The vibrant colors, unique shapes and sweet fragrance of flowers add a touch of enchantment to any yard. They make any venue look more calming and welcoming. But sometimes, there are challenges to growing and maintaining flowers.
One very important factor to consider before planting flowers is the climate. You wouldn’t want to work hard growing beautiful plants in your yard, without knowing that they will not be able to withstand Missouri’s sometimes unpredictable weather. Luckily, there are several resilient and low maintenance flowers that do well in Missouri’s climate.
Hardy hibiscus
These are one of the most charming flowers that can captivate visitors in your yard. They grow on 5-foot plants and are very easy to grow. All they need is a full sun and decent soil. The Hardy hibiscus blooms very late in spring, but shows out a spectacular bloom in the summer. These beautiful flowers attract butterflies and not deer, so you won’t have to worry about critters chomping on your blooms. They also come in a variety of gorgeous colors.
Coneflowers
Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are Midwest native perennials which height ranges from 16 inches to 4 feet. The flowers traditionally come in pink-purple and white colors, but numerous hybrids such as “Tomato Soup” exhibits bright colors like red and yellow. Coneflowers are tough flowers that will spread in a sunny location. They do not only withstand drought, but they are deer resistant as well.
Butterfly weed
This type of “weed” might be one of the flowers that you would love to have on your list. The butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberose), is named as such for being easy to grow as a weed. The pretty little flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. During the summer, you will spot delightful clusters of these flowers that appear in orange, yellow, pink and vermillion colors.
Lenten rose
This plant grows up to a foot in length and 18 inches in width. The Lenten rose (Helleboros orientalis) is lush and tough. Its flowers come in shades of purple, red, black, white, green and pink. As a perennial that often blossoms during winter, the Lenten rose would look great by the walkway in spring.
Virginia bluebells
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) flourish purple blooms that come from pink buds. This gives the flowers a pretty pink-purple shade. The flowers bloom during the spring and adapt to sunny or shady locations. Each plant grows 2 feet high and wide. Another good thing is that Bluebells easily reseed themselves. They can continuously multiply over the years.
Hardy geraniums
What makes these flowers unique is their apple-scented spicy perfume. The scent makes the plant perfect for borders. Hardy geraniums bloom in June and they flourish with lot of sun and a little bit of water. It gives beautiful display of burgundy blossoms during June. The plants grow up to 6 inches high and 14 inches wide.
Black-eyed Susans
Similar to the colors of a sunflower, bright gold rays with a dark brown center are what make up of the Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida). Also known as “yellow daisies,” the flowers bloom at the beginning of August and appear for more than a month. Besides a full sun, these beautiful flowers take no maintenance to grow. The plants grow up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Popular varieties include "Indian Summer" and "Goldstrum.
Allium
Alliums are bulbs from the onion family that are very easy to grow. Their pom-pom shape flowers and clumps of grasslike leaves make the blossoms stand out among the others in the garden. Interesting varieties of this plant include “Nodding Pink” that blooms long-lived pink flowers in the summer and “Forescate” that blooms pink globes in spring.
Panicle hydrangeas
Recommended for the Midwest area, Panicle hydrangeas can adapt to cold climates. The plant blooms cone-shape flowers that appear in white and eventually turn into pink. They grow into a large size of 6 to 8 feet which makes it perfect to plant as hedges and borders
Sedums
Sedums grow green buds that look like broccoli. These buds then mature into beautiful pink flower heads that appear during the summer. By the time fall comes, the flowers then turn into “red cauli” flowers that come in a rusty red color. Very easy to grow, Sedums produce blossoms that are rich in texture and shape.
Ready to spruce up your garden?
If you’re ready to add some low-maintenance color to your yard but feel a little overwhelmed, don’t worry, we can help! Contact us to discuss landscape design for your yard.
