Kentucky Climate Snapshot
Understanding your local climate is key to creating a thriving, low-maintenance garden
Hardiness Zones
6a, 6b, 7a
Annual Rainfall
42-50 inches annually
Frost Window
April-October
Water Notes
Abundant rainfall
Popular Landscaping Styles
Discover design styles perfectly suited to Kentucky's unique climate and landscape
Traditional Kentucky landscape
Key Features:
- •Lawn alternatives
- •Stone walls
- •Perennial borders
- •Native plants
Appalachian wildflower garden
Key Features:
- •Rhododendrons
- •Mountain laurel
- •Native ferns
- •Spring ephemerals
Southern-style garden
Key Features:
- •Hydrangeas
- •Boxwood
- •Crepe myrtles
- •Shade perennials
Native pollinator garden
Key Features:
- •Coneflowers
- •Milkweed
- •Bee balm
- •Native grasses
Recommended Plant Palettes
Native and adapted plants that thrive in Kentucky's climate
Goldenrod
Solidago gigantea
State flower with yellow plumes
Tulip Poplar
Liriodendron tulipifera
State tree; fast-growing
Bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis
White spring ephemeral
Trillium
Trillium spp.
Woodland wildflower
Hosta
Hosta spp.
Shade-loving foliage
Astilbe
Astilbe chinensis
Feathery plumes
Ferns
Various
Native ferns for shade
Hellebore
Helleborus orientalis
Early spring bloomer
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Pink-purple daisies
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Golden yellow
Bee Balm
Monarda didyma
Red tubular flowers
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Orange flowers
Seasonal Garden Checklist
Your year-round guide to maintaining a beautiful Kentucky garden
Plant bulbs
Mulch beds
Prune trees
Start seeds
Plant vegetables
Deadhead and water
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to common questions about landscaping in Kentucky
Ready to Design Your Kentucky Garden?
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