We know that not everyone is cut out for being a master gardener; even a few of us at Nature Hills struggle to keep our plants alive! We know-- how embarrassing.
If you’re a beginner gardener, seem to almost always forget to water your plants or simply have an uncontrollable brown thumb, you’ll want to consider adding a few of the plants listed below to your landscape.
Or maybe you have always assumed your yard was too shady, a tad too dry, or that the soil was a little sandy to proudly support plants well. But-- guess again.
Our plant picks below not only are interesting and unique, but they also can tolerate a bit of neglect and thrive in even the not-so plant friendly places!
Top Hardy Plant Choices
Yucca
Start growing some of the most commonly known xeriscaping plants around. Yucca plantss are among some of the top chosen hardy specimens for those landscapes and gardens that struggle to support happy and healthy plants.
You’ll easily spot one-- or a dozen-- when in national parks located in areas like New Mexico and Texas. Why? Because they can take the heat, rocky soil and limited water.
There are almost 50 known species of Yucca plants, each being diverse in their unique ways. Some are prized for their Yucca flowers, while others are noticed because of their intricate leaf characteristics. But all are masters of being hardy!
Most commonly, landscapers use Yucca plants to add a sense of color to their rock gardens. Or place it near the front of a shrub border in the works.
Do you have a vast dry slope that is a complete eye sore to your yard? Yuccas work well in mass plantings to cover that up!
Even use them as container plants that can be placed on either side of your front door entrance. It makes a statement and everyone will remember your house. If you ever get bored with the placing, it's easy to move the plant to a backyard patio or even make it an indoor plant!
With a Yucca, your garden will always have color no matter where it resides.
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As stated, the Yucca plant is easy to grow, which means it’s also easy to care for! That’s good news for you. To increase the chances of prime growth on your Yucca, we’ve highlighted a few plant tips below.
The type of soil is all the same to the Yucca; however, it’s essential to have it well-draining. This will help avoid rot from developing. When watering, you won’t need much other than an inch per week during the hot months and little to none during the cold months. They are extremely drought tolerant!
There is no need for extensive pruning with Yuccas. However, if you want to lightly trim away dead or damaged leaves to help grow new, feel free to do so at any time.
Catmint
There is something about a perennial that is aromatic, ornamental and best yet-- hardy. Catmint plants produce a cluster of lavender-blue flowers atop gray-green foliage.
Even though today it is most commonly grown in gardens, this plant has an interesting history behind. In fact, it was first cultivated in a Roman town for their herbal tea and used as an insect repellent.
If your vegetable garden is struggling with various insects, we suggest edging it with Catmint plants for not only a pretty purple border, but also for a deterrent to harmful bugs like aphids and japanese beetles.
Or, have it gracefully spill over a wall or rocks as a tough groundcover. Maybe you need a plant that can line walkways or sit in front of the garden. A Catmint should be your first choice. It even won the ‘2007 Plant of the Year’ award!
Do you want to bring a natural minty fragrance indoors? That’s not a problem either. It grows well in containers to serve as a house plant or as a homegrown herb. Many gardeners who struggle to stay on a watering schedule will grow Catmint because of its drought tolerant abilities.
It can be fresh, dried or even frozen for both herbal teas and culinary use.
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The basic care tips for Catmint are simple. When first getting established, the plant will appreciate regular watering until it's ready to stand alone. After that, it will only need occasional watering.
If you planted it in full sun and start to experience a period of extreme heat, provide supplemental watering. Mulch placed over the root zone will help conserve moisture and moderate soil temperatures.
When in richer, more fertile soils the plant will be encouraged to grow taller and wider. However, in rocky and dry soils, it will stay refined and compact.
Before the blooms appear, trim your plants back in early spring. However, when your Catmint starts to bloom throughout the summer and into fall, consider deadheading the spent blooms. Especially after the first round of flowers.This will only promote additional flowering for all to see!
Hydrangea Arborescens
If you’re looking for hardy plants that bloom profusely year after year-- look no longer. Hydrangea Arborescens are the winners of that category.
Being native to most of the United States, Arborscens come with easy care instructions for those who can't seem to keep their blossoms alive long enough for others to envy. With proper planting and water when you get the chance, each growing season will bring gigantic and colorful blooms. Take that neighbors.
Use Hydrangea Arborescens for almost any landscape need. Each ornamental structure gives off a ‘classic’ vibe to a yard, which can unify an entire design with one plant. Placing a long hedge along the edge of a landscape creates a privacy screen, option for cut flowers and chic mass planting.
If you already have a fence in place, no worries! These hydrangeas look great alongside them. Or, mix and match them among your already established perennial or shrub borders.
If you need a plant that is going to wow your guests from the point of entry, Hydrangea Arborescens grow well in containers while looking dreamy when doing it. Place one on either side of your font patio as a natural greeter.
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With Arborescens, you won’t have to go through the hassle of changing the pH levels to get a color of your liking. Instead, they produce their bright shades in any soil! As long as the soil drains quickly, they will tolerate it.
A simple, once a year pruning is recommended cutting all of the stems down to a few inches each early spring just before they start to grow. Full sun is appreciated and wanted, but they will also grow in partial shade areas too-- at least 4 hours of sun daily.
Best watering practices include providing an even amount regularly, especially early in the flowering season. When establishing new, provide supplemental water. Use the finger test by poking a finger in the soil. If it is moist, you can skip watering for the day; if it is feeling dry, give it a drink.
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses are a must-have in a hardy landscape. They often get overlooked because they do not provide flowers, but the gardens that utilize these plants definitely look the most interesting in colder months.
From color and shades to textures and forms, grasses have it all. Not to mention, they are hardy, display year-round interest and easy to maintain.
The best part about Ornamental grasses is that they are drought tolerant. Which means you can forget to check on it and it will still be prospering on its own.
Quick gardening tip: for a complete landscape assembly, plant at least one ornamental grass in every garden bed. It’ll tie the whole look together. Or place it on a steep hillside or alongside paths to help with erosion control.
For borders, foundation plantings and open spaces, you’ll add needed texture with grasses. And it won’t even require loads of care, so add as many as you would like!
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Grasses aren’t picky with soils and they prize themselves on being drought tolerant. A few even being insect and disease resistant as well.
Easy maintenance with a simple once a year pruning is recommended by cutting all of the old leaves and stems down to just a few inches in late winter or early spring just before they start to grow.
Full sun is their favorite and where they will perform their best in any landscape. When early spring approaches, cut the dead growth from the previous season to make room for new growth.
Daylilies
Daylilies are an old durable blooming perennial used in a variety of gardening designs across the United States. Even in urban areas!
Gardeners love them for their amazing assortment of colors and sizes. Pick and choose from orange, yellow, pink, purple and many other combinations. Then choose the size. It’s almost as if you can build your very own Daylily flower.
Come the summertime, enjoy rays of color that spread across your landscape. They are a favorite garden border for color to pair well with semi evergreen plants. However, many love to use them as groundcovers on slopes that struggle to produce grass.
Nature Hills can’t get enough of Daylilies, so we suggest choosing an area for mass plantings. You’ll have ample blooms that you can easily cut for an indoor bouquet on the kitchen counter!
A hidden gem of Daylilies is that all parts are in fact edible! Flower buds are commonly cooked for various dishes and the petals are used in salads. Some say the buds resemble the taste of green beans.
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Daylilies will perform well in almost all conditions, except for heavy water-logged soils. For the happiest flowers, establish in rich and moist soil that is in a sunny area. They can withstand a bit of shade if need be.
Once established, these hardy plants will tolerate drought and will only be watered as needed.
Many Daylily varieties are reblooming so when the first round of flowers finish, be sure to cut all of the flower stems down to the ground. By cutting the old flower stems out it will encourage new flower stems to develop. Then, at the end of the growing season after several frosts in late fall, cut all foliage and old flowering stems down to the soil removing all old leaves and stems and discard them.
Daylilies tend to not be deer resistant, so setting up a deterrent is a good idea if needed.
Gardening can be made easy with these 5 hardy plants that are hard to kill, even by those with a notorious brown thumb!
Happy planting!
