One of the pleasures of having a yard is getting to work in your own garden. You get to plan and create a beautiful landscape. However, spending a lot of time maintaining the garden may just seem like extra work. Instead, plant a beautiful garden that's relatively easy to maintain, no matter the space you've allotted.
Full Sun Centerpiece
If you've got a wide open space that gets a lot of sun, you need reliable, sun-loving plants in your garden. For this plan, start with a foundation of a spring-blooming plant such as Siberian iris scattered throughout. Add some late-fall plants such as stonecrop and creeping phlox, also evenly spaced throughout. Anchor the garden with summer-loving flowers such as tickseed, Shasta daisy and gayfeather. Because you've scattered the plants by season, your sunny garden should look beautiful from spring to fall.
Drought-Tolerant Landscape
In some locales, watering plants can become a prohibitive expense. Some homeowners opt for xeriscaping in this situation, but a landscaped garden is still a possibility. First, plant a backdrop of drought-resistant trees such as aspen or gingkgo biloba – About Landscaping recommends looking for trees with extensive root systems and waxy leaves. Lavender, Russian sage and sedum are large perennials that also tolerate dry conditions. Plant them in areas clearly visible from all around the yard for maximum effect. Fill in gaps with succulents and other hardy plants, such as blue fescue, ice plant and thyme.
Sloped Beauty
Another issue some homeowners need to address is a sloped yard. If this is a problem in your yard, plan for a display of color and texture on your hillside. Anchor the slope with a couple big, showy plants such as marsh marigold or New Zealand flax – different varieties of sedum and Russian sage work well here, too. Flank these plants with smaller flowers that have strong root systems, such as sea thrift, candytuft and petunia. If there's a walkway on your slope, consider adding groundcover plants such as tickseed and thyme. All these plants will help anchor your soil and prevent erosion on your slope.
Colorful Front Yard
A landscaped front yard can add curb appeal – and value – to your house. A foundation of pretty flowers is the key to this garden plan. Lily, daylily and snap dragons are tall flowers that can serve as the backdrop of your front yard garden. Choose a couple different colors of each, and plant them behind a fence or around an arbor. Short but pretty flowers should go in front of these. Peony, garden phlox and daisies make lovely accents. If you'd like to add textural interest to your front yard garden, include a couple decorative grasses, such as switchgrass and little bluestem.
When choosing plants for your fuss-free garden, look for ones that thrive in your individual climate.
