Get matched with top landscapers in Ackley, IA

Monkey grass isn’t too picky when it comes to light conditions: It needs sun but prefers partial shade. While it can tolerate full sun, it thrives in environments with partial shade (around four to six hours of sunlight per day). The black mondo grass variety is the most tolerant of heat from direct sunlight.

Unless it only rains once in a blue moon where you live, you’re going to want water-loving plants in your garden bed or pot. A few ideas for plants that aren’t super fast-growing (meaning they’re good in pots or near foundations) and can handle a lot of standing water include: 

• Acorus (Sweet flag)

• Colocasia esculenta (Taro or elephant ear): In many climates, these are annuals, making them less desirable because you need to adjust the chain again after each replant.

• Equisetum scirpoides (Dwarf horsetail rush): non-dwarf varieties of horsetail are fast growers and can take over quickly.

• Juncus effusus (Curly rush)

• Osmunda regalis (Royal fern): Royal fern can grow quickly but can also handle being crowded, making them good container plants.

If you are xeriscaping a lawn from scratch, your best bet for preparing the lawn is to work with a xeriscaping specialist in your area. The most common first step to making the transformation, however, will be to remove the turfgrass from your lawn. The subsequent steps will often include amending the soil to support new plants and installing low-drip or drip irrigation systems.

While there are over 400,000 different flowering plants worldwide, there are five main types of flowers. These flower types are based on their lifecycles, giving each type a unique personality. These types are:

• Annuals, which complete their entire life cycle within a single growing season. 

• Perennials, which the tops die off in the winter but regrow in spring. 

• Biennials, which complete their entire life cycle within two years.

• Hybrids, which exhibit either annual or perennial behaviors depending on location

• Flowering shrubs, which are small to medium-sized perennial woody plants, such as shrubs or evergreens.