Instant impact plants
By: Garden Gate staff
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Instant impact plants!
When you think of instant impact, do annuals come to mind? They only have one year to show off, so they bloom like mad while they can. But an annual garden needs to be updated each spring, which gets time consuming and expensive.
The next time you’re looking for a pick-me-up plant for your space, try one of the 5 stunners ahead. They may not reach full size within the first year, but they hit the ground running — you’ll get bright flowers and bold foliage in no time!
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Shasta daisies Leucanthemum x superbum
To get lots of vigorous blooms like the ‘Alaska’ daisies here, pick the flowers or keep them deadheaded.
Type Perennial
Blooms White with yellow centers in summer
Light Full sun
Soil Well-drained
Size 10 to 40 in. tall, 12 to 36 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 4 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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Modern shrub roses Rosa hybrids
Pest- and disease-resistant, modern shrub roses, like DayDream™ to the left, have all the beauty of traditional roses without all of the extra work.
Type Shrub
Blooms Clusters of single or double flowers in every color except blue from late spring through fall
Light Full sun
Soil Moist
Size 2 to 5 ft. tall and wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 4 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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Bloody cranesbill Geranium sanguineum striatum
Cranesbill is durable but does best in early summer’s cool weather. If the foliage begins to lag once the blooms have finished, shear back the leaves to the plant’s crown to encourage new growth.
Type Perennial
Blooms Pink to purple in early summer
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 6 to 9 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 8
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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Bugleweed Ajuga reptans
Bugleweed does just fine in part shade, but its foliage gets the best color in full sun. Choose from cultivars with bright, glossy green to deep purple-black to green-brown leaves, like ‘Toffee Chip’ here sports.
Type Perennial
Blooms Blue or pink in spring
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well-drained
Size 3 to 10 in. tall, 10 to 24 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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Blanket flower Gaillardia x grandiflora
Drought-tolerant with an extremely long bloom time, blanket flower should be divided every spring to help keep it going strong, just like Goblin (‘Kobold’) at left.
Type Perennial
Blooms Red flowers with yellow centers or yellow tips in early summer to midfall
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Moist, rich, well-drained
Size 1 to 3 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 10
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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