A year-round vibrant and lush landscape that requires little maintenance is a sure win when you’re planting gardens and developing softscapes in Sullivan County, NJ. This is especially true with the ever-changing seasons. With some help from our garden center, you can fulfill this goal by selecting the right plants and knowing how to incorporate them in the landscape. Once you know what plants are low maintenance, you can then take it a step further by choosing the ones that are specific to the landscape’s needs. You could, for example, use evergreens for year-round coverage and select deer-resistant plants for protection from wildlife. Read below for some low-maintenance plant ideas to look for in our garden center.
Related: ADDING COLOR TO A BACKYARD WITH PLANTS FROM OUR LANDSCAPE NURSERY IN BERGEN COUNTY, NJ
Ground Cover and Ornamental Grass
Keeping turf alive year round can prove difficult, especially in those problem areas where it’s less conducive to growing grass. Try incorporating ground cover or ornamental grass into a landscape for a low-maintenance way to keep color and protection on the ground. It prevents dust, dirt, mud, and weeds from forming or being dispersed, and it can prevent erosion and keep soil in tact. These benefits are all aside from the beauty of ground covers.
Ornamental grass is also a great and low-maintenance way to bring texture and color to a landscape. Some are large, bold and make statements while others are subtle and can be used with ground cover to produce a more dense look. The following ground cover options and ornamental grass thrive in our hardiness zone and are worth considering: Japanese Forest Grass, Blue Oat Grass, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Monkey Grass, and Flowering Thyme.
Shrubs
Shrubs can be ideal additions to a landscape when they are low maintenance as they hold several purposes outside of their lasting appeal. They can keep a landscape looking alive during the frigid temperatures, and they can be used to create borders and privacy while defining space. Many of them are also perfect for topiary. Try keeping with evergreens that can offer varying colors of foliage year-round, as well as blooms or berries for added beauty as the seasons change. You can also try incorporating deer-resistant shrubbery for added protection of the landscape and to not attract wildlife. Here are some deer-resistant evergreen shrubs that are low maintenance for you to consider: Barberry, Boxwood, Spruces, and Juniper.
Perennials
Perennials and flowering plants are another low-maintenance way to make a garden stand out by bringing a burst of color to a landscape design. Imagine what they will look like at full growth as you explore combining them with ornamental grass and ground cover to bring more of a natural look to a hardscape-heavy landscape. Perennials also offer a low-maintenance way to make a water feature pop. Placing perennials at the border of a pond or in an alcove at a fountain can really enhance the beauty of the focal point while minimizing the need for constant upkeep.
Another wonderful attribute of flowering perennials is the fragrance they can bring to the garden or area. They can heighten not only the visual aspect of a landscape but also the sense of smell. Here are some low-maintenance perennials to consider: Anemone, Peony, Blanket Flower and Butterfly Weed.
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