Ever wondered what plants to choose for your home garden or maybe a nearby community park that you go out for a stroll? Plants that are aesthetically appealing and help in inculcating healthy eating habits. Also ever observed their blossom patterns, the seasons they are accustomed to, the adequate light they require to grow or their sizes, shapes, and colors? As a matter of fact, there lies far more understanding in determining the plant types than our eyes can meet. This understanding helps us with numerous factors and reasons for planting a specific type in a specific region in a specific way.
Meanwhile, picking up the right size and the right plant can trigger our mental health too. A plant that grows out gigantically in a small garden space can ineffectively waste the space whereas slow-growing plants can drive people into dissatisfaction and discontent while draining away their energy and time.
Here are the few types of plants that could be picked up for your garden as per the needs and facts.
1. Annuals
These types of plants complete their life cycle in a given complete season – from seed to flower to seed. These plants last for a year and have to be replanted every spring. It is usually used to add on a little seasonal flare in the garden or the pots or even planting containers. Annuals are mostly used in bedding plants or injecting bursts of colours for a short term period. They could even be observed around the water fountains in high-end areas and on the perimeters of walkways. They could either be shade-driven or sun-driven as per the type. Some basic examples of annuals are Petunia, Marigold, Cornflower, Vervain, Amaranth, and Bluemink.
2. Biennials
Biennials have a biological life cycle for two years. They begin with growing roots, stem, and leaf in the first season followed by flowers and seeds in the second. After reseeding in the second season, the plant dies. Biennials sometimes require cold treatment during the process of blooming and flowering meanwhile excessive cold and hot climates can retard the growth sometimes leading to plants dying before the designated period. Most of the biennials are vegetables that could be used in gardens in improving our eating habits. Some of the common biennials for your garden are Brussels Sprout, Carrots, Beets, Celery, Lettuce, Onions, Cabbage, and Parsnip.
Some of the flowering biennials include hollyhocks, Canterbury bells, and Foxglove.
3. Perennials
Unlike the annuals and biennials, Perennials are expected to live much longer which is about more than 2 years. Perennials often sounded similar to growing a flower garden. Due to a longer lifespan, these plants carry the label of low maintenance year-round. The vibrancy in their colors and contrasting blooms make them a good choice for your garden space. Some types of perennials are strawberry, basil, oregano, chives, blueberry, English lavender, and common sage.
4. Vines
Vines are the climbing plants that can be used along the perimeter of walls, along the trellis or on the poles. They are aesthetically appealing and create an aura of an urban forest when used at the perimeter or within the building. Vines could be annuals but are mostly perennials. Vines can be easily modeled and remodeled according to our desire to design them. It is always preferable to choose the native plant categories which later yield lesser maintenance and better results. Some examples are clematis, morning glory, and trumpet vine.
5. Evergreen
Evergreens are the plants that retain their leaves year-round. The change in seasons does not affect them and if you are looking for a garden design that remains indistinguishable with lesser maintenance, evergreens are the ones to be used. They make up for great background plants. Some of them are Rhododendrons, Mountain Laurel, Andromeda, Daphne, Candytuft, and Creeping Myrtle.
6. Deciduous
Contrary to evergreens, deciduous plants shed their leaves every fall to prepare themselves for winter and therefore spring to come. A new canopy is grown every spring which later prepares to shed. Some of the examples are oak, birch, and maple.
7. Bulbs
One of the easiest plants to grow – the bulbs serves the purpose of aesthetics and is effortless and fast-growing. Once the bulbs start to grow, they spread themselves around the bed they are placed on. Also if you want a vibrant and colourful garden, bulbs are a good option. Tulips and Daffodils are the most common types used.
8. Groundcovers
Groundcovers could be an interesting typology to use. If the garden seems bare on the ground or underneath the trees, along the perimeter or even to smudge the change in landscaping edges, or walkways to the gardens, groundcovers play an active role. If the garden is steep or the bed is unlevelled due to topography, groundcovers could be used to level it up. Some of the groundcovers used are Creeping phlox, Myrtle, and Japanese Pachysandra.
9. Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes
Referred to as ornamental grass, the big deal lies with sun, shades, and shadows. The type of stem differentiates one from another. Grass stems are round and hollow, sedge stems are triangular and rush stem being round and flat. Grasses and Rushes prefer full sunlight in their growth while sedges could be grown in darker areas. Rushes can be grown in wetland areas and which is damper and looser soil content. Some of the examples are Bamboo, Lake Sedge, and Juncus.
10. Cacti and Succulents
These types of plants can store water in their leaves, stems, and roots for the extremely dry climates. These plants are good to use for desert landscapes and a great initiative for xeriscaping. They are easier to plant and require less maintenance and therefore good for the planet due to lesser requirement of water. Some types are Asparagus, Aloe Vera, and Echinocactus Grusonii.
