Easy Landscaping: Nashville Yard Tour

Oakleaf Hydrangea

We love spending time in our yard. I also love flowers. It’s been almost 5 years that we’ve been working to create a beautiful space full of perennials. A yard that requires very little upkeep and that would bring us blooms for as much of the year as possible. Here are things that have worked for us in middle Tennessee.

Perennials (Plants that come back year after year)

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Front of house and landscaping in 2018.
Our Nashville house in 2018, around the time of purchase. The front flower bed was mostly bare except for monkey grass.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
We planted two little Oakleaf hydrangeas.
Oakleaf Hydrangea in fall.
They’d produce these gorgeous leaf colors in the fall.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
They would grow bigger and bigger year after year. Blooms would begin in May.
Oakleaf Hydrangea in winter.
Oakleaf hydrangeas in winter. After all the leaves have died I usually pull them off.
Front of home and landscaping in early spring 2023.
Oakleaf hydrangeas in the spring waking up from winter.
Oakleaf Hydrangea in full bloom.
Oakleaf hydrangeas showing off. We’ve also enjoyed adding hostas throughout our flower beds.

Creeping Jenny

creeping jenny
This slim flower bed was hard to figure out. It was cracked dry ground when we moved in.
This creeping jenny has thrived in this spot.

Lenten Roses

Lenten rose
I love these lenten roses because you plant them once and they come up year after year.
Lenten rose
They are such a delight and they bloom during the season of Lent.

Herbs

Sage in summer.

First photo is newly planted sage and next photo is the same plant years later. Sage is the only herb that has stood the test of time – look at how it has flourished. I’ve planted rosemary and lavender but those tend to die out (at least for me).

Peony

Light pole and landscaping in yard in 2018.
When we bought the house I had no idea the surprise that was awaiting me from this peony bush.
Peony in full bloom.

The best part is I don’t have to do anything and this peony comes back every year.

Daffodils

Creek bank in Nashville full of blooming daffodils.
Daffodils on the bank of our creek. They are one of the first things to bloom after winter and they bring so much joy!
Overhead view of creek bank in Nashville full of blooming daffodils.
Overhead shot of daffodils.
Daffodils
It’s been so cool to see them naturally multiply year after year.

Flowering Trees

Blooming dogwood tree in spring 2019.
White dogwood in bloom, spring.
Mimosa tree in bloom.
Mimosa tree with its festive pink blooms.
Early spring budding on Red Bud tree in Nashville, TN 2023.
Redbud blooming.

I’ve also planted a crepe myrtle in our backyard but it still needs more time to grow.

Other Perennial Flowers

Yucca in bloom.
Yucca in the month of May.
Orange daylilies in bloom starting in late May.
purple flowers
Does anyone know what this is?

Mums

Flower bed with mums.
I like to mix perennials with annuals. Here are mums (about to bloom) with begonias (annuals) and purple hearts. Most of the time the mums and purple hearts will come back year after year here in middle Tennessee.
Flower bed with mums.

Annuals (Plants that only last one year)

pansies
Aren’t these pansies just the cutest?
sweet potato vine
Sweet potato vine is such a delight in the late summer into fall.

Thanks for taking to time to stroll through our yard.

I’d love to hear about your favorite blooms.

You may also like this super fancy house tour or a free printable summer fun list.

Posted on 05/27/2023 by . This entry was posted in Design and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.