Landscaping Wish List

Our homework assignment for the weekend was to come up with our landscaping wishlist for flowers, shrubs, etc. We've been casually checking out gardening centers for the last few months to get some ideas, and of course, using Pinterest, to remember the things we like. Since we are not green-thumbed by any stretch, our landscaper suggested that we make a list of what we like, and then he will help us decide what will work in our yard based on sun/shade, soil, cost, bloom schedule, tendency to spread, etc.

Our initial direction to our landscaper included:

• I love purple, and we have purple stonework, so we want purple as our primary color, and yellow as our secondary. Both will look nice with our gray house.
• We would like most of our vegetation to be native to our area.
• We prefer low-maintenance plants.
• We like a clean, ordered look, not overly layered or lush.
• We must have tulips. We are a Dutch family after all!

Given this direction, we spent some time looking through a few books and websites with photos of foliage for our zone (5). Here's our starting list, in no particular order. (Unless noted, photo credit goes to Better Homes and Garden's Plant Encyclopedia). Stay tuned to learn which of these make the cut!

Top Choices:

Purple and Yellow tulips. I took this picture as I admired a neighbor's yard. These will please both our Minnesota and Dutch family!

Lilac. I love the smell of lilac bushes. 

Lavender. I like that this is a practical plant. I like to use lavender in  homemade cleaners, etc.

Hosta Trifecta. I love how hardy hostas are, and these tri-colored ones are unique. The Hosta Vulcan is also tri-colored.

Purple striped crocus. (Source). I think these early bloomers are so pretty.

Barberry - Helmond Pillar. (Source). We don't know much about  shrubs, but  we like the purple leaves on this plant, and the name is Niels' hometown.

Blueberry bush. (Source). A certain three-year-old LOVES blueberries. Not sure if this would be planted on just on our patio, we could save a lot of money by having our own blueberry bush!

Eugene Chrysanthemum. I took this photo at the Bellagio in Vegas last month. I don't know if they grow in our zone, but they are gorgeous.

Double Spider Shasta Daisy. (Source). My favorite flower is the gerbera daisy, but since they are annuals, they scare me! But I love these fun, cheerful daisies.

Leopard's Bane. I like these for the same reason as the Shasta Daisies.

Foxglove. (Source). When we were looking through the photos we'd collected on Pinterest last night, these were the flowers that Niels really liked, besides the tulips, of course! 

Daffodil. D LOVES yellow, so we let him pick a yellow flower. This was his choice.

Citronella. (Source). According to the original pinner, this is a "mosquito repelling plant. Put in rolling potted plant on back and front porch because it needs to come inside in the winter. Low maintenance. Likes full sun." I might not be able to plant it, but I think it will be nice for keeping the skeeters away!

Lemongrass. (Source). Another mosquito-repelling plant, plus I love the smell of lemongrass essential oil, so it's practical, too.

Royal Purple Smoke Tree. (Source). I saw this plant at Lowe's and love the deep purple leaves. 

Secondary Choices. 

Purple Fountain Grass. (Source). I think this is a really pretty ornamental grass for around the utility covers.

Beech tree. This is the tree that our landscaper recommended for the front of our house. I haven't seen one in person, but this is pretty.

Serviceberry. This would add pretty fall color.

Summersweet. D would love the yellow.

Virginia Sweetspire.

Witch Hazel.

Guinevere Butterfly Bush. (Source).

Fothergilla.

Coral Bells, Birkin. (Source). These are ground cover plants. I love the purple and green.

Green Shenandoah Switch. (Source).

Allium Purple Sensation. (Source).

Purple heart plants. (Source).

Purple Oxalis. (Source).

Little Blue Stem. (Source).

Ageratum. (Source). Another mosquito-repelling plant.

Hydrangea. (Source).

Veronica.

Variated Ribbon Grass.

Delphinium. 

Garden Sage.

Globe Thistle.

Ajuga.

Agave.

Blue Fescue.

Blue Oat Grass.

Red Hot Poker. 

Salvia.

Blanket Flower. I wonder if it comes in different colors.

African Daisy.

Lilyturf. 

Boltonia. 

Balloon Flower.

Lupine. 

Golden Mop. (Source).

Aronia. (Source)

With all the decision we made building the house, I have to say that choosing the foliage is by far the most difficult. I am so happy we found someone who can take our ideas and make it beautiful.