Good day everyone!
Today I am sharing what I call our Low maintenance gardens.
I say this because we do very little to keep them up.
I am not much of a green thumb so everything I plant, I keep in mind, will it die?
The only container or window box gardens are do are petunias.
Those do pretty well for me each year.
At the end I will share with you some simple tips and tricks I have learned along the way.
Welcome to our Carolina home.
I still in fact have to plant my window boxes.
Just not ready to take care of them quite yet. Those I have to be sure to water often and daily.
The trellis in the middle is full of white Jasmine that is crawling up on the house. That was one of the first things I planted here and it has done well.
Sort of dies off in the Winter, but come Spring it recovers quickly.
The front of our home gets hit pretty hard with direct sunlight for a good part of the day.
Our Zoysia grass is really green early this year. Mike is happy about that! The grass he treats like his baby and you can read our Zoysia grass story here.
The Japanese maple is in full bloom with gorgeous variants of red leaves.
If growing a Japanese maple the best tip I can give you, is always remember to trim from the bottom up each year.
I do wonder how large that will grow. Considering when we planted it back a few years ago it was a stick with leaves.
Clematis that comes back year to year.
At the end of the season, I always trim it back to ensure a gorgeous regrowth next year. So far so good!
This year it has an abundance of flowers and more to come.
That was the way I felt yesterday after being out here all day trimming and sprucing.
Sleepy!
The ivy in the chalk painted urns had a rough winter, but it is coming back.
The ivy has been in those pots for at least 4 years now.
Heading toward the backyard we have honey suckle growing wild and smelling beautiful!
That of course is just Mother nature doing her thing. I do nothing but enjoy the smell.
Cypress trees and golden mop bushes along the border of the outdoor patio.
We have only had to trim those along the way each year since planting.
Columbine
These lovely Columbine flowers just pop up every year in some big barrels I have lined up along the fence line.
I just planted some pretty pink petunias in it this year.
My husbands favorite rit dye painted pot.
Holding up great btw.
SIMPLE tips and tricks to low Maintenance gardening.
1. Remember that even a low maintenance garden requires a little work.
2. Consider the size of your garden
A lot of garden means a lot of things to take care of. Preparation, weed and pest control, watering and harvesting can consume your time and make your garden more of a chore than a pleasure. I personally want to enjoy the garden and not spend too much time working on it.
Consider planting a container garden. When you plant in containers, you reduce the amount of time it takes to water since the pot can only hold so much liquid. You also make gardening easier since the containers provide a more controlled area for maintaining weeds.
3. Give your garden what it needs to grow from the very beginning.
A little effort from the start, setting up your garden in a good location and providing the right growing conditions it needs to flourish, will give your garden a boost and leave you watching the plants grow with little more effort on your part.
4. Make watering simple.
You could go out to the garden every evening with the garden hose and browse the progress while watering the plants. To make the chore of watering the plants less cumbersome, plan ahead by installing an irrigation system. Or better yet if cost is an issue you can attach drip or soaker hoses at the spigot and leave them in place in the garden so all you have to do is turn the water on and off at watering time. Like my friend Ann did in her gardens. Ann gives you the step by step on how to. She said it changed her life!
It is economical and very effective.
5. Select sturdy plants and fresh seeds.
When you begin with healthy and strong plants, and continue to care for them properly, your garden will benefit with better plant growth from year to year.
Be sure to trim accordingly and fertilize as needed. That is about all my husband and I do from year to year.
Also one last note. Find a helpful nursery in your area with a knowledgeable staff {Horticulturalist} for what is good to grow in your region.
Every region varies and some plants and shrubs that may do well here in the Carolina’s may not do well in your neck of the woods.
Remember landscaping is an investment. If you do it right the first time you will enjoy your investment for years to come.
Not to mention, it’s all about the curb appeal:)
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Luv it Debbie. You have a luvly lawn and gardens. Whew…Good to know I am NOT the only one out here with a LOW maintenance garden. In had a landscaper that specializes in North Central Florida LOW maintenance and natural plans start it for me. Nandinas, lantana, boxwood, and invaded knockout roses, hydrangea, crepe myrtle, lilies, irises and amaryllis . Colour all year long… not much on my end but deadheading and watering during the dry months. Easy. I have all brown thumbs.
hugs, Gee
Thanks Gee..glad to hear I am in good company:)
Good post Debbie! Having lived in NC for 15 years now, I’m removing any plants and trees that takes too much work. My loropetalum had gotten really large and were requiring trimming 3-4 times a year, so I removed most of them. I don’t fertilize any of my plants, just the lawn and I also don’t apply pest control except for a few of my trees . My favorite low maintenance plant is the camelia…It doesn’t require pruning or shaping, no fertilizer and blooms profusely on the north side of the house. And my all time favorite time saver is a good layer of mulch to keep the weeds down and keeps the moisture in!
You have a lovely yard and I love your garden!
Thanks Pam! Those are great tips too. You certainly have gorgeous landscape yourself!
Really great tips! I think I know now why my clematis didn’t re-bloom – I bought it last summer, and I didn’t know to cut it back (and I think it’s clematis — or something similar). Everything looks great in your garden, and OH those columbines! Spectacular!
That’s all there is too it Amy…just cut them down at the end of the season. I don’t even fertilize this.
Debbie,
Doing a little at a time really helps and works.
You have so many Beautiful Areas in Your Outside of your Home.
I Love the Jasmine and Columbine Just Beautiful and I Really Love
The Ritz Dye Pot that was made. Gorgeous Thank You for Sharing.
Lisa
It really does Lisa! We have made landscaping mistakes before. It is expensive so you want to do it right the first time.
Oh my gosh – so jealous of that honeysuckle vine! I used to have one, but killed it! They smell heavenly!
Great post Debbie!
I love the smell so much! That is mother nature right there. Otherwise, probably would have killed it too lol!
Hi Debbie Dear! oh, your gardens and grounds are so beautiful! I love the honeysuckle growing up in the trees. I’ve never seen columbine like yours – it’s all ruffly and gorgeous! Clematis is most gorgeous too! Everything is just so pretty! Hope you’re doing well.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Thank you Sheila. I am assuming there must be different variants of Columbine:)
I’m a brown thumb. Your post has encouraged me greatly, thanks for all the tips. Your lawn and flowers are so rich and vibrant, love it! -Bev
Thanks Bev! I always say if I can do it, so can y’all. You just have to educate yourself at your local nursery and plant what either comes back or lasts all year as far as shrubs go. It’s a no brainer after that!
You have a lot blooming already! I definitely need low maintenance gardens. I lose interest when it gets too hot and weedy!!
Debbie I LOVE your blog and I signed up for your E-mails quite awhile ago. Recently I was “spoofed” and apparently someone sent out e-mails to all of my blogs and I no longer receive them. Unfortunately when I try to sign up for them again, a message comes back and says I am already signed up and can’t again. Is there any way to cut me off so I can sign up again? I miss your hints and suggestions. I have sent this same message to blogs that I love but they have ignored me, AOL “can’t help” and our virus protection company doesn’t know what is going on. I am so frustrated. Thanks in advance.
Patty
http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/1838966/debbiedoos-blogging-and-blabbing
For not having a green thumb, your garden looks wonderful!! I am going to grow clematis this year and I appreciate your tip on cutting it down in the fall. Things are a little different up north but I think I’ve heard that before. Thanks!
XO,
Jane
Love all your pretty flowers. You have some of my favorites!!!
It was a refreshing moment to look upon the photos about your low maintenance gardening and I love to do gardening too and it always makes my day. Thanks for the information.
Your gardens are beautiful Debbie! Mine took a beating this winter. I lost quite a few bushes and plants.
Your curb appeal is stunning! Your home is so beautiful. Living in the country, I can only dream of a lawn like yours…ours is abused with ATVs, trucks, etc.
Debbie 🙂
Happy Mother’s Day, Debbie!
You garden is beautiful and Mike’s lawn is so awesome. My brother-in-law, Mike, has zoysia grass. That stuff is a rock star.
Your tips are right on.
Have a blessed day.
Ginger
Try “Soil Moist” for your window boxes. It comes in a jar and has little hard chips of what looks like plastic. When it gets wet, it swells up, like a piece of clear JELLO. It holds the moisture in your window boxes in case you can’t water them each day. I use it in all of my pots now. It works especially good on those long hot summer days when you have to water twice a day.
Thank you Susan that is a great tip!! I will definitely try that.
Very pretty Debbie! I live in Kansas City Mo but we have very similar gardens. My petunias are purple hot pink and burgundy. Our honesuckle is just as big but growing up and over an arbor that is over our gate. I will have to try the columbine, that is the only thing we don’t have in ours that you have. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed it very much
Thank you Merrie! And thanks for your sweet comment.
Love the columbine and the pallet garden is such a cute idea!
Your garden looks lovely! So sunny there. The Columbines are beautiful, not a flower I have in my garden and the colours are so vibrant 🙂
Your garden looks great!!! I am a fan of low maintenance gardens. The pictures are lovely! Keep up the good work!
Low maintenance is the way to do. My front garden is filled with shrubs and a few impatients. I don’t want to spend time out front clipping and weeding weekly. It’s the only way to go.
Great tip on the Japanese maple. Yours is a lovely shape.