Designing a landscape for every season requires careful planning, smart plant choices, and an understanding of how they interact with your home’s hardscaping – your patios, walkways, and retaining walls. In Pennsylvania, where seasons shift dramatically, creating a balanced outdoor living environment involves choosing plants that bring color, structure, and visual impact all year.

This post explores top plant options that complement stone, pavers, and other hardscape features while standing up to local weather. From evergreens that provide winter structure to perennials that bloom in waves, we discuss options to make your outdoor space feel finished, natural, and dynamic.

With nearly two decades of experience designing and building custom outdoor spaces across Bucks and Montgomery Counties, Salvo Contracting, LLC helps homeowners blend beauty with function. Contact us today to elevate your yard with a thoughtful mix of plant life and hardscape design.

Top Plant Picks for All-Season Interest

The most effective landscapes combine structure with softness. Plants complement the structure of your patios, walkways, and walls, adding life and visual interest. To make it work, choose plants that go with stone and paver materials while fitting Pennsylvania’s varied seasons. 

Think about sun exposure, soil conditions, and proximity to hard surfaces. For shaded corners, use low-light plants like ferns and hostas. For sunny patios, coneflowers and ornamental grasses thrive. Containers and raised beds also offer flexible, seasonal planting options that are ideal for herbs or vibrant annuals.

Here are the best plants for a stunning year-round landscape in PA, chosen for their compatibility with patios, walkways, and retaining walls:

Evergreens for Structure and Privacy

• Boxwood: Great for border definition; they stay green all year.
• Inkberry Holly: A native evergreen with a tidy growth habit—ideal around patios.
• Arborvitae: Tall privacy screens that anchor your landscape even in winter.

Perennials That Pop Through the Seasons

• Echinacea (Coneflowers): Summer blooms with fall seed heads for birds.
• Black-Eyed Susans: Low-maintenance and long-lasting color.
• Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’: Drought-tolerant with pink flowers fading to bronze.

Flowering Shrubs That Pair with Stone & Brick

• Hydrangea: Especially effective along walkways and stone foundations.
• Dwarf Lilac: Fragrant spring blooms with tidy shape.
• Viburnum: Multi-season interest with flowers, berries, and fall foliage.

Groundcovers & Border Plants for Walkways

• Creeping Thyme: Hardy, aromatic, and walkable.
• Ajuga: Glossy leaves and vibrant spikes of spring flowers.
• Sedge: Low-growing and tolerant of part-shade areas near paths.

Native Plants for Pennsylvania Resilience

• Bee Balm (Monarda): Attracts pollinators, resists deer.
• Phlox: Ground cover or upright variety adds spring and summer blooms.
• Switchgrass: Textural grass that turns golden in fall.

Plants That Shine in Winter Landscapes

A great year-round landscape doesn’t go dull in December. Add interest with:

• Red-Twig Dogwood: Striking scarlet stems against the snow.
• Ornamental Grasses: Upright plumes catch frost and light.
• Hellebores (Lenten Roses): Late winter blooms in shady areas.

Add Nighttime Appeal with Landscape Lighting

Low-voltage lighting brings your garden to life at night. Highlight focal trees, uplight evergreens, and edge your paths for safety and style, even after sunset.

How We Design a Low-Maintenance, High-Impact Landscape

A successful landscape balances structure and softness, color and greenery, ease and style. Our contractors use a mix of plant textures, like broad leaves alongside fine foliage or tall grasses next to low groundcovers, to add visual interest and avoid repetition. Thoughtful pairings like these help your space feel designed, not crowded.

To keep things manageable, we focus on low-maintenance choices. Mulch helps retain moisture and suppress weeds. Drip irrigation systems deliver consistent watering without hassle. And by grouping plants with similar water and sunlight needs, you reduce stress and upkeep.

Transform Your Yard with Our Licensed Contractors

Since 2006. Salvo Contracting, LLC has been delivering custom outdoor solutions that stand up to Pennsylvania’s seasons and improve how homeowners use their space. From planting layouts to hardscape design and lighting installation, our team of licensed contractors can handle the project.

Contact us at Salvo Contracting, LLC today to build a landscape in Bucks and Montgomery County, PA that looks great year-round.

Landscaping FAQs: What to Know Before You Plant

What’s the best low-maintenance groundcover near patios and walkways?

Creeping thyme and sedum are ideal. They handle foot traffic, thrive in well-drained, sunny spots, require little water once established, and emit pleasant fragrance when walked on, making them perfect for pathways and patio edges.

Can I add plants after hardscaping is already installed?

Absolutely. You can enhance existing patios or walkways by incorporating planted borders, raised beds, or container gardens. There’s no need to modify your hardscape layout.

How do I keep my yard interesting through a PA winter?

Choose plants with winter features: red-twig dogwood provides vibrant red stems; ornamental grasses offer structure; and hellebores bloom in late winter.

Are native plants really better for low-maintenance landscaping?

Yes. Native species like bee balm, phlox, switchgrass, and red-twig dogwood adapt to PA soils and climate, need less watering, support pollinators, and often resist deer and pests.