by Glory Lennon

Created on: September 18, 2008   Last Updated: March 22, 2009

The one good thing about landscaping is no matter what you do it won't be a fatal mistake. It won't kill you or anyone around you if you plant something in the "wrong" spot. Having said that, landscaping in general is quite simple. Just plant trees, shrubs and flowering plants that appeal to you and you'll do fine. But you probably want some sort of guideline to follow so it all looks nice. Thus, here we go with general ideas for landscaping with flowering plants.

We're talking about the showy flowering plants, those used in the landscape to attract the eye and keep it looking sort of like a pretty girl in a tiny bikini. That is exactly what a spring blooming ornamental trees or shrub does for the garden, make other gardeners drool and want to see more.

The Rhododendron for example, is an extremely showy shrub perfect for foundation planting. It has huge, brightly colored flowers with dark green evergreen leathery foliage. It makes a bold statement in the front of the house once in bloom. A word of caution, it can get rather tall and wide spreading if not pruned regularly to keep it small. That means it's best not to plant it in front of a window. In a mixed shrub border, however, it would look wonderful and provide shelter for songbirds. As the Rhododendron also takes a bit of shade it could be used under shade trees to give the landscape a tiered effect just like in nature.

As for the small ornamental tree The Golden Rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata), Saucer Magnolia (M. Soulangiana) or Pink flowering Dogwood (Cornus Florida Rubra) all make excellent specimen plants. That is a plant set apart from all others for the expressed purpose of showing off its fine qualities without interference from others. Planted in the middle of an emerald green lawn they would be great. Of course, they would also look nice at the east or west corner of the home to soften angular lines and also to provide some shading during hot summer days.

Using perennials such as Daylily, Bearded Iris, Hosta, Purple Coneflower, Scabiosa, Liatris, Rudbeckia and Hollyhock in the landscape can be done in a perennial border interspersed with self-sowing annuals and spring and summer blooming bulbs. This will draw the eye continually for its ever-changing quality.

Ground covers like the pretty Creeping Thyme, Cheddar Pinks or Heather make a great, dense patch some only a few of inches high, perfect for cascading down a retaining wall, in a rock garden or edging a flower bed.

These are only a few suggestions for using flowering plants in the landscape. Surely you can use your imagination and come up with a great design all your own and perfect for you. Can't wait to see it.

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