Planting time for most is about a month away. Be prepared by planning your landscape now.
When choosing perennials for your yard, try to pick varieties that are long blooming, such as aster, penstemon and echinacea. Remove spent flowers to encourage new blooms.
Select plants that not only give a good floral display but also have something to offer after the flowers are gone, such as interesting bark texture or leaf color. Examples include red twig dogwood, burning bush and any type of plant with variegated leaves.
If your yard contains unsightly items such as meters or hydrants, try using plants to screen them. Remember first to call for utility location marking and watch for underground pipes. Also be sure the plant you choose doesn’t totally block needed access as it grows to its mature size.
Before purchasing a climbing plant, consider where and what it’s going to climb. You can use an arbor or trellis that is made out of wood or iron or a combination of both. Consider how the plant will attach itself to the structure.
For example, some vines wrap around structures, such as fences. Others form adhering mechanisms and they will need a textured surface to climb.
For more information, visit ext.colostate.edu, and click on horticulture.
