How to Plant a Garden That Looks Good Year-Round
Our vegetable garden, which was beautifully verdant a month ago, has begun to yield the dead leaves and drooping vines of late summer. We’re still picking peppers—pecks of them—and there’s an opportunity to plant one more round of spinach before the season ends, but our backyard’s color palette is gradually shifting from green to brown.
At the same time, many of our flowers are doing surprisingly well. We have a cluster of surprise lilies that neither of us remember planting, and our impatiens are even thicker and brighter than they were in July. We’ve already decided to plant ten times as many impatiens next year, hoping they’ll provide ground cover for the entire back half of our garden, but I wanted to know what else we could do to keep our garden looking as colorful and vibrant as it did at the beginning of the summer.
That’s why I asked Amy Hovis, an award-winning landscape designer from Austin, Texas who owns the native-plant-focused Barton Springs Nursery and showcases her work at Eden Garden Design, how amateur, at-home gardeners can update their patios and backyards as the weather changes.
"A well-designed garden or landscape takes into account the natural ebb and flow of plant cycles," says Hovis. "Different plants have their moments of vitality and rest, allowing certain types to shine while others step back. A balanced landscape includes a mix of captivating plant varieties, each having its own season to shine."
Planting an all-seasons garden is not only possible, but—as Hovis explains—it could be one of the best things you can do for your immediate environment. A balanced garden can be a habitat for both people and pollinators, and certain types of gardens can even work to improve the local climate.
Here’s what you need to know—and here’s what I hope to incorporate in our own backyard.
Focus on native plants
"Choosing native and adapted plants known for their resilience in summer ensures a garden that thrives despite the heat," Hovis told me. "I recently worked on a garden in which we replaced the dying sod with a sea of inland sea oats, Chasmanthium latifolium. These native Texas plants are known to be hardy and flourish in vibrant green shades, showcasing natures ability to endure. They also provide food for the birds. Alongside them is the bamboo muhly Muhlenbergia dumosa, a graceful deep green plant that sways delicately in the breeze. With the addition of hardy xeric plants, this garden maintains its charm even in the intense Texan summer, with temperatures soaring to extraordinary levels."
Many expert gardeners are recommending a return to native plants, particularly in areas that might not have the water resources to manage the needs of imported varietals. Xeric plants, in case you’re not familiar, are plants that require very little water to thrive—and a well-constructed modern garden is likely to include both.
That said, not all native plants will be successful in an environment that is warmer or dryer than the one in which they originally evolved. Some native plants have successfully adapted to our current climate, while others are struggling—and it’s important to know which native plants might do best in your yard. "Get to know your native plant palette while studying how our plants are being affected by climate change," says Hovis. "Choose the ones that are thriving in the heat, and plan your landscape accordingly."
Choose plants with complementary growth cycles
As you consider which plants to include in your patio or garden, look for a range of plants that offer complementary growth cycles. A garden that always has something in bloom looks beautiful no matter what month it is. It also generates less waste, since you’ll be less likely to find yourself in a situation where you have to pull out old plants and replace them with new ones.
"Plant a garden that aligns with the seasons," Hovis advises. "When you choose a well-curated range of plants, there’s no need for corrective interventions such as pulling out plants. This prevents the unattractive sight of wilted and dried foliage. A harmonious rhythm emerges as summer plants take the spotlight, while their autumn counterparts patiently wait in dormancy."
Planning a garden that blooms in all seasons takes a little extra work, but the results are worth it. "Crafting a captivating year-round garden requires careful planning, knowledge, and practical choices," Hovis explains. "Your landscape becomes a living canvas where the intricate patterns of nature’s cycles seamlessly blend together as the seasons unfold."
Consider the climate—and work to improve it
Believe it or not, your backyard garden is an important part of your local climate—which means that every improvement to your garden takes us one step closer towards mitigating the effects of climate change.
In addition to choosing plants that offer habitats and attract pollinators, Hovis suggests installing a fountain or bird bath to provide much-needed water to birds, insects, squirrels and other thirsty critters. She also advises planting trees, if you can. "Plant as many trees as possible. Not only do healthy trees provide shade for humans, but they provide respite for habitat and understory plants as well."
If you don’t know which plants are likely to have the most positive effect on the local climate, there are plenty of online resources to help, including location-based guides offered by the National Wildlife Federation and the National Audubon Society—but you might also want to start talking to gardeners in person. "The best solution is to really get to know your local independent garden center that specializes in native plants and go to them for advice for your region," Hovis explains.
I can vouch for the importance of the people who work at local independent garden centers, since much of our current garden has benefited from their good advice—and now I know what to ask them as we plan for the future.
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