Stuff to Plant in a Garden

Perennials

• If you're looking to create a low-maintenance, yet visually appealing garden, choose perennials. Once established, these flowers return year after year. There are several types of perennial flowers and what you incorporate into your yard depends on your taste, as well as the light that the garden receives. For example, if you are planting your garden in an area that receives direct sunlight, consider daylilies, black-eyed Susans, chrysanthemums and delphiniums. In a garden that receives partial sunlight, select plants that can tolerate shade, such as hostas, coral bells, bleeding heart and lungwort.

Annuals

• If you're a gardener who doesn't want to commit to a garden filled with the same plants year after year, annual flowers are the right choice. Called annuals because they last for just one year, they offer brilliant color and attractive blooms. As with perennials, consider the light that your garden receives when selecting annuals, as some thrive in full sun, while others prefer the shade. Impatiens, wax begonia, wishbone flower and silver bells will add color to a shaded flower bed. In an area that receives more direct sunlight, petunias, zinnias, Gerbera daisies and dusty miller are all choices to consider.

Ornamental Shrubs

• In addition to annual and perennial flowers, shrubs also add interest to a garden. The foliage and flowers of ornamental shrubs and the ever-present color of evergreen shrubs create an attractive display and can be used as foundation plants in a garden that incorporates a variety of types of flowers or as a living privacy fences. Hydrangea, lilac and butterfly bush are all deciduous shrubs that produce showy blooms and foliage during their growing seasons, yet die back during the winter. Azalea and rhododendron produce colorful flowers and holly produces bright red berries--all three are ornamental shrubs, but add color throughout the year because they are all broad-leafed evergreens.

Vegetables

• Though it may require a great deal of care and maintenance to grow a successful vegetable garden, planting one can be rewarding, as you reap the benefits of what you have sown. Put thought into what you want to grow. Don't plant vegetables that you don't intend to eat, as doing so is wasteful; rather, plant items that you and your family and friends will enjoy. Vegetables to consider include tomatoes, green beans, carrots, lettuce, squash and cabbage.