If you've been waiting for warm sunshine and blooms in your garden, wait no longer. Spring is here, and it's time to spruce up your backyard patio for outdoor parties, family events, and relaxing weekends. To create show-stopping appeal and an inviting atmosphere, our REALTORS® suggests adding potted plants filled with lush greenery and colorful flowers.

Potted plants will quickly add beauty, color, and fragrance to your outdoor space. However, when choosing patio plants for Nassau County homes for sale and Suffolk County homes for sale, it's essential to consider the local climate and weather conditions. In these areas, you can expect mild temperatures during spring and summer, cooler temperatures and rain during fall, and frost and snow during winter. With that in mind, here are some good choices for patio plants.

1. Begonias
   From wax begonias to more complex tuberous varieties, few plants will tolerate such a wide variety of growing conditions. Begonias produce deep green leaves, colorful pink and red blooms, and fleshy stems that tolerate drought. They are equally happy in sun and shade.
   
   
2. Boxwood
   No formal patio should be without the elegance of a boxwood planted in a beautiful stone urn. The Petite Pillar variety maintains its tidy shape in containers, while the Green Tower larger variety makes excellent border dividers and screening plants for privacy.
   
   
3. Bromeliad
   The long, pointed leaves of Bromeliad have exotic tropical appeal. When they bloom, they produce tall flower stems in orange, purple, pink, red, and yellow hues. After the blooms fade, you can make more by simply re-potting the pups that form around the mother plant.
   
   
4. Caladium
   Caladium leaves are shaped like elephant ears in white, green, orange, pink, and red shades. When planted from spring bulbs, they come to life when summer temperatures sizzle. These plants are pest-resistant, need little maintenance, and love seasonal rain showers.
   
   
5. Croton
   Often found as household plants in local garden centers, Croton makes excellent patio plants. The leathery rainbow-hued leaves thrive in full sun with moderate watering. When exposed to full sun and rainfall, they will grow much larger in patio containers.
   
   
6. Heliotrope
   What could be better than the sweet vanilla scent and showy, violet blossom clusters of Heliotrope? This Peruvian native thrives in full sun or partial shade and moist, rich soil. When planted in decorative pots, it's definitely a show-stopper for your patio.
   
   
7. Lantana
   Lantana is a very hardy annual that blooms all summer with zero help from you. It produces brilliant blooms in shades of orange, pink, red, and yellow. Lantana is drought tolerant and loves full sun, even in sizzling summer temperatures. Pollinators love it too!
   
   
8. Lavender
   These hardy perennials have silvery foliage and deep purple-blue flowers that create romantic charm, and they smell amazing! Plant them in pretty pots or baskets near seating areas, so when you run your hands over the flowers, they will release their fragrance.
   
   
9. Marigolds
   If you're looking for annuals with brilliant color and minimal maintenance, marigolds pop in patio planters. Marigolds thrive in sun and heat with little water and last until the first hard freeze. To keep them blooming, pinch off the spent flowers.
   
   
10. Roses
    If you love traditional charm, beautiful color, and fragrant smells, plant roses. They make wonderful patio plants that are much more robust than you think. When choosing pots, plastic and wood are better than ceramic and stone because they protect plants from winter frost.

If you're considering buying or selling in the Long Island area, contact us for information on properties and prices that meet your needs.