Adding plants to your landscape beds is a great way to refresh their appearance and give your yard some much-needed color. However, choosing which plants to add is not as simple as it sounds. There are a few things you need to consider to ensure the plants you choose will thrive on your landscape in Iowa, including the soil conditions, sun exposure, how much maintenance they'll need, and which colors will go best together!

1. Consider the soil conditions of your landscape beds to choose plants better suited to that type.

When choosing which plants to add to your landscape beds, the first thing you need to consider is the soil conditions. Your plants need to grow in soil that is ideal for them, so you must ensure it will provide them with a conducive environment to thrive! Some can be sandy, clay, moist, or dry. Because of this, you need to determine the type of soil in your landscape beds and its current conditions to choose which plants are compatible with that. That way, they'll have the perfect opportunity to stay healthy and beautiful.

2. Consider the sun exposure of your landscape beds and which plants can tolerate that.

Another important consideration you need to make before you pick the plants to add to your landscape beds is their sun exposure. Sunlight is crucial for healthy plant life, but not all require the same amount. For example, some plants thrive under full sunlight, while others only need partial exposure or even complete shade. So, you'll want to determine how much they receive and which plants can tolerate it, whether low or high exposure, to ensure they get all the sun they need to thrive.

3. Take into account your tolerance for maintenance when choosing plants to add to your landscape beds.

When you incorporate plants into your landscape beds, you'll be the one caring for them and ensuring they survive. That's why your tolerance for maintenance is a crucial thing to consider when picking plants! Different plants require various levels of maintenance. Some need lots of care and attention to thrive, while others don't require much at all.

If you're ready to put in the time and effort to look after your landscape plants, there are various options you can choose from. However, you can also opt for native plants if you want those more low-maintenance and don't need much to stay looking their best!

Coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, daylilies, and hostas are common native plants in Iowa.

4. Consider the colors of the plants to create an attractive display in your landscape beds.

 

A flower bed of red, yellow, purple. and green flowers on a commercial property in Pleasant Hill, GA.

 

Your landscape beds will be an eye-catching focal point once they are full of vibrant plants and flowers. Because of this, you'll want to ensure the colors of the plants you pick will create a cohesive aesthetic! If you have a color scheme in mind, you can choose those that will bloom according to that, then spread others with complementing colors throughout your landscape beds. This way, you'll achieve an attractive display of colors that match each other!

Ready to achieve your dream landscape beds? Call us to sign up for our plantings and softscapes service!

If you're looking to revitalize the style of your landscape beds by adding plants, we can help. Our team at Frontline Lawn & Landscapes offers a plantings and softscapes service that involves installing new landscape beds or renovating your old ones, then filling them with plants to give them a boost of color. Our experts can help you pick which plants to add, making sure we consider the soil conditions, sun exposure, your tolerance for maintenance, and which colors go best together to create your dream landscape! We offer this service to commercial and residential properties, as well as HOAs, in Bondurant, Altoona, Ankeny, IA, and nearby areas. Call us today at (515) 967-7400 to sign up!