Patriotic Gardens: Celebrating Freedom with Red, White & Blue

The Fourth of July is a day that represents American freedom. Our flag’s colors of red, white and blue hold significant meanings as well. White represents purity and innocence. Red signifies hardiness and valor. And the blue stands for vigilance, perseverance and justice.

In honor of Independence Day, display your patriotism with a red, white and blue patriotic garden.

Below are common red, white and blue-colored flowers and flowering bushes:

Red

• Lantana – The red-flowered Patriot Cherry is a Lantana that prefers full sun and evenly moist soil, but it can tolerate dryer soil as well. This annual’s brightly colored flowers are excellent for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.
• Pentas – Pentas are aptly named because of the five-pointed petals on their flowers. Pentas, like the New Look Red, Mars Galaxy and Graffiti Bright Red, are annuals that prefer full sun or partial shade. The low-maintenance, heat-loving beauties like well-drained soil.
• Yarrow – The deep rose-red Yarrow is an easy perennial, growing in nearly any sunny situation, even where there is poor soil. Plants form low mounds of fragrant ferny foliage, with clusters of flowers appearing on upright stems.
• Daylily – The Frankly Scarlet daylily’s blooms shine in the heat and its color becomes more intense as the day grows warmer. Muted in the morning, the velvety blooms build color intensity throughout the afternoon and are still vibrant in the evening.

White

• Angelonia – The Angelface White Angelonia, also known as the Summer Snapdragon, features beautiful spikes of white pea-like flowers. This annual’s beauty is most prominent when planted in groupings. The Angelonia should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water.
• Bacopa – The Snowstorm, a Bacopa with long, cascading stems with five-petal flowers, is a great choice as a filler or border plant because it complements many other plants and flowers. This low-maintenance plant has the ability to thrive in full or partial sun and will bloom all season.
• Shasta Daisy – The Snowcap Shasta Daisy features white daisy flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the stems. This perennial flower’s beauty is most prominent when planted in groupings. The Snowcap does best in full sun to partial shade and in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. Although the Snowcap attracts butterflies, beware as it also attracts other insects.
• Speedwell – The Veronica Icicle is a common name for this Speedwell plant. It’s aptly named because of its sparkling white florets that reflect the light during the day and the moonlight at night. This low-maintenance perennial needs a full sun area with well-drained soil.

Blue

• Salvia – The Victoria Blue salvia plant’s deep true-blue flowers run up and down flower spikes that are commonly as long as eight inches, giving them significant "pop" in a garden design. Victoria Blue grows ideally in a sunny area with a well-drained soil, and will reach its full blooming potential only in a spot with full sun.
• Verbena – Verbena annuals, such as Temari Blue, Tukana Denim Blue and Superbena Dark Blue, are vigorous growers that prefer moist soil and good drainage. Their bright velvety blue blooms will show all season.
• Cranesbill – The Rozanne cranesbill is a hardy geranium that forms a midsized mound of leaves that bear loose clusters of bright, violet-blue cup-shaped flowers that bloom all season long. The Rozanne is a good choice for a groundcover, as one plant can spread to three feet wide.
• Bigleaf Hydrangea – Hydrangea shrubs like the Summer Beauty, Blue Billows and Blue Wave, bear blue-colored flowers when planted in acidic soil (you’ll see a pink-colored flower if your soil is more alkaline). These shrubs prefer evenly moist soil and partial shade. Since these can grow up to four feet wide and four feet high, these are a good choice for hedges.

Celebrate the beauty of America with your own patriotic garden! There are more varieties of red, white and blue flowers and plants available; for help in designing and choosing flowers and plants that will work best in your area, contact the experts at The Grounds Guys.

For Further Reading:

• Irrigation Repair to Prepare for Summer
• Smaller Farm Animals You Can Keep in Your Yard
• Become a Gardener and Find Your Zen