Seasonal Surprises

Seasonal surprises-color

I am not talking about friends and relatives who come visiting every season. This certainly provides seasonal surprise. What I am referring to are plants that bloom seasonally. Some plants die back when they finish blooming and then you forget about them. Others finish blooming and go back to being a green shrub.

drought tolerant colorful landscape design in santa barbara county with fire pit, gravel paths and patios. Olive trees, mexican sage, lavender, red sage, mexican marigold, echium, agave, nepeta, santa barbara daisy, avocados, edible garden, roses

Drought tolerant perennial garden with succulents, roses, echium, Mexican Sage, nepeta and lavender is full of color in every season

Color for every season

Gardens differ from season to season, some plants bloom in the summer, some in the winter or spring. When you design your garden, choose plants that will bloom in different seasons so that your garden is always changing.  

Hope Ranch drought tolerant landscape design with roses, citrus trees, falkia groundcover, and custom made fountain Santa Barbara coastal mountains in distance

Blooming perennials can also focus on one color only, such as white. For an elegant vibe, limit the colors to just one or two

Perennials

Perennials continue to grow throughout the year and bloom seasonally depending on the variety.

In our mild climate, some of these plants can be made to rebloom by cutting them back after they are done. Roses, lavender, Mexican sage, Nepeta and Santa Barbara Daisy are just a few examples.

The key to year round color is to know when each plant blooms.

Montecito’s San Ysidro Ranch is the perfect example of year round color in a garden.

Bulbs and Tubers

Bulbs and tubers are a one of my favorite of the seasonal surprises. You can plant these versatile plants just about anytime and they will pop up to surprise you throughout the year. 

In our climate, bearded Iris are fabulous and surprisingly drought tolerant. A favorite variety of mine is name “frequent flyer” because it continues to bloom throughout the year and is very tall. It only comes in white, but I love white iris.

Montecito Shade garden with antique fountain, Mayten trees, flowering plum, foxglove, hydrangea, heliotrope and camellia

To find locations for your seasonal bulbs, think like the Easter Bunny. Nestle them among existing trees and shrubs so that when they come up they are peeking up between the permanent elements of your garden.

Dahlias are a beautiful addition to any garden. The bulbs die back and come back in the spring and bloom all summer

Dahlias are a beautiful addition to any garden and come in a variety of colors, sizes and shapes.

Too many flowers?

Supposedly, you can’t be too thin or too rich. (I don’t agree-I think you can be too thin)

But, can your garden have too many flowers? I don’t think so. If you love flowers as much as I do, go ahead and splurge on them!

Need help designing your garden? Call Today for a Free Home Garden Consultation 805-969-3984. or schedule a consultation here.

Until next time, fill your garden with joy and lots and lots of flowers.

xo Lisa

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