Landscaping With Spring in Mind in Wheaton, IL

In spring, we are all eager to enjoy the first blooms of the year. Traditionally, spring has been associated with rebirth and great promise. Here are our tips for landscaping with spring in mind for Wheaton, IL.

Spring brings fragrant and colorful flowers. The spectacular display offers a delightful contrast against green leaves and needles; add to that some flowering perennials and flowering trees… and you have a true feast for the eyes! But how do you create this perfect mix of plants so that your landscape is gorgeous only in spring?

You don’t want to have all of your flowers, trees and shrubs blooming at the same time, so use the rule of thirds: one-third of your plants should bloom in spring; one-third in summer; and one-third in fall.

This doesn’t mean “all” of your plants need to be flowering. In fact, it’s the contrast between seasonal pops of color against the more steady display of evergreen trees and shrubs, non-flowering deciduous trees, and your lawn. However, when you’re choosing plants for spring blooms, don’t purchase only those that bloom in spring. Enjoy the gradual shift in color as the seasons change, by choosing one-third of your blooming plants to showcase their full glory in spring; and two-thirds that will grace your landscape with color in summer and fall.

You can take several approaches with this seasonally-layered strategy. One is to devote an entire flower bed to spring bloomers. Then, you can enjoy a spectacular riot of color as these plants bloom at the same time, and then relax into a softer, more relaxed green state during the remainder of the growing season. Once spring bloomers are spent, your eye will be drawn to your summer and fall plant beds, livening up various areas of the landscape while the others play a supporting background role.

The other approach is to mix spring bloomers in with plants that bloom later in the season, so the specific plant bed (or large-scale garden) always has something in bloom.

Taking blooming seasons into consideration when choosing plant material is a key element for a successful landscape design. This way something is always in bloom and your landscape is beautiful and interesting in all seasons.

Popular spring bloomers are crocuses and daffodils (the flowers that truly signal, “spring is here!”); daisies; hyacinths; tulips; Spring Beauty; rockcress; bluebells; columbines; and wild geranium are just a few spring bloomers that will make your spring landscape cheerful and uplifting.

But don’t just focus on annuals and perennials! Ground covers that bloom in spring help green up a landscape that is emerging from its winter slumber. Thyme, for example, offers a fragrant and soft transition between a walkway and a plant bed. Spring-blooming shrubs include azaleas and lilacs. Spring blooming trees include magnolia, cherry, and crabapple.

Use evergreens and non-flowering shrubs, trees, and perennials as a beautiful backdrop to blooming flowers. Evergreens are the mainstays of the garden, the steady and reliable greenery that offers a beautiful contrast to colorful flowers and in winter, a reminder that your landscape will once again be lush and green come springtime. In the fall, when all the flowers are spent, you may enjoy spectacular shows of color from trees and shrubs that are otherwise happy to play a supporting role to flowering plants.