If you long for beautiful blooming flowers that require little care (and who doesn’t), then it is time for you to take action. There is no reason that you can’t enjoy the cottage garden that you desire and still have time for family. Don’t despair; there are flowers out there that thrive on neglect. In fact, there are three of them:
Common Lilac
What grows to 20 or more feet high and wide, with profuse purple blooms every spring? That’s right, you guessed it, it’s the common lilac. You will need a cold winter period to mature the flower buds enough to bloom. You can spent more time on the porch swing with these easy care varieties:
- You will rarely find this tree/shrub in a garden center. Your best friend or a neighbor may be willing to give you some of these rooted plants. Lilacs grow new plants around the base of the mother plant. A few minutes of your time invested in digging these plants, will soon have you on the road to your own landscaping adventures.
- A little extra care in planting will have your new bloomer off to a good start. Dig a generous sized hole and add some amended soil (peat moss, compost, potting soil, perlite). Your new plant will respond with vigor.
- Plant and water well until your lilac is acclimated to the new environment. Watch for new green growth. That means you did it right.
- Your lilac will thrive with no further help from you. Of course, if you don’t want a tall, blooming tree, use your pruners and keep it trimmed to shrub size. The choice is yours. You are the talented master of your domain.
Tiger Lilies
Also called ditch lilies, these orange three-footers bloom wild on the roadsides. With sword-like foliage, this one is beautiful and neat, even when it is finished blooming. It propagates vigorously by the roots.
So attractive, you can nestle lilies in a container on your porch balcony. It is also a suitable background plant that keeps your personal sanctuary green all summer.
Job’s Tears/Tradescantia
You will enjoy the easy care of this plant that has a natural habit of blooming profusely. A three-petaled wildflower, it is another one that grows well in pots. Choose a concrete tub and add charm to your shady nook with the grass-like foliage.
Popular in English gardens, this knee-high plant, will purple your garden all summer. Get started now and prepare to luxuriate in beautiful surroundings – and all created by you, a master gardener.
