Add plants around your arbor

If you’ve ever seen a structure set in a lawn without a few plants around it, you know how lonely it can look. It needs the plantings to tie it to the rest of the garden. This arbor is a transition separating one area of the garden from another. A gently winding path, as well as beds filled with interesting and colorful plants, encourage folks to slow down and enjoy the journey.

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Tips for planting around a garden arbor:

• Place a single juniper near the arbor to make sure the structure has an interesting companion, even in the dead of winter.
• Use a [container](https://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/containers/ "Container recipes") to add importance to a plant. Repeat one of the New Zealand flax from the garden and elevate it in a tall container. Even though it’s smaller, it’s sure to be noticed before the ones in the ground.
• Beds on both sides of the path add balance because many of the same plants are used in both. The beds don’t have to look exactly the same, just [repeat some of the same colors, shapes and textures](https://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/design-ideas/all/design-with-repetition/ "Design with repetition").
• For an informal look, instead of short in front and tall in back, plant some of the taller plants, like the salvia, at the edge of the bed.
• Edge the path with sections of cut stone to keep the gravel from creeping into the planted areas.

Meet the plants in this garden plan

Check out the lettered plan above and see the corresponding plant information in the slideshow below to find out which plants make an arbor feel like a part of the garden!

Tired of the traditional green shrub foundation planting? Try perennials instead! This low-maintenance combo puts on a pretty show of pastel blooms through summer. Plus it’s resilient enough to handle some tough conditions: shade for much of the day, late afternoon sun, drying winter winds and spotty rain.

The highlights of this shady foundation planting

Ostrich ferns are a go-to plant for shady sites. They tolerate dry areas and more sun once they’re established but really shine with regular moisture, growing up to 6 feet tall in some areas! You can even snip a few of the tightly curled fiddle heads in spring and add them to a salad or fry them up in butter for a tasty treat!

Lady’s mantle’s chartreuse flowers are long-lasting but always seem to flop. That’s OK since this low-growing plant is usually at the front of the border. The flowers form a lacy edge that softens the hard lines of this stone path. Remove the flowers below the foliage as they fade, though — this plant reseeds easily.

The real star of this border is astilbe. Colorful plumes add some excitement midborder with their upright flower shape. Give astilbe a wet spot in the garden or plan to water frequently if the weather is dry. Without enough water your astilbe may turn brown and die back midseason; if this happens, cut it down to within a few inches of the crown and start watering. New foliage will sprout again. Even if it doesn’t, don’t count it out — it’s probably just dormant. Most of the time, your astilbe will be back again in spring.

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A) Astilbe (Astilbe ‘Cattleya’)
Type Perennial Blooms Rose-pink flowers in midsummer Light Full sun to part shade Size 30 to 36 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8, heat zones 8 to 1

B) Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
Type Perennial Blooms Chartreuse blooms in spring to summer Light Full sun to part shade Size 10 to 18 in. tall, 18 to 30 in. wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8, heat zones 8 to 1

C) Astilbe (Astilbe x rosea ‘Peach Blossom’)
Type Perennial Blooms Salmon-pink flowers in early summer Light Full sun to part shade Size 18 to 24 in. tall, 15 to 18 in. wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9, heat zones 9 to 1

D) Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Type Perennial Blooms Green scalloped leaves all season Light Part to full shade Size 3 to 6 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7, heat zones 7 to 1

Foliage is your friend

Everyone loves flowers, but they just don’t last. Foliage can take a garden from spring to fall without a break. Here, burgundy-leafed ninebark, sedum and coral bells add color all summer. And repeating that burgundy theme keeps the whole garden looking unified. In fall, the ornamental pear and the sweetspire bushes kick in some glowing red. But it’s not just about foliage — the ninebark, sweetspire and pear have beautiful spring flowers, too. And the roses and daisies bloom for most of the summer.

Keep it easy with low-maintenance plants

A pretty garden is great. A pretty garden that’s easy to take care of is practically perfect! All of these plants have neat, compact shapes or very upright growth habits, so they won’t overwhelm the entryway or stick out into the path. They don’t need much maintenance either, other than cutting back the perennials in late fall or early spring. And you can keep the ninebark at a nice, manageable size by cutting it back hard, to about 3 feet tall, after it blooms. Stone edging makes it easy to trim the edge of the lawn.

Add style to your entry

Get an entry that welcomes and wows! This foundation planting can handle the tough, hot conditions created by lots of concrete. And on top of adding lots of color, the plants in this plan provide tons of interesting texture, from the disease-resistant shrub roses to the attention-grabbing grasses.

Most architects just don’t understand gardeners! When designing a new house they often leave tiny planting areas surrounded by hot concrete and blank walls — in other words, a tough spot to put a garden. But if it’s near your front door, as the garden in this illustration is, you want it to be an inviting area that says, “Come on in!”

Fill an empty wall

This small space’s stark wall makes it a place to showcase your garden taste! Three containers of annuals set on pedestals add height and textural contrast to all the plants in the ground. Coordinate them with another tall planter near the front door for a pulled-together look. Not into taking care of containers? Trellises and vines with large flowers or leaves will do the same thing. Even a piece of garden art set into the bed would add an interesting contrast to all of the plants in this bed.

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Texture adds interest to an entry garden

Soft pink shrub roses are resistant to diseases, can be pruned any way you like and will still bloom from late spring well into fall. They make a terrific backbone plant in this setting. And they’re the coarsest textured plants in this grouping. While most of the neighboring choices do bloom, it’s their textures that really hold your interest. The grasses here are the finest visual texture in the bed, especially against the roses, coral bells and sedums. So use them as a contrast to frame the entrance and draw your eye that direction. But before you get to the door you may want to reach down and touch the cool, smooth, succulent leaves of the sedum or the soft lamb’s ear. Now you know what designers know — those challenging spots can become the showpieces of your garden. All it takes is choosing the right plants, making sure to coordinate colors and using texture wisely.

Maintenance tips

• The flowers of the coral bell aren't quite as showy as the ruffled purple foliage. You can remove them or wait and deadhead by cutting the long stems off below the mound of leaves.
• Lamb’s ear loves the reflected heat next to a sidewalk. If it grows too far out in the path you can go ahead and cut it back to the edge without causing any problems.
• This easy-care shrub rose isn't fussy about pruning. Use loppers or pruners (depending on the diameter of stem) to cut the shrub back to within a foot of the ground in early spring.
• The maiden grass needs to be cut back in early spring, too. Tie the grass together with twine then use hedge shears to cut it all off within a few inches of the ground.

Meet the plants in this entry garden plan

Check out the lettered plan above and see the corresponding plant information in the slideshow below to find out more about the hard-working, texture-rich plants in this beautiful foundation planting!

This small area between the driveway and the entry is only 11 feet long and 7 feet wide but can still look good. The long blooming shrubs and perennials here have a variety of shapes and habits that give visitors a great view as they approach the front door.

South-facing foundation planting

A border like this one that faces south is a challenge. The sun reflects off the house and the surrounding pavement making it really hot in summer. It can also fool plants into breaking dormancy too soon in late winter so they start growing and then get zapped by the cold. So besides providing a pretty view, whatever grows in this spot needs to be tough.

‘Little Lamb’ is a dwarf panicle hydrangea that blooms midsummer to fall and is big enough to make a statement but small enough to leave room for companions. Its cone-shaped blooms are easy to see from the street and make a good conrast to the other flowering plants nearby.

The big 5- to 6-inch flowers of ‘Mr. Goodbud’ tall sedum provide a colorful accent from late summer to fall then dry in place and last through winter. This variety has sturdy stems that won’t flop over on the sidewalk and become a walking hazard.

Tuck a small empty container in the corner to mark the transition from sidewalk to driveway. Its glazed surface adds an interesting textural contrast to the bed. A ruffle of ‘Little Penny’ coreopsis looks great at the base. Though plants won’t make it through winter in most places this variety blooms like crazy all summer without any deadheading.

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Maintenance tips

• Apply a 1 to 2 inch layer of mulch in spring to help conserve moisture.
• A soaker hose buried in the mulch and connected to a timer can make watering easier if you hvae a water source nearby.
• You don’t have to prune ‘Little Lamb’, which blooms on new wood, but for larger flowers, cut the stems back by one-third to half their original size in late winter or early spring.
• Cut back the ‘Karl Foerster’ grass to within a few inches of the ground in early spring to make room for new growth.
• Make sure the coral bells haven’t heaved out of the ground. If you notice the crown sitting above the soil line, carefully step just next to the crown to push it back into place.
• Deadhead the coneflowers or leave the spent blooms in place, it's up to you. If Leaving them alone will be a boon for goldfinches that love to eat the seeds.

Meet the plants in this flowery foundation garden

Check out the lettered plan above and see the corresponding plant information in the slideshow below to find out more about the easy-care, long-blooming plants in this foundation planting!