The summer is in full swing! Summer activities have always been my favorite, which is why the fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. I have always thought red, white, and blue are the most attractive combination of colors.
As a landscape designer, I love using plants to set themes. Annuals are always fun for accentuating the changing seasons, however, perennials are more economical and you can enjoy them year after year. Here is a list of some of my favorite patriotic perennials for the Brazos Valley.
Double Knockout Rose
The Double Red Knockout Rose is one of my all time favorite plants. This plant is a great option for low maintenance landscapes as it requires little attention and has great disease and heat resistance. These roses are valued for their bright double blooms, which burst with magnificent color from summer until fall. Knockout roses do best in full sunlight, so they are ideal for South or West facing landscapes. They are also very cold hardy, making them a great candidate for surviving our winter freezes.
Blue Plumbago
Blue is one of my favorite colors, however, blue blooming plants are harder to come by than other colors. One of my favorite blue bloomers is Imperial Blue Plumbago. This shrub is low maintenance, and boats round clusters of blue blooms from summer until fall. Its foliage is lime green, which pairs beautifully with the blue blooms and its wild mounding habit makes it a great candidate for informal landscapes, such as the English Garden.
White Trailing Lantana
Last but not least, White Trailing Lantana is a great option for bringing that patriotic white color to your landscapes. Lantana is a personal favorite of mine because of its mounding shape, carefree attitude, and strong fragrance. This plant is heat & drought tolerant, and is sometimes used to control erosion on slopes. Its trailing characteristic makes it a beautiful plant for hanging baskets and pots. Lantana is also an excellent plant for pollinators, so keeping this in your landscape will surely bring butterflies and bees.
This year, instead of hanging a patriotic wreath on your front door, perhaps consider planting patriotic perennials that will add value to your home and boast red, white, and blue color all summer. If you have any questions about these plants or want to know if they will grow in a certain area, please reach out to us at Landmark, we’d love to help!