Outside Plants & Trees for the House

Annuals

• According to the National Gardening Association, the definition of an annual is "a plant whose life cycle is complete in a year's time, sometimes less." Usually, these plants fall into the flowering category, making them a good choice for someone who is looking to add color to his landscape. Annuals are planted by seed or transplant (a small plant that is transferred from a pot to your yard). Included in this category are daisies, marigolds, angels trumpets and phlox.

Perennials

• Perennials come back year after year. They also always require some degree of maintenance as they grow (the more formal your garden, the more time and effort it will take). Perennials are usually planted by transferring them from a pot, because it takes them so long to grow from a seed. Although, if you have the patience to wait for a plant to grow, seeds are inexpensive compared to buying transplants. Some examples of perennials are, daylilies, mums, maple trees, pine trees, sedums and ferns.

Sun-Loving

• Most annuals can grow in complete sunlight and thrive in areas that are free from cold and shade. Some common plants that are sun lovers are red salvia and ivy geraniums. According to the National Gardening Association, a good rule of thumb is to keep them well watered, weed them as needed, fertilize monthly and make sure they get at least six hours of sunlight a day.

Shade-Loving

• While growing plants in the shade decreases your plant choices, there are still a number of possibilities available. Which you can grow depends on the shade level in your planting area (deep, medium, dappled or part shade). Once you determine your shade level, you can choose the plants and trees to use. The most common plants for shade-loving areas are perennials along with ground covers and grasses. There are also a few unique annuals that can be grown in the shade. Impatiens and begonias are some examples.