Landscaping Ideas for Canada

Annuals

• With the growing season in much of Canada reliable only from June to September, gardeners get a jump on instant color with bedding-out plants (already blooming plants from greenhouses). They place these among the perennial plants in the landscape to provide instant and early color before the perennials begin to flower.
  Most Canadians wait to plant these annuals until the May 24 Queen Victoria holiday.

Containers

• Canadian gardeners grow annuals in hanging pots and containers, placing them where their color, fragrance and foliage can best be seen and enjoyed during the short summer. Favorites include perpetually-blooming geraniums, begonias, coleus, fuchsias, petunias, bacopa and ivies in mixed pots.
  Pots can decorate patios or pathways while hanging baskets can be hanged from porches or among elm or oak tree limbs.

Perennials

• Canadian gardeners include perennials like bleeding heart, lily of the valley, chrysanthemum, day lilies and native flowers to give a steady succession of blooms through the summer.
  Cold weather roses survive harsh winters, so Canadian gardeners can include a rose garden in their landscaping.
  Landscapes benefit from a variety of heights, so climbing flowers like clematis contrasted with dark cedars or Colorado blue spruce create attractive displays in garden corners.

Trees

• Evergreens like pines, spruce, cedar and yew are adapted to the Canadian climate and add height and year-round color. Specimen trees such as maples, oak, poplars or mountain ash add shade, unique shapes, flowers and berries to brighten the fall landscape and attract birds. Purple leaf plums or yellow willows add contrasting foliage while hardy fruit trees produce edible fruits and attract butterflies and bumblebees.

Hardscaping

• Hardscaping is becoming more popular as Canadian cities ban chemical fertilizers and pesticides and the use of water for lawns. Stone patios, rock pathways, multi-level decks and water features like ponds and fountains placed among trees and shrubs are gaining popularity. (ref 1)
  Outdoor patios can become an integral part of a landscape with levels featuring barbecues, fire pits, hot tubs, flower containers and lounging areas.

Winter landscaping

• Winter landscaping with strategic planting and lighting can turn a yard into a magical place during long Canadian winters. Green pines or blue spruce brighten a bleak winter scene along with red osier dogwood shrubs, feature rocks or a split rail fence.
  Landscapes lighted with solar powered LED lights to illuminate paths, spotlight archways or trees and highlight rocks or yew or cedar shrubs are an attractive feature in long winter nights, and programmable lights save power.