintenance Perennials

Unlike annuals, perennials return year after year. They are also hardy, so you can start them outdoors.

• Obedient Plant – This plant has snapdragon-like flowers and blooms in the late summer. It likes to spread out, so give it plenty of room. The Obedient Plant can grow up to 4 feet tall and wide and does best in full sun or partial shade.
• Ajuga – The Ajuga plant has short spires of blue flowers in the spring and then has green, burgundy, bronze, or variegated foliage until the fall. It can get up to 6 inches tall and 3 feet wide and grows best in the shade and moist, well-drained soil.
• Yellow Flag Iris – This plant blooms yellow in the spring and then provides green foliage for the rest of the year. It can get up to 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide and grows best in full sun or partial shade and moist soil. The Yellow Flag Iris loves wet spots, such as near a pond.
• Lilyturf – Lilyturf is a good accent or border plant. It has multi-colored foliage, especially if you choose the Silver Dragon variety. In the fall, you will get spikes of lavender or white flowers. The Lilyturf can get up to a foot tall and wide and grows best in full shade and moist soil.
• Southern Shield Fern – While ferns don’t flower, they still add beauty. This particular fern can get up to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It grows best in the shade and well-drained soil.
• Black-Eyed Susan – Black-Eyed Susans are particularly good for the summer heat and provide beautiful color when the dog days of summer set in. They can get up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide and grow best in full sun and well-drained soil.
• Phlox – If you want a beautiful flowering plant with a pleasant fragrance, you’ll want to put some Phlox in your garden. It’s especially fragrant on a warm, humid evening. Phlox also attracts bees and butterflies. They can get up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide and grow best in full sun or partial shade and moist, well-drained soil.

Annuals to Complement Your Perennials

Annuals need to be planted every year, but they bloom continuously throughout the summer. They can also be used in containers, hanging baskets and window planters to accent entrances and patios.

Shade-Loving Annuals

• Wishbone flower – This plant attracts hummingbirds. Its flowers are various colors with yellow markings. It can get up to 12-15 inches tall.
• Lady’s Eardrops – This is a tendril-climbing woody vine with green to reddish-brown stems. It’s a favorite of hummingbirds.
• Impatiens – These flowers can bloom in either sun or shade. The blooms are usually red, pink or white.
• Coleus – Though there are no flowers on this plant, it’s still quite colorful. It has a range of colors from bright chartreuse to hot pink to near-black. Coleus comes in many different shapes and sizes and has unique, square semi-succulent stems.
• Sweet potato vine – The sweet potato vine loves the sun but can also grow in full shade. Some climbing varieties can reach up to 7 feet. It prefers moist, well-drained soil.

Sun-Loving Annuals

• Butter Daisy – This yellow flowering plant loves heat and humidity. Its flowers resemble daisies and bloom from May until frost.
• Angelonia (a.k.a. Summer Snapdragon) – This plant blooms despite heat and drought. If you cut them regularly, they will bloom all summer.
• Petunias – Petunias produce brightly colored, funnel-shaped flowers and will bloom all summer and into the fall.
• Zinnia – The Zinnia grows in a mound shape and can tolerate droughts.
• Feather Celosia – This plant blooms a deep raspberry pink and thrives in heat and humidity. It’s also drought tolerant.
• Moss Rose – This plant’s blooms come in a variety of colors. It does well in hot, sunny, dry locations.

Looking for real estate services in Gainesville, Haymarket or Bristow? Contact your local real estate expert Belinda Jacobson-Loehle of Jacobson Realty and Home Staging In Gainesville, Virginia today. Also be sure to sign up now for a FREE copy of my eBook, “The Real Estate Key – What You Need to Know!”

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