A landscape infused with the vibrant colors and lush foliage of tropical plants takes enjoying Summer activities outdoors with family and friends to the next level. Tropical plants make great additions to containers or garden beds that set the stage for fun times around the pool, patio, or pergola. They can even be used to create privacy around the perimeter of your yard.

Lucky for us here in Charleston, mild Fall and Winter temperatures allow many of the tropical plants that are available at our Garden Center to thrive without special protection during cold weather. This means that the plants you see this Summer, although some will need to be cut back before the next Spring, will survive the Winter to flourish again year after year.

Not sure where to start in selecting plants for your landscape? Our Nursery Professionals will be happy to assist! Or, if you're ready for a full makeover with a tropical theme (or other theme of your choosing), book an in-yard design consultation today!

​While there are many benefits of a well-designed landscape, three of the biggest are:

AVOID MISTAKES THAT COST EXTRA MONEY & TIME
Starting with a professional design for your landscape saves both money and time by reducing the likelihood of DIY mistakes. (Think re-planting or hardscape/structure demolition down the road if landscape elements don't play well together.)

EXPERTS TAKE CARE OF THE DETAILS
A skilled landscape designer creates a plan that takes into consideration all factors that affect your landscape such as:

• sun/shade
• soil composition
• grading/drainage
• presence of wildlife

These details are critical for finding the right plants for the right places in your landscape and may also impact decisions on hardscape or other materials to be used. Your landscape designer can also offer guidance on obtaining a property survey and understanding HOA/ARB guidelines.

PEACE OF MIND BEFORE BREAKING GROUND
A comprehensive landscape design is your road map for a successful transformation. It ensures all elements of the design fit together seamlessly and allows you to prioritize implementation to fit your preferences and/or budget. By going through the discovery, design, and revision process with your designer, you can rest easy knowing you'll love the end results!

Our professional landscape designers collaborate with you. They work to understand your vision, thoroughly analyze your landscape to make their best recommendations, and maintain open and clear communication throughout the length of your project.

Are you ready to transform your landscape? The first step is a design consultation at your home, followed by meetings with our design team as follows:

Spring is an ideal time of year to add new pollinator-attracting plants to your landscape! The Garden Center is full of plants with flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors, allowing for a wide array of combinations to suit various bed shapes and design styles. 

1.  Know Your Planting Location: Before choosing plants, be sure you know key characteristics about the area in which you are planting. Many plants for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds love sunshine. So, siting your butterfly garden in an area that receives a minimum of 6+ hours of sunlight will likely be ideal. Also, most pollinator-friendly plants will appreciate soil that is well-drained (i.e. not soggy). Of course, there are exceptions to these guidelines for sunlight and soil moisture. If you are working in an area of the yard that has more shade or moisture, our Nursery Professionals can also assist you in choosing plants that will work for those conditions as well.

2. Choose the Right Plants: Generally, nectar-rich flowers are key. And, including an assortment of bloom shapes will encourage a variety of pollinators to visit. It is also important to consider bloom season so that flowers are present early spring through fall.

​Have space to go bigger? Pollinators also love these flowering shrubs and trees:

3. Get Your Soil Ready: We highly recommend amending the soil in your planting area with Brownswood Premium Planting Mix as well as a starter fertilizer such as Espoma Organic Bio-tone® Starter Plus to give your new plants their best start. You can find our Planting Guide at the link below. It provides planting instructions and helpful information about watering and getting new plants established.​

4. Plant: Planting different varieties of plants in groupings of three or more will result in more blooms of any given flower type being available at once. Do keep in mind mature heights and widths of each plant for best spacing and arrangement. For example, if arranging in tiers, situate taller plants in the back of the bed and work forward. It may be helpful to sketch a layout of your planting area with rough measurements beforehand to ensure proper spacing. Water regularly as new plantings are getting established and provide a balanced fertilizer in spring and fall.

5. Enjoy! Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds are a delight for all ages to observe, adding a sense of wonder and excitement to the landscape. It may take a little while for pollinators to find newly planted flowers, so be patient... they will come!