Landscaping That Will Be The Envy of the Neighborhood – Ag Matters

Want one of those beautifully landscaped homes you see in the magazines?  Everyone who drives by will checking out your great arrangement of colors and landscaping with these tips from The Master Gardeners at Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Flowers do more than add cheerful areas of color in the garden, they personalize a home. Just a few flowers worked into the front yard or around the entryway act as a greeting to guests.  The same holds true in the rear garden, just a few flowers can buoy the spirits and set a pleasant mood for outdoor living areas.

1) Dooryard Garden – Mounds of perennials – daylilies, iris, achillea and daisies – offer a succession of bloom through the season. Surround it with holly, juniper and leafy-green trees and shrubs. The vivid flowers will be real standouts.

2) Marigolds and Pansies – Marigolds are indispensable to any garden, especially if you want a brilliant display of color with little work or cost involved. Pansies add personality to a garden. Their pert faces liven up a garden. They like early-spring sun, but need protection in the summer. Set out young plants in early spring.

3) Ageratum and petunias add a welcoming splash of color. Petunias and ageratum are difficult to start from seed, so buy young plants for a fast start.

Cost shouldn’t be a limiting factor. Two or three packets of seeds can do a big job in adding color. Or a few small flats of started bedding plants could do the trick. Possibly some large pots or planters filled with plants would be a good starting point.

For more information speak directly to one of the master gardeners by calling the hotline Wednesdays or Fridays between 9am and noon, 315-736-3394 or at the garden page on CCE's website.

SOURCE: Cornell Cooperative Extension