5 Low-Maintenance Plants for Your Garden
Gardening ought to be a pleasurable and fun activity to do, especially for those people with green thumbs. This being said, you have to choose easy plants to grow outdoors if you want to keep it that way. They will certainly look stunning in your yard, being fuss-free and low-maintenance plants. Actually, there is an easier approach to producing a beautiful landscape than spending the entire spring and summer weeding, watering, and maintaining the garden. It all starts with the right plants to grow and take care of. By choosing one of the low-maintenance plants on the list below, you can watch your garden flourish. But, of course, with little effort on your part.
It all comes down to balancing your landscaping with your growing circumstances when it comes to low-maintenance plants and flowers. If you have a sunny flower bed, fill it with long-lasting perennials that thrive in full sun. Choose low-maintenance shade perennials and a few shade annuals for a pop of color for a backyard with plenty of trees.
If you are living in a dry climate, you can focus on plants that can withstand drought. If you are looking for additional tips on how to operate in the garden more efficiently, on the other hand, you can spend money on establishing a base of tried-and-true evergreen shrubs. Additionally, fast-growing vines can transform an ugly fence or garden wall without requiring a lot of effort.
Right Plant-Right Placement
The first step in choosing low-maintenance plants is to confirm that you are adhering to the “right plant-right placement” idea. A plant will not thrive in less-than-ideal conditions. For instance, growing a sun-loving shrub in the shade. In this case, they will therefore be more susceptible to disease, produce longer, weaker branches, and require greater pruning to maintain its shape and size. Moreover, to allow you to unwind and simply enjoy your garden, look for plants or kinds that do not require staking, routine deadheading, frequent dividing, difficult trimming, or excessive watering.
There is no need to worry about caring for your plants in order to negate those advantages. If you tend to forget you have living things in your home, do not be concerned that much.
Weigela
Weigela may be one of the most hardworking plants in your garden, with several kinds giving both colorful foliage and tubular blossoms that draw hummingbirds and bees. There is bound to be a weigela to suit, whether you need a towering variegated shrub for the back of the border or a small dark-leaved species to frame a footpath.
Pruning is simple; and also optional. If you feel the need to prune for size or shape, only do it right away after flowering to avoid sacrificing the flowers of the following year. Apart from that, though, these garden stalwarts will flourish in full sun and typical garden soil, are drought-tolerant once planted, and are rarely troubled by deer.
Spirea
These deciduous shrubs, like weigela, come in a variety of sizes, from front-of-the-border beauties to mid-size, mounding shrubs that stand out with their vibrant colors, whether planted single or in groups. Many spirea species have spectacular summer flowers that draw bees and butterflies, as well as foliage that changes color throughout the three seasons.
Spirea are actually simple to maintain aside from a brief cut with shears after blooming. Plant in full or partial sun in normal garden soil that retains moisture. Deers may occasionally nibble on fresh growth, but they rarely cause any harm.
Hydrangeas
One of the easiest, low-maintenance plants to grow outdoors include hydrangeas. There are actually a number of different hydrangea species that are suitable for certain climates and growing conditions, so you have to choose those that will thrive in the area you plan to place them in. Moreover, hydrangeas are actually among the most well-liked summer blooming shrubs, and their gorgeous blossoms can be dried as well as used in fresh floral arrangements. However, many require intricate trimming in order to bloom successfully, or a true “cat’s cradle” of supports in order to hold the heavy stems upright.
In line with this, there are hydrangeas that will satisfy your desires and require a lot less work, which is actually good news. Referred to as repeat-blooming hydrangeas, they grow flowers on stems from both the previous year, known as the old wood; and this year, known as the new wood. Therefore, trimming is always a good idea.
Ornamental Grass
Ornamental grass is one of the low-maintenance plants that has the ability to give life to the landscape by adding color and movement. These finely textured grasses are able to transform a traditional mixed border, catch the light, all while airy seed heads just create a magical transparent effect. The hardest part of your choosing might be narrowing it down to a handful because there are so many different kinds, which come in colors of green, blue, burgundy, gold, and bronze and can grow as tall as several feet. Many of the grass-like sedges thrive in moist soil, although real prairie grasses prefer drier conditions. There are evergreen options as well as herbaceous and annual variations. You cannot go wrong if the “right plant-right place” idea is followed.
One type of ornamental grass is ribbon grass, which is a perennial that can be grown as a groundcover or for erosion control on slopes. This type can also spread aggressively. In ordinary soil, you can grow ribbon grass in full sun to light shade for best colors. However, in hot areas, the sun may bleach the flowers and leaves. Late winter is the time to prune them to the ground.
Coneflower
Coneflowers are resilient perennials that can withstand dryness and thrive in full light. Although purple coneflowers are the most popular, they are also grown in an increasing variety of pinks and purples.
The coneflower does well in poor soil, unlike several other plants. This purple flower, often known as echinacea, is a native of the eastern United States and deters deer while attracting bees. In exchange, it only needs a late-summer trim to revive its striking blossoms. If your area receives typical rainfall, you can stop watering your coneflower and just sometimes fertilize it, such as when the buds are still immature. Otherwise, you can overlook this drought-tolerant plant all season long.
Key Takeaway
Apart from these low-maintenance plants, which include shrubs and other forms, there are other plants that you can grow for your garden to look more alive and colorful. All these will bring life outdoors, while being easy to take care of. You should not worry about it too much whenever you leave them for days because they will, for sure, thrive as long as they are placed in an area with enough sunlight.