Zero Maintenance Garden
Canna Lily is a frost tender perennial with orchid style summer flowers in yellow. red, or orange and lance like leaves. Needs sun and well drained soil. Zones 7 - 10.
Mealy-cup Sage " Victoria" a moderately fast growing, upright perennial, grown as a annual. Half hardy. Has lance shaped, green leaves. Spikes of white flowers are grown in summer. Height 3 ft. (1 m) spread 1 ft. ( 30 cm).
Lambs-ears is a evergreen mat-forming perennial with woody, grey foliage, excellent as a ground cover or in a border. Bears mauve/pink flowers in summer. Height 12 to 15 inches ( 30 to 38cm) spread 24 inches ( 60 cm ). Likes sun and well drained soil. Zones 4-8.
Sweet Alyssum as fast growing, spreading annual with lance shaped leaves. This plant has rounded heads of tiny, scented, 4 petaled white flowers in summer and early autumn. Fully hardy, grown in fertile, well drained soil. Height 3 to 6 inches ( 8 to 15 cm) spread 8 to 12 inches ( 20 to 30 cm ).
Geranium, summer flowering perennial, mainly evergreen and cultivated as annuals. Grown for its colorful flowers, they are beautiful in pots or as bedding plants. Frost tender minus 34 degrees F. ( 1 C) dislikes very hot, humid conditions. Well drained alkaline to netural soil is prefered and a sunny site with at least 12 hours of sun. Deadhead regularly and fertilize often. Propagate by softwood cuttings from spring until autumn.
Boxwood a small shrub usually used to form a densely leaved evergreen hedge that can obtain a height of 30 feet unless kept under control. This shrub is slow growing and has numberous small, smooth edged, dark shinny leaves. Will grow in full sun or partial shade and rich soils.
Fountain Grass is a warm season perennial grass that grows around 3 feet tall. Leaves are bright green with a fine to medium texture growing into mounded forms. Buff colored flower heads, 6 to 8 inches long, appear in summer, they later take on a pinkish coat. The seed heads remain attractive through winter. Excellent ornamental grass for long season interest. Likes full sun and fertile, well drained soil. Fertilize in spring with complete fertilizer. In late winter cut plants to the ground.
Additional flowers for the garden:
Russian Sage is orginally from Afghanistan and Pakistan. This aromatic plant is a sub-shrub with a woody base that supports grey -white stems up to 4 feet tall, bearing small, oval, aromatic leaves with grey/white hairs on the underside. Flowers of 1/4 inch violet and blue appear in sprays in July and August. Needs fun sun and well drained soil. Cut away any branches that remain after winter to the ground in early spring.
Rosa Rugosa also known as the Hedgehog rose is a vigouous, dense, species rose with wrinkled leaves and large red hips. Cupped, single, white or purplish flowers, 3 1/2 inches ( 9cm) across appear in good sucession in summer through autumn. Height and spread is 3 to 6 feet ( 1 to 2 m ). Needs sun and well drained soil. Zones 4-9.
Black-eyed Susan have hairy 2 to 3 foot stems with saw-toothed edges that bear daisy like flowers with yellow petals and brown centers..These flowers bloom from July until frost. Needs full sun and average soil. Divide plants every 3 years.
Hosta Crispula is a slow growing, clump forming perennial with large oval to heart shaped, wavy edges leaves, are dark green wtih regular white margins. Racemes of trumpet shaped, pale mauve flowers appear above foliage in mid summer. Excellent for water side plantings. Leaves can be damaged by late frost. Needs protection from strong winds. Height 2 1/2 feet ( 75 cm ), spread 3 feet. ( 1m). Prone to disease.
Bishops Hat has a distenctive foliage and delicate flowers that make a wonderful addition to any garden. Tooth-edged, sturdy, heart shaped leaves on wiry stems that closely resembles a Bishops miter. White or pink flowers bloom in April or May. Needs a good, well drained, moist soil in a open shade. Cut foliage off in early spring before new growth begins. Propagate by division or seed.
Lenten Rose also known as the Christmas Rose is a evergreen perennial grown for their winter and spring flowers. Old leaves should be cut off in early spring as buds develope. Excellent in woodlands. Fully to half hardy. Prefers semi-shade and moisture retentive, well drained soil. Propagate by fresh seed or by division in autumn or early spring. Is prone to aphid attack in early summer.
Bottlebrush Buckeye is a deciduous, open shrub. Leave are bronze when young, dark green in summer and yellow in autumn. Panicles of red centered, white flowers appear from mid-summer to late summer. Needs full sun and well drained soil. Height and spread 20 feet. ( 6m ).
Hen and Chicks fern is a semi-evergreen or evergreen fern with lance shaped leaves, finely divided, dark green fronds produce bulbils from which young plants develope. Frost tender. Zone 10. Height 6 to 12 inches ( 15 to 30 cm), spread 12 inches (30cm ).
Lavender " Munstead" is a evergreen, bushy shrub with oblong, aromatic leaves that are grey/green. Produces dense spikes of tiny, fragrant, tubular, blue flowers from mid to late summer. Fully hardy. Zones 6-9. Height and spread 2 feet ( 60 cm )
Astilbe is a summer flowering perennial grown for their panicles of flowers that remain handsome even when dried brown in winter. Suitable for rock gardens and borders. Fully hardy. Needs rich, moist soil and partial shade. Leave undisturbed if possible and give a annual spring mulch of well rotted compost . Propagate by seed in autumn or by division in spring or autumn.
Helenium is a summer and autumn flowering perennial grown for its daisy like yellow or orange flower heads, each with a promient central disc. Fully hardy. Requires full sun and any well drained soil. Propagate by division in spring or autumn.
Trollius " Alabaster" is a clump forming perennial producing roundish, yellowish, white flowers in spring. There emerge from a basal mass of rounded, deeply, divided, green leaves. Needs full sun, moist soil, zones 4-9. Height and spread 12 inches (30cm ).