As any gardener knows, weeds are unwanted plants that compete for nutrients with the ones you’ve cultivated. In an effort to rid your garden of these nuisances, you may spend several hours weeding the front lawn of your lake house. However, before you start pulling any unintentionally grown roots, take a pause. Many plants that are considered “weeds” are actually not pesky at all. In fact, several of them have medicinal or culinary benefits in addition to aesthetic beauty. At Lake Homes Lifestyles, we’re here to help you identify which weeds to pull and which to leave alone.
The butterfly weed earns its name by virtue of its magnetic draw to butterflies. Its bright shades of red, orange, and yellow, attract numerous pollinators as well, including bees. They’re additionally referred to as orange milkweed. Despite their lack of characteristic milky sap, they produce seed pods that release milky-tailed seeds which disperse in the wind. Frequently appearing in home gardens across zones 3-9, the butterfly weed adds an interesting pop of color to any garden.
Like the butterfly weed, the mountain mint attracts many insects like bees and small butterflies. Its strong, fragrant minty scent attracts these pollinators to its nectar and pollen. Also most prevalent in zones 3-9, the mountain mint is home to a wide range of gardens across the U.S. The dainty leaves look like they’ve been dusted with powdered sugar, which embellishes any backyard with a sense of elegance.
If ironweed is growing at your lake house, it’ll be hard to miss. These flowers can grow from up to 7 inches tall, showcasing brilliant purple colors in the late summer. Most prevalent in zones 5-8, ironweeds are most commonly found in prairies and other grassland areas. Prior to gaining the name ironweed, they used to be called compositae flowers because their blooms are a composite of many flower types. Upon looking closely, you can see the distinct fusion of five separate petals in one cluster.
Although this flower is native to Europe, it now grows across mountainous regions of North America in zones 4-9. Also called leopard’s bane and mountain tobacco, the arnica’s large flower head, yellow coloration, and bright green oval leaves resemble a miniature sunflower. Besides its ornamental value, arnica flowers also have medicinal purposes. Although toxic when ingested, the flower can be applied topically to treat arthritis and soothe muscle pain.
Hardy in zones 3-8, the chickweed is a low-growing groundcover plant with medicinal and culinary values. Loaded with vitamins C, D, and B complex plus calcium, iron, zinc, and other healing minerals, these tasty greens can be ground into a nutritious pesto sauce. Outside the kitchen, chickweed has both external and internal uses as an antibacterial and antihistamine agent. Specifically, can be made into a salve that is soothing for healing burns and bug bites.
As a child, you probably made wishes on dandelions and watched their seeds scatter into the wind. But did you know that these shape-shifting flowers are one of the most useful and nutritious herbs? The dandelion has a long history of culinary and medical uses. High in nutrients, the leaves can be either boiled or eaten fresh for a rich, earthy flavor. From coffee to quesadillas, there’s no shortage of ways to use dandelion in recipes. Medicinally, dandelions have been used to treat inflammation, appendicitis, and stomach issues. Between granting wishes, flavoring food, and healing ailments, is there anything dandelions can’t do?
So, before pulling up every unwanted weed in your garden, take a moment to research the plant. Are there potential benefits — aesthetic or otherwise — that you could be missing?
In a previous post for Lake Homes Realty, we presented some inspiring hardscaping ideas for your lakeside landscape. For part two of our feature, we’re going to focus on softscapes—the living, growing components of your lake property. Think of these as the soft horticultural elements of your landscape, like trees, shrubs, flowers, grass, and ground covers. To get some expert advice on how to plant in a lake environment, we spoke with Larry Bates, a landscape architect for Russell Lands and a 30-year resident of Alabama’s Lake Martin area, to get his top tips.
Before you select plant materials for your lakeside landscape, you first want to consider what will blend harmoniously with the natural surroundings and facilitate the enjoyment of your property. “By virtue of having a lake property, your home is situated within a natural environment,” says Bates. “The plantings should always blend with that environment and enhance the presentation of the house.”
Bates also suggests keeping in mind that a lake home doesn’t really have a backyard because it typically faces the water, and people will view it from the water. “This is not a backyard, so don’t treat it like a backyard,” he explains. “You essentially have two faces to deal with that are equally important, so you have to invest in both sides—the entrance from the driveway and the lakefront,” he adds.
By applying a few basic principles of landscape design—balance, unity, simplicity—you can create a softscape design that complements the natural scenery, any hardscaping elements such as patios, fire pits, and stone pathways, and your desired level of maintenance.
“If you’re a part-time resident, this isn’t the place for a time-consuming rose or vegetable garden,” says Bates. “Always consider the maintenance of your property and whether or not a yard service is an option when you’re away. Plan how you’re going to take care of your landscape—mowing, irrigation, soil care, weeding—and think through how you’re going to get it done.
Incorporating grass and other soft ground covers into your lake landscape brings textural balance to hardscaping elements and creates softness underfoot. “A lot of Lake Martin landscapes have grass lawns,” says Bates, “but keep in mind you don’t have to grass your entire property. It’s often more visually appealing when the edges of your property segway back into the natural environment with organic mulches and other natural materials,” he notes.
Bates recommends drought-tolerant lawn grasses such as Bermuda, Centipede, St. Augustine, and the ever-popular emerald-green Zoysia for warmer lake climates. “I like to use Zoysia whenever possible because it’s a very dense and durable grass that can withstand the heat,” he says. “In cooler climates, fescue or bluegrass lawns thrive well.”
If you’re looking for a grass alternative, soft ground covers such as sweet woodruff, autumn fern, creeping thyme, and creeping phlox can spread quickly and create a plush, textured landscape look. Ground covers typically require less maintenance, and some are ideal for sloped areas where mowing can be difficult. Use them to cover shady and high-traffic areas where turf grasses won’t grow or perform well. Some ground covers even work to choke out weeds. Always consult with a landscape professional when selecting the best choices for your climate.
When planning your lake landscape design, keep in mind that you want to achieve an ideal balance of softscapes and hardscapes for the best visual appeal. Plants and trees come in an endless array of sizes, shapes, colors, and textures, so you’ll want to make sure your selections complement each other as well as the surrounding environment. Tall trees and shrubs create vertical interest to draw the eye upwards, and lush plants and flowers display their beauty more at ground level. Container gardens placed around the perimeter of a deck or patio can also soften the rough edges of these hardscapes.
“When selecting plants, a big concern on lake properties is wildlife,” says Bates. “On Lake Martin, deer and beaver are public enemy number one,” he laughs. “You need to consider these things when deciding on plant materials and mitigate the damage. If they’re feeding on your plants, they’re not so charming anymore,” he adds.
Bates has had success with a lovely blooming shrub called sweetspire and most anything in the viburnum family for this southern lake region, including evergreen, sweet, and snowball viburnum. “Deer really don’t care for them like they do hydrangeas,” he notes.
Bates suggests native oaks, tulip poplars, and black gum trees for tree options that blend with the surrounding scenery, all of which tend to thrive with little trouble. Heartier evergreen trees like hemlock, fir, and spruce can tolerate colder climates and bring a magnificent forest feel to your lake landscape.
As lake lovers, we strive to preserve nature’s profound beauty by honoring the natural environment encompassing our homes. This is a good guideline to live and plant by as we face the challenges of impending global climate change.
“Lake environments tend to be forested environments,” says Bates, “so it’s desirable to create a landscape that blends and relates to it. And because forests are nature’s filter in keeping the lake clean, it’s a real incentive to have landscapes that transition gracefully into any undisturbed natural eco-systems.”
Bates also points out that a lot of wooded areas are thick with pine trees. The pine needles and natural ground floor filter the drainage, stop erosion, and keep sediment out of the lake—ensuring the water that flows to the lake is high-quality water, clean, and pure looking.
“If you have evasive vegetation like kudzu, you most certainly have to deal with that, but keeping the forest healthy doesn’t require much help from us,” he sums.
For more inspiring softscaping ideas, check out Pinterest. Happy landscaping this summer—we would love to hear about your planting adventures at the lake.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned ‘green thumb,’ anyone who attempts to garden—from hostas to hydrangeas—needs to have some basic knowledge to get things growing. And as a lake homeowner, it’s essential to know a few lake-specific garden terms to ensure you get the most from your scenic waterside landscape.
We spoke with Peter Wodarz, the owner of Gardenbau Group and a landscape architect/project manager for Michael Schmechtig’s firm Sheldon Landscape in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. This full-service landscape management company and its award-winning staff have served residents throughout the beautiful lake region for more than 42 years. Here, Peter shares—and demystifies—some of his top gardening terms and tells us why these are important to lake homeowners.
An annual is a plant that lives for just one growing season. You must replant annuals every year, as they will sprout, flower, seed—and then die in the winter. “Annuals provide seasonal displays of abundant color and texture,” says Peter. “Their colorful masses—mixed in with perennial borders and shrub beds— brighten the landscape throughout the season, and annual displays in containers bring a splash of color to front entrances, porches, balconies, and piers,” he adds.
The advantage for many lake homeowners is that annual plants quickly display their color and hold it all summer long—the most common time for lake dwellers to enjoy their outdoor setting. New varieties of New Guinea impatiens and begonias are perfect for shadier areas of the garden. Marigolds and petunias are common choices for sunnier spots, and in the southern regions, they can provide three full seasons of color. Pansies, vincas, and zinnias are trusted standbys for long seasonal colors in warmer climates.
Perennials are plants that return year after year with little required care. These “forever” plants are often used to highlight the seasons as different varieties typically provide color for four to six weeks when in bloom. Woven together, they can form a tapestry of color.
“Perennials such as coneflowers, bee balm, catmint, and astilbe found in Midwest lake home regions provide easy care with long seasonal color displays,” says Peter. “They are perfect for those weekend staycation days meant for relaxing at the water’s edge and not toiling in the garden.”
Other easy-to-grow perennials include Shasta daisies, black-eyed Susan, yarrow, hardy hibiscus, aster, Siberian iris, daylilies, hostas, and moss phlox. When designing your lake home garden, be sure to plant a mix of varieties that will flower at different times of the year to ensure a continuous burst of blooms. If you’re unsure of what to plant, ask a gardening professional to recommend perennials—and annuals—that will thrive in your garden zone.
“Native plants thrive in their natural environment—the region’s climate and soil conditions—and therefore require little care and watering,” says Peter. The U.S. Forest Service defines native plants as: “All indigenous terrestrial and aquatic species that evolved and occur naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, and habitat.” Life forms include hardwood trees, conifer trees, shrubs, grasses, wildflowers, and others. Generally, native North American species are recognized as those appearing on the continent prior to European settlement.
“Native plants in the Midwestern region such as blazing star, false indigo, and blue star can attract birds and butterflies common to the area, adding movement and activity to the lake home lifestyle,” Peter adds.
These plants also create beautiful landscapes, promote biodiversity, and offer many environmental benefits, making them essential for lake home gardens. Large swaths of native plantings also provide habitat for wildlife such as foxes, rabbits, and other small mammals. For a list of native plants in your region, visit PlantNative.
Ornamental grasses bring a dynamic element to your lakeside environment. They sway gracefully with the breeze, color the landscape, and provide beautiful visual interest even in winter. There are many types and sizes of ornamental grasses that can punctuate your exterior spaces with tall plumes or large, vibrant masses low to the ground.
“One type of tall grass ideal for screening out unpleasant views is maiden grass,” says Peter. “Varieties such as ‘Purpurascens’ (flame grass) begin to flower in late summer and retain their showy plumes through winter. It begins to turn red in late summer, changing to a striking orange-red in fall,” he explains. Prairie dropseed is another outstanding ornamental grass that reaches a height of nearly two feet. Airy seed heads appear in late summer and dramatically capture the morning sunlight as it peeks over the water. It can be used in large masses or interspersed with perennials to provide contrasting foliage. To find the best options for sun and shade, visit HGTV.
Raised Beds
Photo courtesy of Hortus, Ltd./P. Allen Smith via HGTV
Raised beds are typically used to grow annual flowers and vegetable gardening. They help prevent overwatering and allow the plants to perform their best. Combined with a permaculture technique of using logs and wood chips at the bottom of the raised bed, proper soil moisture is much easier to maintain. As the logs decompose, they act as a sponge soaking up excess moisture and releasing it when the plants need it. This makes the task of daily watering unnecessary and provides peace of mind when you’re out of town or occupied with friends and family.
“Raised beds typically warm up quicker, giving lake homeowners a jump on the season,” explains Peter. “They also deter slugs and snails, making pest management easier as well,” he adds. By merely adding fresh compost and not tilling the soil every year, weeds are suppressed, freeing up time to enjoy life while still reaping a harvest of fresh vegetables and flowers. For more information, visit HGTV.
One of the most compelling elements of any lake home is the view. When properly placed, an outdoor terrace provides a setting for daily activities while capturing that all-important vista.
Lake homes are typically situated on a sloped lot, with the terrain angled towards the water. This can be used to the homeowner’s advantage to create a beautiful backyard terrace. Nestling the terrace into the hill can be done using a retaining wall of natural stone or other material, which will hold back the slope while also creating the opportunity to incorporate a seating area directed toward the water.
“Constructing the walls of locally sourced materials such as granite boulders or outcrop stone can help tie the area to its natural surroundings, making it feel at home in the landscape,” Peter explains. “You can reiterate this look in the materials chosen for your terrace surface as well. Large irregular flagstone pieces lend a casual lake house vibe, while patterned stone such as bluestone creates a more formal aesthetic,” he notes.
Nothing says relax more than a pair of Adirondack or lounge chairs looking out over the water. Having some moveable seating allows you to capture that perfect sun and water angle throughout the day, and incorporating a fire pit into your terrace extends the entertainment possibilities into the night. Bringing the elements of fire and water together make for a great gathering spot for friends and family. For more techniques on terracing, talk to a landscape professional.
Many shoreline properties are sloped towards the lake and require thoughtful solutions to avoid erosion. Plants play an essential role in stabilizing the sloped areas by setting down deep roots. These plants work together to hold soil in place.
“Plants such as Siberian Iris, fox sedge, and Joe Pye weed are valuable plants used to prevent soil erosion and add color to the landscape,” says Peter. “The Iris variety Caesar’s Brother blooms from late spring to early summer and has graceful grass-like foliage. Fox sedge is very adaptable and has a spray of bronze seed heads in late summer, creating a beautiful display,” he adds.
For more information, visit Solitude Lake Management, or contact your lake management professional to help determine the best plant species for your area.
Ready to start a gardening project at your lake home? Get growing, enjoy, and share your results with us!
On the Lake Homes Realty blog, we’ve covered a lot of landscaping topics. By now, you’re probably well versed in cultivating gardens that adhere to your USDA zone, as well as new low-irrigation techniques like xeriscaping. But have you heard of the latest trend — vertical gardening? Especially perfect for those with smaller backyards, vertical gardening makes the most use of the space you have. Think of it as the landscaping equivalent of New York City’s architectural strategy — when there’s limited space, build upwards with skyscrapers! Today, we’re diving into the basics of the vertical gardening trend and how you can implement it at your lake house.
In the broadest sense, vertical gardening is essentially vegetation growing on a non-horizontal surface such as a wall, trellis, or fence. Although it’s certainly a hot new trend, vertical gardening has been around since the beginning of recorded history. The history of vertical gardening begins in 3000 BCE with grapevines in the Mediterranean area. Whether for growing food or decorating homes, these vines were known for climbing up walls and trellises. Today, nearly any non-horizontal surface is perfect for growing vegetables, adding beautiful greenery to your landscape, or indoor herb gardening.
One of the most logistical benefits of vertical gardening is that it doesn’t take up too much space. If your backyard is small, or you’re living in a more urban lake area, you may need to conserve space on your property. The limits are your own property with horizontal gardening, but with vertical gardening, the sky’s the limit! From an environmental perspective, they also reduce your carbon footprint — a win-win for both you and the environment. Plus, your plants are more likely to thrive with added air circulation than on the moist ground.
There are also aesthetic benefits to vertical gardening. A wall of blooming greenery adds dimension to your backyard. In the same way that wall art rounds out an interior design, vertical gardening draws the eye upward and offers a holistic look. Plus, there’s no better way to disguise an unattractive wall than with a whole lot of ivy.
Have you ever wanted to incorporate greenery onto your boat dock but didn’t have enough room? Enter vertical gardening. For smaller spaces like boat docks, vertical gardening is the perfect solution. The same goes for your screened-in porch overlooking the lake. Further, vertical gardening is simply another way of showing off your biophilic design. This design trend embraces the natural world and also reflects the values of many lake homeowners who spend a lot of time appreciating nature.
There are tons of different ways to incorporate vertical gardens into your lake home. If you’re looking to get creative, try a DIY project. For example, you can simply re-pot your house plants into wooden crates and stack them on top of each other to create a farm-chic vertical garden. Less mainstream but delightfully creative strategies include succulent frames and monogrammed planters. If you’re not so crafty, look for an existing vertical surface to use. Perhaps you’re not so crazy about one wall of your lake house. Or maybe the fence dividing your home from the neighbor’s could use a makeover. Think outside the box with these vertical surfaces. We bet there’s a way to incorporate vertical gardening.
Whether you’re a gardening newbie or you have a green thumb, we hope you find some fun ways to use vertical gardening at your lake house!
After a long winter, there’s nothing more blissful than springtime at the lake. This is the season for planting, getting back outside, and bringing nature’s vibrant life into our lake homes and outdoor spaces. The perfect way to do this, especially in a lakeside setting, is with container gardening.
We’re undoubtedly happier and more relaxed when surrounded by the natural beauty that comes with lake living, but not everyone has ample space for in-ground gardening. No worries. You can still enjoy the beauty without all the fuss by setting up container gardens on your deck, porch, patio, or entryway.
Even if you don’t have much outdoor space, using containers and planters can bring joyful color and fragrant greens to any area on your property. To help you get started, we spoke to two gardening experts for some inspiring tips.
“Container gardening can lend an incredibly decorative accent to your lake home,” says Melanie Evans, a master gardener and a gardening consultant for Factory Direct Hose based in Middleton, Idaho. Melanie has assisted clients with their gardening and product needs for more than 15 years in all climates, including some of the top golf courses in the country as well as the U.S. Embassy in Russia.
“The variety of containers available allow you to design your small-scale garden in a way that fits your needs and complements your lake home’s unique aesthetic,” she adds. Melanie also notes that indoor container gardens can be a great asset to your lake house’s interior design. The options and combinations are endless, from hanging baskets and window boxes to a cluster of matching pots or large single decorative containers.
“Many lake homeowners are seasonal residents, making the upkeep of a small garden plot difficult,” she explains. “Container gardens are the perfect solution for those wanting to reap the benefits of a seasonal garden without having the space get overgrown with weeds when you leave for the winter. If worse comes to worst, and the plants die, the cleanup is easy and as simple as dumping out the container,” she sums.
Growing your plants— and vegetables—in containers also allows for portability. Seasonal lake house residents have the option of taking their favorite year-round plants with them when they leave.
“On a large lakefront landscape with lots of sun, it’s best to plant one species per pot,” says Jason VanderMey, managing partner of West Coast Gardens in Surrey, British Columbia. “This will give the plants space and allow for more design flexibility with the best color contrast—plus, it will look more natural in lakeside areas,” he adds. If you plant multiple species together, carefully consider color, height, and bloom times. Make sure they have similar growing conditions, and your container is large enough to accommodate them.
Are you looking to WOW your friends and neighbors? Jason suggests planting lots of radiant flowers—like petunias. They smell wonderful, the colors are beautiful, and they’re easy to maintain. These flowering plants grow quickly and fill in densely, creating vibrant, eye-catching focal points. Plant them in decorative containers, hanging baskets, or window boxes for instant beauty anywhere at your lake home. They love full sun and grow well in most well-drained soils. “When you water your flowers, be sure to feed them with a water-soluble fertilizer like SUPER-BLOOM-15-30-15.
If you want to bring bright pops of color to your front porch, patio, or dock, there are lots of flower options. Pansies, violas, hydrangeas, calibrachoas, geraniums, marigolds, and chrysanthemums all thrive in pots.
Vegetables that are ideally suited for growing in containers include tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers (sweet and chili), peas, carrots, eggplant, green onions, leafy greens, potatoes, beans, squash, and radishes. Avoid planting pumpkins, corn, and melons, which require more space to thrive. For container veggies, remember this: the bigger the pot, the better. For tips on growing and choosing the proper container for your vegetables, talk to your local gardening specialist or visit this helpful post on Houzz.
If you enjoy cooking, herbs are the perfect thing to plant in your container garden. Herbs that thrive in containers include chives, basil, dill, cilantro, garlic, fennel, lemon balm, sage, mint, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. “When it comes to planting herbs, keep in mind that many thrive in Mediterranean-like climates—meaning, they need plenty of sunlight and moderate temperatures,” says Melanie. Herbs can thrive in both indoor and outdoor settings if these criteria are met.
“Try having one close to the kitchen,” says Jason. “That way, you’ll always have fresh herbs on hand. I love it when I’m cooking and can reach out the window for fresh basil.”
If your containers are basking in high temperatures and bright sun, succulents and cacti are heat tolerant and incredibly easy to grow. They lend a beautiful texture accent to almost any landscape or indoor area. Make sure your containers provide proper drainage and aren’t too large. The soil will take longer to dry out in oversized containers.
Click here for more expert tips and ideas on how you can create a lush look with container gardens for your lakeside setting.
Before you get going on your container garden, here are Melanie’s simple basics that will steer you in the right direction:
Make sure to consider the shape and size of the plant’s root system before selecting a container. Keep in mind that the smaller the container, the more likely the plant will dry out. Large and deep containers are less prone to drying out and allow plants to deepen their roots.
Water your container garden thoroughly and fertilize it every week or two. With succulents and cactus, the soil should be almost dry before you water again. Regardless of the size of your container, you must make sure it drains well. If your container has no drainage holes, water will get backed up in your plant and cause disease.
If you’re in doubt, a local nursery professional can help you select the perfect plant and the ideal container.
Want to create a luxuriant lake landscape of your own using containers? We’d love to hear your story and see your results.
On the Lake Homes Realty blog, we’ve written a lot about the joys of gardening and cooking, and the place where these two popular lake house hobbies intersect is indoor herb gardening. There’s a ton of perks to this easy hobby. Not only are indoor herb kits organic and fresh, but they’re also a great money saver. Especially during the winter season, they’re an excellent placeholder for the outdoor gardening you’re saving for spring. Check out some of the best indoor herb garden sets for the current season.
The Click and Grow Smart Garden was named one of the best self-tending indoor herb garden sets by The Spruce magazine. With energy-efficient LED lights to grow your plant of choice, this garden is easy to set up. Just drop in the plant pods, fill the water reservoir, and plug in the kit. Besides its ease of use, another perk of this Smart Garden is its versatility. You can grow anything and everything from strawberries to basil to chili peppers. The self-watering tank requires little to no effort, so you can spend more time enjoying the lake and less time watering your herbs.
If you’re an avid gardener and want to include your kids in the process, this Kids Indoor Herb Garden Grow Kit from Etsy is perfect. This kid-friendly kit comes with herb seeds, soil, biodegradable pots, and a small shovel. Depending on what dishes your kids enjoy, you can choose to grow basil, cilantro, or parsley as garnishes. It functions as a dual opportunity to teach kids how to grow herbs and incorporate them into cooking projects.
This Vertical Plant Stand is not one of your typical indoor herb garden sets. The product doesn’t come with seeds or soil. Instead, it’s a structure from which to start building your garden. This plant ladder comes with five pots, which allows you to grow several herbs together vertically. This setup is perfect if you have a small kitchen at your lake house. If you only want to produce a few plants, you could store pens, notebooks, or other supplies in the remaining holders. Both trendy and versatile, this plant stand is an excellent choice for your kitchen.
This Winter Indoor Garden Kit is perfect for starting your own indoor herb gardening. Just $25, this set has everything you need to get started. In addition to peat pots, plant tags, and soil pellets, it comes with a grower’s guide manual that provides comprehensive instructions for your garden. Plus, it’s specified for the winter season. With wintertime herbs such as lemon basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, and jalapeno, you won’t eat a flavorless meal for months.
Calling all spicy food lovers! While herbs like rosemary will add a refreshing taste to your palette, some of us like foods with a little more kick. If this is you, you’ll want to check out herb garden sets with microgreens. This Chef’n Microgreens Grower will fit on a windowsill or countertop at your lake house and will allow you to grow fresh microgreens very quickly. Unlike herb sets, you have the option to buy the Spicy Mixed Microgreens pack, which includes broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, arugula, red acre cabbage, and southern giant mustard greens to add spice to your food. These miniature versions will also bloom faster than full-sized plants — a win-win for those who want delicious home-grown, healthy greens within a short amount of time.
Indoor plants add a sense of life to any room. A dull furniture set immediately becomes more colorful with hanging plants or potted flowers on a side table. Especially at a lake house, bringing the outdoors in is a relevant trend. It allows natural lakeside scenery to integrate into your home decor seamlessly. Plus, the beauty of indoor plants is that you aren’t bound by gardening zones.
Indoors, you can engineer the environment for them to grow. However, it would be best if you still considered seasonality for house plant care. As the seasons change, so do plants’ needs. For this season, check out these fall indoor plants to maintain your lake house’s bright, happy atmosphere.
Red aglaonema is one of the most colorful house plants with a green base. Its varying shades of red and pink add color variation to fall’s typical orangey-brown tones. Plus, it’s simple to care for this slow-growing plant that only requires indirect sunlight. That ability to use lower light environments makes it perfect for a home office.
If you’re working from your lake home during COVID-19, keep in mind that office plants have tons of psychological benefits from stress reduction to increased creativity. If you’re new to plant care, this is the perfect, low maintenance addition to your lake home.
Of all fall indoor plants, this one might be the easiest to grow. As a succulent, it tolerates low light and is quite forgiving towards forgetful owners. It’s considered a plant of steel due to its hardiness. This trait makes it perfect for a second home like a lake house, where you won’t be readily available for plant maintenance.
Snake plants are also strikingly beautiful with a combination of yellow, light green, and dark green. Additionally, it’s an unintrusive floor plant because its thick leaves grow upright. Like aglaonemas, they require indirect sunlight so you can place them in most rooms of your lake home — provided it’s not a pitch dark basement.
When it’s cold outside, and trees are bare, the amaryllis’s red, white, and pink shades add a rare vibrancy for your selection of fall indoor plants. Its colors also bring out a festive, decorative flare during the cold-weather holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
To grow them, pot the bulbs yourself and keep the soil damp but not wet. However, growing the bulb in water is also an option. Whichever you choose, remember to plant your amaryllis in a heavy pot. If the pot is too lightweight, the flower will keel over once it grew to full size.
Native to Mexico, Brazil, and Costa Rica, this house plant comes in 25 different types. Its name comes from the bright orange blooms that resemble goldfish among tiny dark leaves. These colorful blooms are most vibrant in the summertime. However, they’ll keep their fiery tone in the fall, as long as you care for it properly.
To keep your goldfish plant alive, place it in bright but not direct sunlight with some humidity. Because of its curved leaves, it looks attractive as a hanging plant.
You may think of aloe vera only in relation to sun protection. However, it’s status as one of the best fall indoor plants shouldn’t be ignored.
As a succulent, it’s tough and requires little water to stay alive. Mostly, it just needs indirect sunlight, making this plant perfect for your lake house’s kitchen or den.
Although its juices can aid in healing cuts and burns, be sure not to ingest this plant as its toxicity can cause nausea and indigestion.
As indicated by its name, the Christmas cactus’ beautiful colors will help you start celebrating the winter holidays. These tubular, bright blooms will be a perfect addition to your windowsill this fall.
Unlike typical cacti, this plant isn’t native to arid environments. It’s native to the rainforests in Brazil. Since they’re accustomed to humid environments like this, you’ll need to water more regularly.
Croton Plant
Photo courtesy of KOMARGALLERY/GETTY IMAGES via mydomaine.com.
When it comes to fall indoor plants, the croton plant is a particularly fun choice. Usually grown outdoors in tropical climates, it also makes a great house plant. The shades of dark gray, orange and yellow create a whimsical yet striking look.
Because it’s native to a tropical environment, it dislikes humidity. Keeping the plant on a pebble tray and regularly misting it should do the trick! Also, it’s crucial to avoid moving the croton plant if possible. It doesn’t like being transferred to new environments, and doing so will result in leaf loss.
If you’re in search of a tall, sturdy house plant, a rubber tree is perfect. When it’s young, it can fit comfortably on a desk. However, it can reach extraordinary heights. In the rubber tree’s native home of southeast Asia, it can grow up to 100 feet tall, and domestically, it stretches between six and ten feet. It prefers indirect light, so a placement by a sheer curtained window is perfect.
In addition to preparing your existing house plants for fall, we hope you add one of these new fall indoor plants to your collection. No matter which you choose, they’ll help evoke a peaceful atmosphere in your lake home.
If you have a garden at your lake house, you’re probably familiar with the Plant Hardiness Zones. Designed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this guide separates the country into zones based on average annual minimum winter temperature. Each zone is split by 10 degrees and has its unique features, such as the first and last frost date and length of seasons. This helpful tool clarifies which plants will thrive in your garden. For example, if you’re a gardener in zones 1-3, the Plant Hardiness Zones will warn you against planting a peach tree in your garden, which wouldn’t flourish outside the southernmost zones.
If you’ve been browsing the Lake Homes blog in the last few months, you may have caught the first two articles in our series on gardening zones. While the first two covered zones 7-9 and zones 4-6, we’re now turning the spotlight on the coldest areas of the U.S. — zones 1-3.
Region Characteristics
In zones 1-3, the average annual minimum temperature is between -60 degrees and -30 degrees Fahrenheit with zone 1 being the coldest. Most of zone 1 is located in Alaska, where the tundra climate can be especially harsh for gardening. In zones 2 and 3, which include the northernmost United States and high altitude areas, these low temperatures also present a challenge for gardeners. Due to the unforgiving weather, it’s crucial to consult the Plant Hardiness Zones to determine which plants are most likely to survive the winter in your garden. Aside from temperature, these regions also tend to have low moisture and high winds, creating more barriers to plant survival.
Main Takeaways
Due to the harsh features of these regions, northern gardeners’ planting window is shorter than those in other zones. Kevin Espiritu, the founder of Epic Gardening, clarifies, “Gardeners in zones 1-3 have about 2 months to plant, and that’s it.” If you’re living in these zones, it’s crucial to take advantage of this brief time. Luckily, certain types of gardening can help. Scott Fanello, a writer for Total Gardener, advises those in zones 1-3 to master cold-frame gardening. With this simple structure that utilizes insulation and solar energy, you can create a microclimate for your plants. He also recommends building a greenhouse at your lake home if you have the money and time. Despite these challenges, life in zones 1-3 isn’t all bad. Espiritu notes that one advantage to growing plants in Alaska is their long summers (almost 20 hours per day of sunlight), causing gardeners in this region to break records in terms of large vegetables.
Plants to Pick
Due to the harsh weather conditions, the best plants to choose in zones 1-3 are tough ones that can survive droughts. It’s also best to select native plants that are already adapted to the climate. Thankfully, several plants are hardy enough to thrive in this cold, dry weather. Nikki McAteer, marketing director of Perfect Plants Nursery, comments, “Only a handful of perennial plants will grow outside and come back year after year. Planting annuals is a great solution to these punishing temperatures.”
In contrast to perennials that need more maintenance, annuals are less of a commitment. Most vegetables are grown as annuals, so plants like beans, broccoli, potatoes, and tomatoes have a good chance of survival in zones 1-3. Fanello recommends focusing on fast-growing annuals in particular. Some examples include salad greens and herbs like basil, oregano, and rosemary. Overall, it’s helpful to pick plants with a short growing season so they’ll mature and be ready for harvest in the 2-month window that these zones offer.
Despite the harsh weather in zones 1-3, northern gardeners are quite savvy when it comes to working with what they have. If you own a lake house in these zones, we hope these tips help your garden flourish. It’s also a great idea to connect with other gardeners in your zone through meetups, Facebook groups, and local farmer’s markets. Plus, with all the available vegetable options in these northern zones, you’ll always have something to add to your homemade salad!
As any gardener will tell you, the key to having a successful garden is choosing the right plants and knowing when to plant them. To make these decisions, gardeners first look to the plant hardiness zones for guidance. A hardiness zone is a geographic area that divides certain regions based on the average minimum rainfall per year. Pol Bishop, a landscaping expert from Fantastic Gardeners, simplifies, “gardening zones essentially use temperature to determine plant survivability.” By understanding the average temperature in your region, you can make well-informed fundamental gardening decisions.
Peter Miller, founder of Gardening Stuffs, comments, “I’ve been in the garden landscape space for 15 years now, and I know how important it is to identify which plants will survive the adverse climate of your region. In gardening, you can adjust your soil type and its PH levels as well as the amounts of sun and shade, but you won’t be able to control the temperature in your garden.” While our first article in the series focused on the southernmost zones in the U.S.– zones 7-9– we’ll now highlight zones 4-6. This range of zones encompasses mid-America and most of the east coast. If your lake house is in these regions, the information and tips provided will help your lakeside garden thrive.
In zones 4-6, the average minimum temperature is between -30 and -5 degrees Fahrenheit. As such, one of the hallmark qualities of these zones is that each season has an actual ending and real beginning. Unlike this area’s northernmost and southernmost counterparts, neither winter nor summer lasts too long in these zones. The seasonality is clear-cut. Kevin Espiritu, the founder of Epic Gardening, comments that these zones capture the “traditional gardener in a classic farming routine.” There’s a certain luxury that comes from planting for the next season in the preceding one, and gardeners can take advantage of warm days to plan. There’s even the exciting possibility of a Fall garden.
Helpful Hints
While the plant hardiness zones are useful, they do not tell a region’s full story. This is because the zones only capture average minimum temperature without considering rainfall, elevation, and subclimates. In the Western U.S., sunset zones are a more precise system because they take a region’s latitude, the ocean’s influence, rainfall, humidity, wind, elevation, and microclimate into account. However, since sunset zones only apply to the west, the hardiness zones are currently the most standardized tool for the whole country.
Given this limitation, gardeners should take it upon themselves to consider additional factors that may impact their plants’ survival. For example, those further west receive less rainfall, and those further east get more rain on average. Scott Fanello, a writer for Total Gardner, advises those in drier areas to use greywater to compensate for lack of rainfall, and he urges easterners to make the most of their rainy climate. Regardless of these subclimate-specific differences, a similarity across zones 4-6 is the forgiving weather. This similarity leads to longer growing times during the spring and summer months. To work with this, Fanello mentions that greenhouses can be fun, but they aren’t essential. He also notes that just like zones 1-3, mastering cold frame gardening will be helpful in zones 4-6.
Because the weather conditions are ideal for gardening, several types of plants can thrive in zones 4-6. However, some differences are dependent on the specific zone. In zone 4, flowers such as goldenrods, daisies, and petunias will thrive. Plus, the bright color combination is a nice bonus. Landscaper, gardener, and writer Melanie Musson advises filling pots and baskets with petunias for a warm, English-countryside look. If you want to plant trees by your lake house in zone 4, consider a sugar maple. The dynamic, orange-brown tones will look vibrant in the Fall. In zone 5, Musson notes that Agastache will quickly prosper, and they’ll also attract hummingbirds to your garden. As for trees and shrubs, flowering dogwoods and Japanese yews are perfect for zone 5. In zone 6, Musson recommends planting hostas. These perennials love the evenly moist soil in this zone, and their leaves are beautiful all season long. Musson also adds azaleas and rhododendrons to the list of plants that will flourish in zone 6. She shares, “they make for low-maintenance shrubbery that boasts a stunning bloom period.”
If your lake house falls into one of these three zones, we hope you take advantage of the naturally ideal gardening conditions and find a new perennial to plant this season!
