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The flowerbeds in front of my house could use some work.
I'd like to replace what I've got with some colorful plants, but I'm not sure what to pick that's appropriate for the environment or even what sort of design guidelines to follow that will lead to a handsome result. Would anyone care to offer some suggestions? This side of the house gets plenty of sun and faces South. The location is in Essex County, New Jersey.
One thing to consider is that, because those beds are under the eaves, you will need to water them, even when it is raining
I would suggest a soaker hose or drip tape, separate from any system that you use for watering the lawn
You can put it on a timer if you don't want to have to think about it
If you like, you can connect a rain barrel to the soaker hose, so that when it rains your plants will get water even though they are under the roof!
@crimedad Go to https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ to find your planting hardiness zone.
Then go to https://www.audubon.org/native-plants and enter your ZIP for a list of plants native to your area. (If you enter your email address, they'll send it to you in an email.)
You don't have to buy plants from the site if you don't want to ๐
I can't really help with design...I install plants where I think they'll look good and make sure they'll get the required amount of sun.