The warmer months aren’t the only time of year you can enjoy your garden in Auckland. Using year-round plants for landscaping lets your garden look its best regardless of season. Whether it’s your first time planning your garden or looking for tips to improve, this guide explores how perennial and annual flowers can create a captivating garden. Read on to learn how to plant a year-round flower garden and how a professional landscaping company in Auckland can help.
Taking the perennial approach
Perennial flowers may come to mind first when thinking of all-year-round garden plants. These flowers help maintain a rich foundation of colour every year without needing to be replanted. Gardens with year-round appeal rely on perennials because they are reliable and can also be low maintenance. Their extended lifespans result in deep root systems, making them hardier to challenging weather conditions and resilient across multiple climates. Perennials are consistent bloomers in their respective season and bring structure when thoughtfully planted.
Create a wave of overlapping hues and shapes using lavender, a popular option for its hardiness and eye-catching purple. Roses are another classic perennial which lies dormant in winter before blooming as the year heads to a close with summer.
Exploring the diversity of annual flowers
Although perennials are useful and reliable year-round plants for landscaping, annual flowers can help fill in the gaps when they’re less active or have yet to bloom. Well-timed annuals will peak at different times throughout the year. Alongside your perennials, a thoughtful mixture of both creates a dynamic garden that is consistently growing. They may be shorter-lived, but annuals allow you to experiment with different styles and try new flowers to refresh your garden.
Pansies grow from late winter, which makes them useful for bridging the colder and warmer months. Sunflowers are a classic choice for a cheerful pop of colour throughout summer and autumn. Marigolds are another colourful option that repels aphids.
New blooms each season: from spring to winter
Now that you know the nuances of nurturing a garden that flourishes throughout the year with both perennials and annuals, we can explore what a year in a New Zealand garden that keeps blooming could look like:
Spring: Daffodils are instantly recognisable, their iconic yellow signalling the approach of warmer weather and longer days. Tulips are another spring favourite and thrive in sunlight. Many flowers flourish this season from regular watering, which rainfall may not provide. Plant them where they will also get sunlight for around six hours daily.
Summer: Roses come in many varieties and are a popular year-round landscaping plant. Choosing the most suitable ones for your garden and caring for them properly will ensure blooms throughout this season. Hibiscuses thrive in warmer conditions and are well-liked for their expansive, rich blooms that brighten the spaces around them. Deadheading is an important gardening routine to maintain during summer.
Autumn: As cooler temperatures set in, marigolds are easy to grow in Auckland. Their orange and yellow hues complement the Autumn season. Dahlias are well-suited to this season, with a range of colours and shapes available. To encourage continuous growth, prune regularly and remove dead plants to prepare the garden for winter.
Winter: Cyclamens are small but tough, and their resistance to colder temperatures makes them a valuable addition to your year-round landscaping. Camellias are another elegant winter option that brings your outdoor spaces to life while other plants wait for spring. Regular soil aeration to prevent soil compaction is important as it gets wet and cold.
How professional landscapers can help you maintain a lush garden all year round
Plant arrangement: A beautiful garden that captures your attention throughout the year has been thoughtfully layered and grouped. As each season comes and goes, planting by factors such as height and colour will help your garden seamlessly transition and maintain its visual appeal. A professional landscaping maintenance team can provide advice based on your tastes and needs, aligning your vision with the practical conditions of the garden.
Focal points: Maintaining an attractive, lush garden year-round means choosing flowers or other plants that can serve as visual highlights or focal points throughout each season. Even if your garden is tailored towards perennials, picking specific plants that thrive in different seasons will help bring out new colours and shapes, putting the spotlight on something new throughout the year. Professional landscapers can help you choose what to plant and where to plant them or handle the planting process themselves so you can spend more time enjoying the garden.
Preparing the soil: Whether cultivating a kaleidoscopic arrangement of flowers in your garden or focusing on year-round plants that support biodiversity, healthy soil is the common denominator that will shape its success throughout the year. A professional landscaping service can help you set the foundations for healthy, nutrient-rich soil to support your garden throughout the year as conditions change.
Organic matter such as compost introduces essential nutrients, and with their expertise, you can add them to the areas of your garden that need them the most to improve drainage and texture.
Support your garden year-round with Second Nature
Year-round gardens are ambitious but attainable with the right planning and preparation. From choosing flowers to preparing your soil, there’s never a better time to begin this process than now. Knowing where to start and putting your vision into practice can be challenging, especially if this is your first time implementing a year-round garden. Professional landscapers understand the nuances of New Zealand seasons and weather. With their expertise, you can enjoy a dynamic, colourful garden that always shows something new.
Second Nature’s expert maintenance team has extensive horticultural knowledge and experience setting up year-round flower gardens. Contact a member of our maintenance team today to give your garden the support it needs to thrive from January to December.
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