Now is the time to get started on any spring Idaho Falls landscaping projects. Spring Falls Landscaping has a large variety of trees, shrubs and other plants available for your Idaho Falls landscaping project.
It can be tough to know what is going to grow and flourish in an area with a climate like we have in southeast Idaho. Around here, it is normal to see extreme changes in temperature, lots of wind and dry conditions. If you don’t have plants that are tough — they won’t make it.
To achieve a good looking and healthy landscape, it is essential to have plants with characteristics that will match your climate. How do you know what plants will work?
Native plants are always a great option. You can also look for plants that are climate-adapted and have similar characteristics as those native plants. Something that originated in a comparable climate to ours, has a good chance to work well.
Sometimes you can tell if a plant will work just by the way it looks. Perennials that have fine foliage will handle the rain well, while those with the thick, waxy leaves do well in the heat.
You should be aware of what hardiness zone you are in. A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined to encompass a certain range of climatic conditions relevant to plant growth and survival.
The original and most widely-used system, developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a rough guide for landscaping and gardening, defines 13 zones by annual extreme minimum temperature. It has been adapted by and to other countries (such as Canada) in various forms. Check out the plant hardiness zone map. We are located in Zone 5A.
A quick online search will offer up plenty of suggestions on what to do in Zone 5 (or any of the zones for that matter). Here is a little more on just what exactly Zone 5 is. Plants that live here can survive winter temperatures no lower than -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-28 C). A plant that is hardy in zones 5-8 can grow in zones 5, 6, 7 and 8. But, it would most likely not make it through the cold temperatures in zone 4 or lower. It probably wouldn’t last through the hot, dry summers and inadequate time for dormancy in zone 9 or higher.
For more in depth information about zone 5, you can take a look at Gardening Know How, but here’s a brief look at some plants that should perform well in Idaho Falls landscaping.
- Ninebark shrubs add to your landscape with plenty of colorful foliage during the growing season. This makes the clusters of white spring flower stand out.
- Dogwood flowers in the spring. Then, many of them produce berries. The best part, however, is the bright red or yellow stems that stand out against the winter snow.
- Nanking cherry is a fruiting shrub with blossoms that show early in the spring. This provides some early nectar for bees.
- Canadian Hemlock is hardy in zones 3-8. They can reach a height in the 40-70 foot range. Plant these close together and prune them for a great hedge or natural border on your property.
- Colorado Blue Spruce are hardy in zones 2-7. They grow as tall as 50-75 feet. The blue needles are striking and these trees are adaptable to almost any type of soil.
- Ice plant lives up to its name. It can survive into zone 3 and then puts on a color show of very vibrant pink flowers.
- Sneezewort is hardy all the way to zone 2. This yarrow variety has foliage that is longer than that of its cousins. It can thrive in wet soil. Most cultivars sold today have double flowers.
- Canna lily has huge leaves and exotic flowers and it is one of the few true cold hardy tropical plants for zone 5. You’ll need to dig the bulbs in autumn and store them in moist peat moss until spring. Other than that, they require very little attention.
We guarantee competitive prices and an exceptional customer experience for Idaho Falls landscaping. Call Spring Falls Landscaping today for more information about our nursery and how we can help beautify your landscape.
