Although fairly bland by itself, adding a few plants -- or even rocks -- around your flagpole spices up the area. Whether you want the flag itself to command most of the attention or the landscaping to play a bigger part will determine your approach. The simpler your landscaping, the more eyes you'll have on your flag.
Remove all weeds and clear the grass around your flagpole. Till the soil, and add topsoil to fill any holes and make the ground level. If you encounter clay soils, which are harder and cause drainage problems, add about 2 or 3 inches of compost into the soil.
Add one or two rows of small perennials around the flagpole in a circular fashion. Keep them snug to the pole and spaced closely together. A row or two of flowers ties in the flagpole with your yard while keeping the style simple and easy to maintain. Perennials such as impatiens (Impatiens spp.) or pansies (Viola tricolor subsp. Hortensis) work well. Both are commonly grown as annuals. To place the plants in the ground, dig a hole equal to the depth of each plant's rootball and about twice as wide. Fill in the hole with soil, and water the plants thoroughly, enough so the soil is moist and compact, but not wet.
Combine both flowers and ground cover to create a slightly more complex look that still allows the flag to grab most of the attention. This design fills in a bit more space, which works well in larger yards. Choose groundcover that can withstand foot traffic, as you'll need to reach the flagpole to raise and lower the flag. At a height less than 6 inches and a spread between 6 and 12 inches, mazus reptans (Mazus reptans) works well and is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 8.
Create a plant-free landscape by adding a layer of rock around the flagpole in a circular fashion. Colored rock, such as red rock, fits in well against the backdrop of green from your yard. This design creates an island-like effect, where the flag stands out significantly from the rest of your yard. The larger the diameter of the rock, the less attention the flag commands. Add stone edging for a bit more style, or include plants that enjoy living in a rock garden, such as sea thrift (Armeria maritima) and purple rockcress (Aubrieta deltoidea). Both plants mature under a foot tall and have pinkish-violet flowers. Sea thrift thrives in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8, while purple rockcress is hardy in zones 4 to 9.
Bring more attention to the landscaping by creating a mostly full circle of perennials, leaving a small spot open for a stone path leading to the center of the flagpole. You can connect the stone path to another walkway, or leave it as a standalone.
Expand outward with shrubs to command most of the attention around the landscaping. In this type of design, the flag plays second fiddle to the plant life. Keep the shrubs about 3 feet or so away from the flagpole; you want to create a feel of space in the area. Shrubs that are snug against the flagpole look too compact and constricted. Plant compact shrubs that range 3 to 5 feet in height. If you plant rows of shrubs, keep the larger shrubs behind the smaller ones. Allow enough space between plantings so you can comfortably walk in between and reach the flagpole.
Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around each plant, spreading it out evenly across the plant's root zone. The mulch reduces evaporation and protects sensitive roots from hot and cool temperatures.
Your Planting Articles
Things You Will Need
- Garden tiller
- Top soil
- Always consider the requirements of each plant you add. Soil pH, drainage and sun conditions are all important.
- If the soil consists of mostly clay, the University of Tennessee suggests digging a hole about 1 inch shallower than the plant's rootball. Although tilling in the compost will help, mostly clay soils will still give you drainage issues, and digging a shallower hole decreases the danger of overwatering.
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