Sussex County, New Jersey, landscapes afford us the best of all four seasons: snow-dusted evergreens, orange and red fall leaves, the beautiful first blooms of spring, and the colorful displays of summer heat. No matter the time of year, E.P. Jansen Nursery and Garden Center can provide low-maintenance plants that you can enjoy with minimal effort. Low maintenance landscaping is becoming more and more popular as plant enthusiasts look to reap more time enjoying their outdoor areas and less time putting in work in the dirt. Here’s your ultimate guide to which low-maintenance plants you can choose for your Sussex County landscape.
Native Plants
As we move into an era of eco-consciousness, native plants are beginning to appeal to homeowners who not only wish to beautify their landscapes, but also to create a healthy environment for nature’s pollinators. Native plants are those plants, trees, or shrubs that are indigenous to the area and would be found here naturally. These are a great choice because they thrive naturally with little to no upkeep.
The Red Maple (acer rubrum)
The Red Maple tree, or by its biological name, acer rubrum, is native to the area and boasts gorgeous deep red flowers and foliage. Native butterflies love the nectar of their flowers, and use the trees as a home to make more beautiful butterflies. Plant a Red Maple as a shade tree for your yard, or simply as a beautiful addition to other native landscape choices. Once planted, all they need is a good mulching once a year to keep roots moist!
Related: Visit Our Garden Center in the Sussex County Area for Year-Round Color
Blueberry Bushes (Vaccinium Cyanococcus)
Another great low maintenance choice for a New Jersey landscape might be the addition of blueberry bushes. Also native to the New Jersey area, blueberry bushes are one of the few edible plant choices that require comparatively little maintenance and can continue to produce for more than 15 years! After the velvety maroon foliage in early spring, enjoy the gorgeous blooms resembling tiny white bells that signal the way for delicious blueberries you can eat right off the bush! These plants have a relatively shallow root system, so a nice layer of mulch will help your bushes retain moisture. Their dainty branches make a once-annual light pruning a breeze.
Flowers
When it comes to flower gardens, nothing beats a flower that you only have to plant once! Picking beautiful perennials for your landscape means you can enjoy them year after year and watch them get bigger and better with age. Asters and bee balm are two plants that will continue to bloom year after year and will thrive in most types of soil without much amendment. In addition to the beauty of their blooms, they also attract plenty of butterflies and bumblebees who will visit to enjoy their nectar. Lilies are another great choice as they’re so low maintenance that they often grow in the wild and thrive with no maintenance at all. Their classic look makes them a landscaper’s favorite for sprucing up a boring border garden. Last but not least, fragrant peonies are the superstars of low maintenance plants. The less you do to them, the better! Simply give them a good mulching so they can stay hydrated, and be sure to snip the buds off once the blooms have finished their spectacular show. This ensures that the plant can focus its energy in its root system and give you an even better show next year!
Related: Best Flowers for Spring Planting from Our Wholesale Nursery in Bergen County, NJ
Low maintenance is the way to go for busy homeowners and contractors looking to offer their clients a landscape with a high return on investment. Plants that thrive when left alone or minimally tended to allow homeowners to spend more time admiring the beauty of their landscape. E.P. Jansen Nursery and Garden Center has all the plants you need for this sort of project.
