Landscaping Ideas for Small Sunny Spot

Ornamental Herb Garden

• Create a small ornamental herb garden in a sunny spot on your landscape using an old box spring frame or landscape timbers. Blooming aromatic herbs such as anise hyssop, ornamental oregano, Salem rosemary and English lavender have shallow root systems and prefer full sun. Landscaping with an old box spring frame requires removing all of the fabric and cutting the metal coils. Drill holes in the bottom for drainage before adding the plants. Another quick and simple way to landscape a small space is to build a border with landscape timbers. Stack and attach two or three landscape timbers with 6-inch timber nails to enclose the space. Salem rosemary is a bush-type plant that flowers in the spring. English lavender and ornamental oregano bloom during the summer months, and anise hyssop blooms from the late summer to the early fall.

Day Lilies, Lilies and Miniature Gardenias

• Stella Dora day lilies, Asiatic lilies and miniature gardenia shrubs fit beautifully in a small sunny spot on your landscape. Miniature gardenias are evergreen shrubs that bloom repeatedly during the spring and summer. The fragrant white blossoms are small, but they pack an aromatic punch. Place the miniature gardenia shrub in the center of the small space with Asiatic lilies in back and Stella Dora day lilies in front. Stella Doras can grow up to 2 feet tall with yellow flowers that bloom repeatedly from late spring to early fall. Asiatic lilies can grow up to 48 inches tall with larger blossoms in rich colors. Asiatic lilies can bloom repeatedly for several weeks during the summer.

Tall Perennial Flowers

• Plant perennial flowers that grow up to 9 feet tall to vertically enhance a small sunny spot of your landscape. Dahlias, gladiolas and hollyhocks add colorful flowers that include shades of white, pink, red, purple, yellow, orange and apricot. If you live in a cold climate, remove the bulbs and tubers, store them over winter and replant them in the spring after the last frost. Intersperse the flowers with evergreen shrubs such as juniper or camellias for year-round color.