Underrated Plants: Hidden Gems for Your Garden
Every gardener wants a beautiful garden, but it’s important to remember the unsung heroes that keep your garden thriving behind the scenes. These underrated plants may not be the flashiest, but they offer a range of benefits that will make your garden healthier, more resilient, and more enjoyable.
Perennials: The Workhorses of Your Garden
Perennials are plants that come back year after year, giving you the most value for your money. Underrated perennials like hostas, astilbe, and hellebore are hardy and low-maintenance, making them perfect for busy gardeners. They also provide a variety of colors and textures to your garden, and many of them attract pollinators.
- Hostas: These shade-loving plants come in a wide range of sizes and colors, making them perfect for filling in empty spaces and adding interest to shady areas.
- Astilbe: Also known as false goat’s beard, astilbe produces showy spikes of pink or white flowers that brighten up shady corners.
- Hellebore: These winter-blooming perennials are a welcome sight in the depths of winter, when few other plants are in bloom.
Annuals: Adding Diversity and Color
Annuals only live for one season, but they can add a lot of diversity and color to your garden. Underrated annuals like nicotiana, cosmos, and zinnias are easy to grow and come in a wide range of colors and sizes. They’re also great for attracting pollinators.
- Nicotiana: These fragrant flowers are a favorite of moths and hummingbirds. They come in a variety of colors, including white, pink, and purple.
- Cosmos: These cheerful flowers are easy to grow and bloom profusely from summer to fall. They come in a range of colors, including pink, orange, and yellow.
- Zinnias: These old-fashioned favorites are a staple of many gardens. They come in a wide range of colors and sizes, and they’re easy to grow from seed.
Ground Covers: Controlling Weeds and Erosion
Ground covers are low-growing plants that spread to form a dense mat, which helps to control weeds and erosion. Underrated ground covers like dwarf cinquefoil, creeping phlox, and pachysandra are easy to grow and require minimal maintenance. They’re also great for filling in hard-to-mow areas.
- Dwarf cinquefoil: This native North American plant produces cheerful yellow flowers and forms a dense mat that’s perfect for edging pathways and patios.
- Creeping phlox: This low-growing perennial produces masses of vibrant pink or purple flowers in spring. It’s a great choice for covering slopes or filling in bare spots.
- Pachysandra: This evergreen ground cover is a popular choice for shady areas. It’s easy to grow and forms a dense mat that suppresses weeds.
Shrubs: Providing Food and Shelter for Wildlife
Shrubs are versatile plants that can be used for a variety of purposes, including providing food and shelter for wildlife. Underrated shrubs like Carolina allspice, burning bush, and arrowwood viburnum are beautiful and easy to grow. They also attract a variety of birds and other animals.
- Carolina allspice: This fragrant shrub produces yellow or maroon flowers followed by pungent seeds. It’s a favorite of birds and other wildlife.
- Burning bush: This deciduous shrub is known for its vibrant fall foliage, which ranges from pink to red. It’s a great choice for adding a splash of color to your garden in the fall.
- Arrowwood viburnum: This native North American shrub produces clusters of white flowers in spring and blue-black berries in fall. It’s a favorite of birds and other wildlife.
Bulbs: Brightening Your Garden in Spring and Fall
Bulbs are a great way to add color and interest to your garden in spring and fall. Underrated bulbs like crocus, glory-of-the-snow, and alliums are easy to grow and come in a wide range of colors and sizes. They’re also a great source of food for pollinators.
- Crocus: These early-blooming bulbs are a welcome sight in the depths of winter. They come in a range of colors, including yellow, purple, and blue.
- Glory-of-the-snow: These delicate bulbs produce clusters of soft blue flowers in early spring. They’re a great choice for naturalizing in woodlands or meadows.
- Alliums: These relatives of onions and garlic come in a wide range of sizes and colors. Some varieties, like ornamental onions, produce large, showy flower heads that are a favorite of pollinators.
Conclusion
Underrated plants are the unsung heroes of the garden. They may not be the flashiest, but they offer a range of benefits that will make your garden healthier, more resilient, and more enjoyable. So next time you’re at the garden center, don’t forget to take a look at the underrated plants. You may be surprised at what you find!
