Landscape Blog

A beautiful garden does more than just add curb appeal, it extends your living space outdoors. You can enjoy heady floral scents, nature’s beauty and the wonderful weather, all in your own backyard. The trick is to find plants that flourish in Southern California without needing too much maintenance. Here are a few suggestions that will brighten up any Southern California spring garden.

1. California Lilac

Beautiful blue flowers sprout in the early spring, making the garden a nice place to hang out as soon as the winter cool heads north for the year. After their blooming cycle, these plants stay evergreen all year round, so your landscaping never looks unfinished. The leathery leaves are hardy and resistant to most weather.

2. Parry Manzanita

Talk about a plant that just keeps on giving. Not only does it produce a wonderful screen to add privacy, it also pops with delicate flashes of white when flowering, drawing hummingbirds and other pollinators. Later in the season, look out for small pink fruit. Some people press the fruit to create a delicious Manzanita cider, while others just appreciate the wildlife drawn by the fruit. Remember to leave plenty of room when planting —the Manzanita will grow to more than 10 feet tall and wide.

3. Barbary Ragweed

Bright yellow flowers bring a spot of spring color to the garden with the Barbary Ragweed. This low-lying plant requires surprisingly little water, making it a great choice for the occasional gardener or anyone who lives in a water-conscious area. Get a plant that looks like a daisy with a lot less maintenance.

4. Geranium Renardii

Lovely green velvety, wrinkled leaves look great for most of the year, but look forward to the stunning, large white blossoms that start to show in late spring. Combined with the lilac, you get flowers that flow seamlessly from one part of the season to the next. Plus, your geraniums will continue to blossom into the early summer months.

5. Salvia Nemorosa

Sage adds a splash of pretty purple color and an amazing fragrance. It grows in small clumps and can add a bit of intermediate height, as this plant typically tops out at 18 inches.

6. Hidalgo Stachys

Sometimes known as the Seven-Up plant, this plant with small pink blossoms is an unusual choice, but with low water requirements and easy maintenance, it makes a great garden addition.

7. California Wild Rose

What garden would be complete without at least one rose bush? With the California Wild Rose, you get a thicket that helps ensure privacy along with an appetizingly delicious fragrance and delicate pink blossoms. It blooms virtually year round and brings in birds and other wildlife, even during the winter months.

 

A natural, beautiful garden can renew the spirit, but it takes a fair amount of planning to get something that looks good all year long. These plants can help your spring garden pop with color without leaving you looking at brown foliage and bare branches in the winter. There are thousands of options and varieties to choose from, but these are a few you might not have heard of or that get overlooked at a lot of nurseries. When making your final gardening selections, be sure to keep in mind height, color, seasonality and sun requirements.