Selecting the right plants for your Glen Cove, NY, front yard is a demanding task, mostly because of the wealth of opportunities. If you’re unsure of which plants will work best for a particular season or for your particular landscape, check out these must-haves:
Annuals – Partial or Full Sun
Zone 7a is suitable for growing all but the most tropical, warm-weather annuals. Annuals complete an entire lifecycle in a single season. Most annuals can be grown successfully in this zone.
Ageratum Flower (Ageratum houstonianum)
Ageratum presents fluffy, blue flowers, perfect for a front yard flower bed or as a border planting. This Mexican native grows mostly in a petite and compact form. Aside from its signature blue color, the Ageratum plant also comes in many other color variations, including pink and white. Unlike most blue flowers, Ageratum thrives under partial sun exposure. Its flowers are soft, round and fluffy, and are grown from seed or small seedlings.
Gazania Treasure Flower (Gazania rigens)
Also known as African daisies, Gazania flowers reach 6 to 18 inches in height. They are easy to bloom and quite tolerant of poor and dry soil. These flowers are perfect for oceanfront growing and come in vivid shades of red, yellow, white, orange, and pink. They can also be found in two-tone or multi-colored varieties.
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)
In recent years, sunflower plants have increased in popularity. Sunflowers give authenticity to the yard, serving as a representation of the owner’s personality. These plants are one of the easiest to maintain and come in a variety of shapes, colors and even petal counts. Sunflowers need full sun exposure to thrive and should be planted away from the lawn because their seed shells contain a substance toxic to grass.
Petunia (Petunia x atkinsiana)
Petunias are perfect for adding long-term color to the season and brightening the landscape with a lovely pastel touch. One of the biggest advantages of growing petunias is that they’re easy to care for. Regular fertilization, proper light, and balanced watering ensure beautiful blooms throughout the entire season. Petunias are available in four species, including Grandiflora petunias, Multiflora petunias, Milliflora petunias, and Spreading petunias, adequate for a variety of landscape designs. The Petunia atkinsiana encompasses all hybrid species of petunia between P. axillaris and P. integrifolia.
Annuals – Shade
Impatiens Plants (Impatiens balsamina)
Impatiens flowers will turn any shady corner of the yard into a cheerful spot. They can be used as bedding or border plants and make a great addition to front yard landscaping in containers. Impatiens can be planted close to one another as this helps them grow faster and form gorgeous beds.
Coleus (sci. Plectranthus scutellarioides)
Coleus plants are a favorite among many homeowners because of their stunning foliage that include yellow, dark red, green, pink and bursts of other colors, making them perfect for dark corners of the front yard. These plants offer a variety of leaf sizes and shapes.
Perennial Flowers – Partial or Full Sun
Black Eyed Susan Flower (Rudbeckia hirta)
This wildflower grows in a variety of soils. It is drought resistant and self-seeding, and may be annual, biennial or perennial. The black or brown-eyed Susan grows during the summer and provides a blue/green colored, velvety foliage. The flowers can be found in orange, red, and yellow, and bloom right when other summer perennials begin to fade.
Basket-Of-Gold Alyssum (Aurinia saxatilis)
These plants feature a stunning, bright gold color that beautifies any front yard. Basket-of-gold plants have a small flower that blooms in large clusters, and if combined with other boldly colored plants, they can create a striking effect.
