We are in the middle of restoring a old house and landscape ideas are welcome?

Question

I love all flower but I'm not really a gardener. I was wanting a little help! I have know idea what to plant. I would like something blooming at different times but to last I do want something blooming at all times. And of course something that doesn't take a lot of time to deal with.. A few hours a week is anough outside taking care of them I think... I do like purple and yellow...just any suggestions are welcome.. thanks

Answer 1

Since you have an older house, you want to stick with "older" flowers. Use azalias close to the house. They come in a variety of colors and bloom early spring. For summer blooms, try Sweet Williams, begonias, old-fashioned roses, and petunias. For spring blooms, plant daffodils and pansies.

Don't forget the ferns for your front porch. You can save money by splitting ferns in the spring. Even if you do not split, you will want to transplant ferns into a larger container. They like room to spread. You can split one fern in half or thirds and repot in larger containers.

Feed with Miracle Gro!

Answer 2

Old-fashioned flowers will look best with your old house. You didn't say what your climate is like or what kind of light exposure you have, and that makes a difference in your plant selection. My first piece of advice is to look around in your immediate area and see what plants you find attractive. For an easy care garden, it's always best to select plants that are well-suited to your environment. I am always happy when someone asks me about the flowers in my yard, and most gardeners are the same, so don't be shy about asking. Who knows - they might even give you cuttings or transplants of the plants you admire. But at least you can ask them the names of the flowers you admire, what kind of care it needs, etc.
Next best choice is to go to your local plant nursery - preferably an independent, who knows and loves their plants and can give you good advice, as opposed to Home Depot, where you may or may not get to talk to an expert about what grows best in your area. They will be able to give you accurate information about what kind of soil, light conditions, water, etc., that your plants will need.
It's worth it to take the time to research, because that will save you time and aggravation in the long run. It's also worth it to improve your soil before you start planting; healthier soil means healthier plants, which means easier maintenance. You can never go wrong adding some good compost to your soil.
I would suggest that you start with where you will locate any trees and shrubs. There are many beautiful flowering trees, mostly blooming in the spring - dogwood, flowering cherry, plum, and crabapple, magnolia, just to name a few. Since you like yellow, forsythia is a great shrub for early spring bloom in many parts of the country. If you have some semi-shade, rhodedendrons come in lots of colors, including some purplish shades, and so do azaleas. Once established, the shrubs and trees will be low maintenance and come back more beautifully each year. And roses are classic for sunny places and they come in lots of color choices (although true purple is not one of them; I have one called Sterling Silver which is a sort of lavendar shade, and there are a number of yellow roses.) Lilacs are sort of plain when they aren't blooming, but there is nothing like the fragrance of a lilac in bloom!
In your flower areas, plant some bulbs this fall for bloom next spring. Daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinth, iris are all spring-bloomers, hardy nearly everywhere, and there are a lot of choices in your preferred color palette. Many types of lilies are hardy also, and they will give you good color during the summer. Bulbs are very low maintenance once you've planted them. They come back without any help from you, and you only need to divide them when they get too crowded, which is usually not for years. Then you can overplant the bulbs with other plants. Daylilies (which are not the same as true lilies) are very easy care - almost like weeds once you get them established. Again, they come in quite a range of colors.
Lavendar comes in many different types and forms; I have a particular fondness for Spanish lavendar, because the purple flowers make a good show and will rebloom if you cut off the dead ones. Tall phlox is fragrant and you can get some purplish shades. I love foxglove, too. Coreopsis comes in nice yellows, and echinacea comes in a nice purple as well as a white. These are all old-fashioned plants and would look at home around an old house.
Although you need to replant them each year, annuals are great for filling in spots where you need a boost of color. They are inexpensive when you buy them in 6-packs, come in a vast array of colors, forms, and heights, and with just some ordinary watering and deadheading, they will give you lots of color over a long season. Marigolds, calendulas, sunflowers, snapdragons, hollyhocks... the list is endless. Take some time to dream and imagine, and check out what looks beautiful in the area where you live. Have fun!

Answer 3

Try some Lavander for some of your purples, a mix of common and the french version, some more purples; verbena bonarensis, buddlia, etc. all depends on conditions and soil type, Ph etc.. this is a nice site as a guide .........http://www.naturehills.com/

Answer 4

just a thought- make sure you buy the perennial version of the flowers. that way you don't have to replant them every year. and if you have a spot that gets a lot of sun, try sunflowers. just make sure you space them out. plant those in the spring though. they look good!

Answer 5

wisteria tree and a lilac tree for your purple........and they are my favorite. beautiful and fragrant