Pollinator Gardens Part 2: What are the Best Pollinator Plants to Use?

This is a two-part blog discussing pollinator gardens. Part 2 covers different types of pollinator plants you can use in your pollinator garden. Part 1 covered why you should have a pollinator garden.

In my last blog, you learned all about the importance and benefits of a pollinator garden. Now that you have your heart set on helping our pollinator friends and building your very own pollinator garden, you might be wondering what plants should be in that garden and how to get them. Today’s blog covers just that topic!

Milkweed (Asclepias)

Where do I get seeds for pollinator plants?

Since native plants tend to grow best in your yard, ideally you will choose and use those in your landscaping. Don’t worry we have plenty of pollinator plant options, which we will discuss below, that are perfect for growing in NC!

Consider purchasing your seeds or plants from a local business or organization. Not only does that help you support your local economy, but they will know what grows best in our NC soil and weather.

Below are a few recommendations of places from North Carolina Pollinator Conservation Alliance:

·       Carolina Native Nursery

·       Garrett Wildflower Seed Farm

·       Mellow Marsh Farm

·       Carolina Heritage Nursery

Purple Cornflower (Echinacea)

What pollinator plants are best for an NC pollinator garden?

Luckily, there are plenty of plants to choose from! Bees and butterflies are sure to thank you for planting these amazing plants. Plus, you will love their beauty and color in your backyard oasis!

Here are a few popular and gorgeous pollinator plants I highly recommend.

1.       Milkweed

2.       Purple Cornflower

3.       Aster

4.       Black Eyed Susan

5.       Allium

6.       Lavender

7.       St. John’s Wort

8.       Yarrow

Aster (Asteraceae)

Below I give a little more information on each of the plants above. However, as a reminder the Piedmont Triad in North Carolina is hardiness zone 7. You can check out this hardiness zone map to see all the zones. They are determined by average annual extreme minimum temperature. For a more in-depth look at zones and to search your zip code, visit the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Milkweed (Asclepias)

Hardiness Zones: 4-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and moist soil.

Click here for more information on this pollinator.  

Purple Cornflower (Echinacea)

Hardiness Zones: 5-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun and poor or lean soil.

Click here for more information on this pollinator. 

Aster (Asteraceae)

Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained, loamy soil.

Click here for more information on this pollinator. 

Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia Hirta)

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on this pollinator. 

Allium (Allieae Asparagales)

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on this pollinator.

Lavender (Lavandula)

Hardiness Zones: 5-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on this pollinator.

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Hardiness Zones: 6

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and rich, well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on this pollinator.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Hardiness Zones: 3-7

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, loamy soil.

Click here for more information on this pollinator.

Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia Hirta)

Ready to Create Your Own Pollinator Garden?

After reading these last two blogs do you feel inspired to add a pollinator garden? Don’t wait to get started any longer. Give Hawkins Landscape Architecture a call today at 336-848-7164 to discuss exactly what your dream backyard oasis looks like and where to place your new pollinator garden!

Best of all, my 3D landscape design allows clients to see how their pollinator gardens and any landscape or outdoor living element will look in their new backyard. Head over and like my Instagram page for photos on all types of plants and landscaping ideas!

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Don’t miss next month’s two-part blog series on landscaping with native species!

Shrubs Provide Splendor & Solitude – Spring Plants Blog Series: Part 3 – Spring Shrubs

This is part three of four in a series on Spring plants. Part two covers Spring shrubs.

My Spring plants blog series covered Spring bulbs in part one and Spring perennials in part two. Up next are Spring shrubs in today’s blog!

Shrubs are a staple of landscape design. They provide abundant beauty and benefits. I love to use many of them as privacy landscape barriers in my landscape designs. Many often use them as a ‘filler’, instead of choosing them for their outstanding qualities in leaf and flower they exhibit. I choose shrubs in my landscape designs based on their size, bloom time, and application to the specific landscape design.

There is much more to a shrub than mere greenery. The ones I work with often bloom with beautiful flowers during the Spring. Many shrubs have red, burgundy, or even yellow leaves for year-round aesthetic appeal. I frequently create landscape designs that utilize plants my clients initially may not have heard of before, but now could not live without! I bring those ideas to life for my clients with my 3D landscape designs so they can see them before they even bloom that first time!

Spring Shrubs

Shrubs are available in a range of sizes, bloom time, and leaf shape and color. Some are green all year, while other shrubs have gorgeous blooms during Spring but drop their leaves over the winter months. I base my shrub selections on a landscape design depending on the needs of each client.

Below are some shrubs I love and want to share more information about with you. You will find out where each plant grows and their optimal growing conditions.

For those that did not get to read the other blogs in this series, I recommend you look at this hardiness zone map as a reference point. The Piedmont Triad in North Carolina is in zone 7. Zones are determined by average annual extreme minimum temperature. For a more in-depth look at zones and to search your zip code, visit the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Azaleas (Rhododendron)

Hardiness Zones: 5-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Partial shade. They need well-drained, acidic soil.

Click here for more information on Azeleas.

Heath (Erica cinerea)

Hardiness Zones: 5

Optimal Growing Conditions: Open sun. These plants need moist, but not soggy soil.

Click here for more information on the Heath.

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)

Hardiness Zones: 5-7

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun. They need well-amended soil.

Click here for more information on Witch Hazel.

Golden Bell (Forsythia)

Hardiness Zones: 5-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Direct sun. Loose, well-drained soil is best for these plants.

Click here for more information on the Golden Bell.

Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica)

Hardiness Zones: 5-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full to partial shade. These plants need rich, well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on the Japanese Andromeda.

Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles)

Hardiness Zones: 4-10

Optimal Growing Conditions: Varied from sun to shade. These plants prefer well-drained, acidic soil.

Click here for more information on the Flowering Quince.

Korean Spice Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii)

Hardiness Zones: 4-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade. Moist, well-drained soil is best for these plants.

Click here for more information on Korean Spice Viburnum.

Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica)

Hardiness Zones: 7-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Shade to partial sun. They need rich, moist, and well-drained soil to flourish.

Click here for more information on the Japanese Camellia.

Are You Excited About the Spring Shrub Possibilities? Start Your Landscape Vision Today!

Now that you know about some amazing Spring shrubs, why wait any longer to bring them to life in your yard? I would love to bring your vision to life! Call me today at 336-848-7164 or complete this simple contact form to learn more about my services.

Head over and follow my Instagram page for more information and teasers on all kinds of Spring plants! Also, do not miss the final part of this blog series where we discuss Spring trees.

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Hellebornes, Primroses, and Irises… Oh My! Spring Plants Blog Series: Part 2 – Spring Perennials

This is part two of four in a series on Spring plants. Part two covers Spring perennials.

No landscaping is complete without beautiful plants. Every plant brings its own unique beauty and grace to a front or back yard. Spring is the perfect time to ‘branch’ out and try new plants in your yard!

In part one of my Spring plants blog series, I discussed Spring bulbs. Today, I want to share some information about Spring perennials.

Perennials are the perfect touch of color and nature’s beauty for any landscape. If you are unsure of where to begin when it comes to plants, do not fret. I work closely with all my clients to create a design that utilizes plants that will compliment all their landscaping features. Best of all, my 3D landscape designs show you exactly how everything will look once completed.

Can you smell the flowers yet?

Spring Perennials

For those who are not savvy about all things in the gardening world, most perennials tend to grow foliage in their first year and bloom in their second year. Best of all, these plants usually live and prosper for several years.

Below is a selection of some of the perennials I often incorporate in my landscape designs. I have included information on where each grows and the optimal growing conditions for each plant.

In case you missed it in part one, I recommend you look at this hardiness zone map as a good reference point. As you will see the Piedmont Triad in North Carolina is zone 7. Zones are determined by average annual extreme minimum temperature. For a more in-depth look at zones and to search your zip code, visit the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Hellebores (Helleborus)

Hardiness Zones: 4-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Partial shade. They need moist, but well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on Hellebores.

Bleeding Heart – Dicentra (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Partial shade. These plants need rich and moist soil.

Click here for more information on the Bleeding Heart.

Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolonifera)

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade. They need moist, but well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on Creeping Phlox.

Bergenia (Bergenia crassifolia)

Hardiness Zones: 4-10

Optimal Growing Conditions: Partial to heavy shade. Moist and rich loam or clay soil is best for these plants.

Click here for more information on the Bergenia.

Candytuft (Iberis)

Hardiness Zones: 4-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full to partial sun. These plants need well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on the Candytuft.

Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

Hardiness Zones: 4-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Varied from sun to shade. These plants prefer humus-rich soil.

Click here for more information on the Primrose.

Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum)

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Partial to full shade. Rich, moist, and well-drained soil is best for these plants.

Click here for more information on Solomon’s Seal.

Iris (Iris germanica)

Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun. They need deeply cultivated, rich soil to flourish.

Click here for more information on the Iris.

Spring has Sprung! Why Wait Any Longer for Your Dream Oasis?

Are you daydreaming of beautiful plants blossoming in your yard now? Make this dream a reality by calling me today at 336-848-7164 or complete this easy contact form to get started.

At Hawkins Landscape Architecture, we are devoted to designing your dream yard and being with you every step of the way.

Do not forget to follow my Instagram page for more information about Spring plants and pictures of these glorious pieces of nature! Be on the lookout for part three of this series where we discuss Spring shrubs!

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Spring Is Here – Finally! Spring Plants Blog Series: Part 1 – Spring Bulbs

This is part one of four in a series on Spring plants. Part one covers Spring bulbs.

If I were to create a version of the ‘My Favorite Things’ song, it would absolutely include various Spring plants. From cheery daffodils to the graceful tulip, I love Spring in the south. I absolutely adore seeing the vibrant Spring floral display the Piedmont Triad is offering right now.

Today’s blog discusses Spring bulbs. They are an amazing addition to a front or back yard. Each bulb adds a touch of color and nature’s magic to any landscape design. Not sure what plants will look best in your new landscape design? Do not worry, I can advise on what plants will look best and advise on what might not compliment your yard’s aesthetics. My 3D landscape design service also lets you see how they will look first-hand before anything even blooms!

Now, who is ready to learn about some gorgeous plants?

Spring Bulbs

The harbingers of spring are our southern bulbs. Below are some of my favorites and ones that are commonly used in southern landscape designs. I have included information on where each grows and the optimal growing conditions for each bulb.

Before we dive in, I recommend you check out this hardiness zone map. It lists all the zones in the continental United States in number format. As you will see the Piedmont Triad in North Carolina is zone 7. Zones are determined by average annual extreme minimum temperature. For a more in-depth look at zones and to search your zip code, visit the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Daffodil (Narcissus)

Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sunlight. Ideally, they should have at least six hours a day of bright sun. They should also have well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on Daffodils.

Crocus (Crocus sativus)

Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun to light shade. This bulb needs light, well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on Crocus.

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus)

Hardiness Zones: 4-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun or partial shade. These bulbs require moist, but well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on Hyacinth.

Snowdrops (Galanthus)

Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade. In cooler climates does not require as moist soil, but in warmer clients does need moister soil.

Click here for more information on Snowdrops.

Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)

Hardiness Zones: 4-9

Optimal Growing Conditions: Sun or partial shade. Preferably, they should be planted in an area that does not have direct or strong sunlight.  These bulbs need moist, but well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on Bluebells.

Tulips (Tulipa)

Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sunlight. These bulbs need to be planted in an area that is protected from strong winds. They require well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on Tulips.

Allium (Allium sativum)

Hardiness Zones: 4

Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sunlight. However, they can survive in partial shaded areas as well. They need well-drained soil.

Click here for more information on Allium.

Please note, you might have noticed that most of the bulbs prefer well-drained soil. That is because too much water and moisture will lead to rotting.

Spring Bulbs Pair Perfectly with Any Landscape Design

Are you ready to have a gorgeous backyard oasis and start watching those spring bulbs bloom every year? At Hawkins Landscape Architecture, we work closely with every single client on all details, including plants. We partner with you to create a yard you will enjoy for years to come. Get started today by giving us a call at 336-848-7164 or complete our simple contact form.

Be sure to follow my Instagram page to see fun facts about Spring plants! Do not miss part two of this series where we discuss Spring Perennials!