Everyone loves a beautiful garden with verdant foliage and beautiful flowers blooming. But not all of us have time to care for fickle plants that would wither without careful tending.
Wouldn’t we all love to spend hours in our garden each week, caring for vibrant plants which bring us joy? Sure, but the truth is, our attention is needed in so many other matters, so it happens all too often that our lawns and gardens languish.
If you long for a colorful garden but lack the time it takes for daily maintenance, we’ve done your homework for you. Here is a fantastic list of low-maintenance, shade friendly beauties which can thrive in your garden even without regular care.
Here are a few low-maintenance plants to liven up your landscape:
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Foxglove
These biennials produce a deep green foliage with trumpet-shaped flowers. It gets its name, Digitalis, from the fact that the flowers are long enough to fit on an adult’s fingers.
Foxglove needs very little care, and tends to reseed on its own. Its blossoms, which are sometimes spotted, appear in white, light grey, pink, and purple.
Spurge
This plant is considered both an annual and a perennial, depending on the species, as it is available in several different varieties. The most common type of spurge is the well-known poinsettia.
In addition to its colorful foliage, these plants can produce large red or yellow flowers. Some even grow a bit thicker- more like a succulent- with a milky white sap that was once used in native medicine.
Primrose
These beauties tend to be early bloomers, hence the “prime” in their name. While typically low-maintenance, they do need to be planted in an area that receives adequate moisture.
Primrose produces a bright green foliage in a wide range of huge range of heights, depending on its environment. It typically generates little balls of flowers that come in a wide range of colors, but some species produce just a few blossoms at a time.
Lady’s Mantle
This plant is known for its broad, pleated or frilly leaves with a surface that causes water to create tiny pearl drops on contact. While it is tolerant to drought, it does best in shaded areas, as it needs extra water in excessive heat.
Lady’s mantle is often used as a filler in bouquets, due to its soft and velvety foliage. It produces bright yellow-green flowers and is known for its long blooming season.
Sweet Alyssum
This fragrant beauty is known for its ability to attract butterflies. While it can sustain heat and drought quite well, it wilts in the frost of winter. With proper care, it can rebloom from one season to the next.
With occasional pruning, you can enjoy alyssum’s bright green foliage for several months. Its tiny flowers range from pink and salmon, to bright purple, white, and sunny yellow.
Sunpatiens
This is a cross-breed between New Guinea Impatiens and Walleriana Impatiens. It is both sun and shade tolerant, and can handle a good amount of Texas summer heat.
Its lime green, pointed foliage offers a gorgeous contrast with deeper green edges Its flat, round flowers comes in a variety of colors. Despite its resilience, sunpatiens do not fare well in a hard freeze.
Duchess Blue and White Torenia
Also known as the wishbone flower for its occasional trifecta of petals, this annual is mildly sun tolerant but perfectly happy in full shade. As an added bonus, it is known to attract hummingbirds to your garden!
This breed of torenia produces a medium green, serrated foliage. Its undulating petals will give your garden a sense of depth and beauty. They boast a stark white center with deep blue edges.
Conclusion
Each of these is a fantastic choice for adding color and dimension to your lawn, without the added worry of regular maintenance. Shade hardy and drought resistant, these resilient plants will bless your lawn with the color and vibrance you’ve been craving- but without the need for daily upkeep.