Fill your side yard with color and flowers
By: Garden Gate staff
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Get a colorful side yard
Transform a narrow, quiet area! A side yard is an easy-to-access spot for a cutting garden with space to relax. Just imagine kicking back, enjoying the view and welcoming visitors from here!
Since this cutting garden is near the front of the house, plant fewer varieties and repeat them to make borders cohesive. And choose plants that flower at different times, so there’s always something in bloom and to cut.
Just keep clicking to learn more about the colorful flowers here.
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Panicle hydrangea Hydrangea paniculata Little Quick Fire® ‘SMLQFHP’ Type Shrub Blooms White flowers in summer that mature to pink in fall; trim off dead flowers in late winter to early spring Light Full sun to part shade Size 3 to 5 ft. tall and wide Col
Panicle hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata Little Quick Fire® ‘SMLQFHP’
Type Shrub
Blooms White flowers in summer that mature to pink in fall; trim off dead flowers in late winter to early spring
Light Full sun to part shade
Size 3 to 5 ft. tall and wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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Sea holly Eryngium x zabelii ‘Big Blue’ Type Perennial Blooms Blue flowers from midsummer to fall; thistlelike flowers add winter interest, cut dead stems back in early spring Light Full sun Size 24 to 30 in. tall and wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 5 to 9 He
Sea holly
Eryngium x zabelii ‘Big Blue’
Type Perennial
Blooms Blue flowers from midsummer to fall; thistlelike flowers add winter interest, cut dead stems back in early spring
Light Full sun
Size 24 to 30 in. tall and wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 5 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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Penstemon Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’ Type Perennial Blooms Pale pink flowers in summer; glossy wine-red foliage; deadhead flowers or cut plants back to basal foliage after blooms fade Light Full sun Size 36 to 42 in. tall, 24 to 36 in. wide Cold-hardy USDA
Penstemon
Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’
Type Perennial
Blooms Pale pink flowers in summer; glossy wine-red foliage; deadhead flowers or cut plants back to basal foliage after blooms fade
Light Full sun
Size 36 to 42 in. tall, 24 to 36 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 8
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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Dahlia Dahlia ‘Macalisters Pride’ Type Tender tuber Blooms 5-in.-wide flowers have a yellow base with raspberry petals; in areas where the ground freezes in winter, dig up tubers after foliage is killed by frost and store inside Light Full sun Size 36 to
Dahlia
Dahlia ‘Macalisters Pride’
Type Tender tuber
Blooms 5-in.-wide flowers have a yellow base with raspberry petals; in areas where the ground freezes in winter, dig up tubers after foliage is killed by frost and store inside
Light Full sun
Size 36 to 48 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 8 to 11
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
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Yarrow Achillea ‘Pretty Belinda’ Type Perennial Blooms Deep pink flowers in early summer turn lighter pink as they age; cut spent flowers at the base to encourage a light rebloom Light Full sun Size 20 to 24 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide Cold-hardy USDA zo
Yarrow
Achillea ‘Pretty Belinda’
Type Perennial
Blooms Deep pink flowers in early summer turn lighter pink as they age; cut spent flowers at the base to encourage a light rebloom
Light Full sun
Size 20 to 24 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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Bearded iris Iris ‘Dynamite’ Type Perennial Blooms Dark red flowers in midspring; cut flower stalks to the base of the plant after blooming Light Full sun Size 30 to 36 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9 Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to
Bearded iris
Iris ‘Dynamite’
Type Perennial
Blooms Dark red flowers in midspring; cut flower stalks to the base of the plant after blooming
Light Full sun
Size 30 to 36 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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