Selecting Plants for Planting Around Patios, Decks and Porches

When you select the right plants for planting around your patio, deck or porch, the results will connect the two areas becoming a large outdoor room. Once the weather warms and decks, patios and porches you probably begin your search for low growing shrubs and flowers. Following these suggestions will help you narrow down your search and select the perfect gardening plants to create your outdoor room with your patio, deck or porch. The first task is to sit on your patio, porch or deck and actually look out, away from the exterior walls and answer the following questions.

What do you see?

Do you see an open lawn or, maybe it's a small enclosed area?

What could you see as a focal point in your view?

How do you feel about your deck?

Is it quiet and cozy or more of an open space where you would prefer more privacy?

The answers to these questions will determine how you will landscape around your deck, porch and patio outdoor living areas.

Let's discuss patios and low level decks and porches first. Your point of view from sitting in your chair should be with you looking through the lawn area. Basically, the lawn becomes an extension of that outdoor space.

Low-level sitting areas take more advantage of the open areas. Colors and textures can be used effectively from the immediate areas on to the outlying regions. The view will incorporate more of the ground up to the lower areas of trees. So, be sure to add in lots of colorful perennial plants and small flowering shrubs into the outlying landscape.

In landscaping around the perimeter of your low-level deck, patio or porch, you will want to select plants that are low growing to prevent blocking the view of the lawn. Remember to allow for stepping-stones or other access to the outlying areas.

When planting along the edges of your structure, select low growing garden plants and. Staying in the two to just over three foot height range should work quite well, especially with taller plants in that range that are airy at the tops such as ornamental grasses.

The following flowering shrubs and evergreen perennial plants that make excellent low growing borders for porches, patios and decks: coreopsis, astilbe, gaillardia, heucheras, low growing hydrangeas, hostas, chamaecyparis pisifera compacta, nandina dwarf firepower, salvia, Russian sage Little Spire, low growing weigelas, liriope, rosemary, lavender, thyme and sage.

These ornamental grasses work perfectly for low areas and to fill in spaces: acorus ogon, prairie dropseed, Karley Rose, Hameln, Little Bunny, Karl Foerster, and Pink Muhly grass

If the outside living space is large and extends considerably out from the house, consider placing small ornamental trees or other interesting plants about mid way nearer the perimeter to break up the space.

The following plants work great for this purpose: maple Japanese red, sky rocket juniper, blue point juniper, emerald green arborvitae, crape myrtle, kousa dogwood, kwanzan cherry, sourwood tree, red bud, sweetbay magnolia, clumping bamboo, Nishiki willow.

When planning your landscape around high-level decks and balconies, remember that you will be looking down onto the plants especially the plants immediately around the perimeter and only seeing the top portions of trees and shrubs in the outlying areas. High-level areas truly take on a different view of the lawn than low-level areas and should be landscaped accordingly.

High-level decks are considered to be, roughly, 5 to 6 feet and higher off the ground. Plant these areas for fragrance, long blooming periods, lots of texture and slightly away from the deck so you are fully able to enjoy the characteristics of these plants.

Shrubs and trees that work nicely in such situations are white birch, dogwoods, serviceberry, magnolias, tulip poplar, lilac shrubs, crape myrtles, red bud, flowering cherry, flowering pear, flowering peach, sourwood trees, laurel shrubs, rhododendrons, and holly.

Armed with this information, you can now confidently develop a plan for landscaping your patio, deck, porch or multi leveled outdoor living spaces.

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC '-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN' 'http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd'><html><head><title>Articles Back Link | Selecting Plants for Planting Around Patios, Decks and Porches</title></head><body><h3>Selecting Plants for Planting Around Patios, Decks and Porches</h3><br><br> By: Cheryl Jones<br><br><p><p>When you select the right plants for planting around your patio, deck or porch, the results will connect the two areas becoming a large outdoor room. Once the weather warms and decks, patios and porches you probably begin your search for low growing shrubs and flowers. Following these suggestions will help you narrow down your search and select the perfect gardening plants to create your outdoor room with your patio, deck or porch. The first task is to sit on your patio, porch or deck and actually look out, away from the exterior walls and answer the following questions.</P><p> What do you see? </P><p> Do you see an open lawn or, maybe it's a small enclosed area?</P><p> What could you see as a focal point in your view? </P><p> How do you feel about your deck? </P><p> Is it quiet and cozy or more of an open space where you would prefer more privacy? </P><p> The answers to these questions will determine how you will landscape around your deck, porch and patio outdoor living areas.</P><p> Let's discuss patios and low level decks and porches first. Your point of view from sitting in your chair should be with you looking through the lawn area. Basically, the lawn becomes an extension of that outdoor space. </P><p> Low-level sitting areas take more advantage of the open areas. Colors and textures can be used effectively from the immediate areas on to the outlying regions. The view will incorporate more of the ground up to the lower areas of trees. So, be sure to add in lots of colorful perennial plants and small flowering shrubs into the outlying landscape.</P><p> In landscaping around the perimeter of your low-level deck, patio or porch, you will want to select plants that are low growing to prevent blocking the view of the lawn. Remember to allow for stepping-stones or other access to the outlying areas. </P><p> When planting along the edges of your structure, select low growing garden plants and. Staying in the two to just over three foot height range should work quite well, especially with taller plants in that range that are airy at the tops such as ornamental grasses.</P><p> The following flowering shrubs and evergreen perennial plants that make excellent low growing borders for porches, patios and decks: coreopsis, astilbe, gaillardia, heucheras, low growing hydrangeas, hostas, chamaecyparis pisifera compacta, nandina dwarf firepower, salvia, Russian sage Little Spire, low growing weigelas, liriope, rosemary, lavender, thyme and sage. </P><p>These ornamental grasses work perfectly for low areas and to fill in spaces: acorus ogon, prairie dropseed, Karley Rose, Hameln, Little Bunny, Karl Foerster, and Pink Muhly grass</P><p> If the outside living space is large and extends considerably out from the house, consider placing small ornamental trees or other interesting plants about mid way nearer the perimeter to break up the space. </P><p> The following plants work great for this purpose: maple Japanese red, sky rocket juniper, blue point juniper, emerald green arborvitae, crape myrtle, kousa dogwood, kwanzan cherry, sourwood tree, red bud, sweetbay magnolia, clumping bamboo, Nishiki willow.</P><p> When planning your landscape around high-level decks and balconies, remember that you will be looking down onto the plants especially the plants immediately around the perimeter and only seeing the top portions of trees and shrubs in the outlying areas. High-level areas truly take on a different view of the lawn than low-level areas and should be landscaped accordingly. </P><p> High-level decks are considered to be, roughly, 5 to 6 feet and higher off the ground. Plant these areas for fragrance, long blooming periods, lots of texture and slightly away from the deck so you are fully able to enjoy the characteristics of these plants. </P><p> Shrubs and trees that work nicely in such situations are white birch, dogwoods, serviceberry, magnolias, tulip poplar, lilac shrubs, crape myrtles, red bud, flowering cherry, flowering pear, flowering peach, sourwood trees, laurel shrubs, rhododendrons, and holly.</P><p> Armed with this information, you can now confidently develop a plan for landscaping your patio, deck, porch or multi leveled outdoor living spaces.<br></P></p> <br><br> <b>Author Resource:-></b>  <br><br><b>Article From</b> <a href='http://www.articlesbacklink.com/'>Articles Back Link</a><br></body></html>