Kathy’s Gardening Guide: Low Maintenance Landscaping

"Flowers lift the spirit & refresh the soul"”

Want to spruce up your yard but don’t want “high maintenance” plantings? Every flower and plant has some type of maintenance, but you can find evergreens and colorful plants that you don’t have to do too much!

A few tips:

• Base plant choices on more interesting foliage than flowers. Flowers often require more time, deadheading and replacement. Foliage can be colorful, have interesting shapes and have neat texture. Variegated versions often offer stripes or splashes of color.
• By using larger plants that cascade over, you will cover more space with less plantings, hence less maintenance!
• Low ground covers spread over the bottom of the beds create a lush, full look.
• Plants with a pleasing natural form require less trimming for the preferred appearance and evergreens help keep the maintenance down, as they stay green all year round.

Evergreens: Liriope, Aztec Grass, Muhly Grass, African Iris, Dwarf Fakahatchee, Foxtail Fern, Society Garlic

Shrubs: Loropetalum, Gold Mound, Juniper, Jack Frost, Variegated Pittosporum, Asiatic Jasmine

Shade Plants: Azaleas, Hawaiian Ti, Ginger, Arbicola, Apostle Iris, Flax Lily, Hydrangea, Farfugium, Cast Iron Plant

Drought Tolerant: Any succulents, Lantana, Baby Sun Rose, Sedum, Gailardia, Dune SunFlower, Agave, Gazania, Crown of Thorns

Low Color: Blue Daze, Pentas, Malopodium, Vinca, Gazania, Gailardia, Sedum, Gaura

Happy planting!

Flower of the Week: Baby Sun Rose

Email Kathy at kcg.pvr@gmail.com for any questions or gardening tips you would like to see in the future.

Kathy’s Creative Gardens & Nursery is located at 196 N. Roscoe Blvd. The phone number is 904-655-7373.