The Best Perennial Flowers for a Low-Maintenance Garden
Creating a beautiful garden is a rewarding endeavor that brings joy and tranquility to many homeowners. However, the thought of maintaining a garden can often be daunting, especially for those with busy schedules or minimal gardening experience. That’s where perennial flowers come to the rescue. Perennials are the unsung heroes of the plant world, providing effortless beauty year after year with minimal upkeep required.
Perennial flowers, unlike their annual counterparts, have the remarkable ability to survive and bloom for multiple years. They establish strong root systems that allow them to withstand changing seasons and come back to life with a burst of color year after year. Their resilience and longevity make them the perfect choice for gardeners seeking a low-maintenance solution without compromising on visual appeal.
Here are the best perennial flowers that you should be looking for when trying to create a low-maintenance garden:
Peony
Peonies are big, beautiful, and come in a variety of vibrant colors. They’re a fabulous addition to your garden if you’re looking for a perennial that stands out and is easy to care for. Peonies require adequate air circulation, 6-8 hours of full sun, and somewhat moist/well-drained soil. Peonies are known to be top-heavy, so it’s a good idea to invest in stakes to support them if needed.
Black-Eyed Susan
This perennial is simple to care for and does a swell job of attracting pollinators. The black-eyed Susan possesses a pronounced disc in the middle, the perfect landing spot for any hungry pollinator wanting to feast on its sweet nectar. This flower can handle drier, sunny climates. They do best in full sun, with slightly moist/mostly dry soil.
Coneflower
Coneflowers make a fantastic addition to any beginner’s garden. They attract pollinators, due to their sweet nectar, pollen, and pronounced disc that makes for easy landing. What’s even better, coneflowers are low maintenance and quite drought-tolerant. All they need to thrive is moderate watering, full sun, and well-draining soil.
Catmint
Not only does catmint offer benefits for digestive issues, nasal congestion, and menstrual cramps. It’s also a rather self-sustainable plant to have in your garden. After the first year of growing your catmint, with it being given adequate love and care, is relatively drought and heat tolerant. It does well in full sun but can thrive in shade as well. Water 2-3 times a week to start and reduce to two times a week once established.
Russian Sage
Russian Sage looks very similar to lavender and shares many similar qualities with the wonderfully herbal plant. Like lavender, Russian sage is extraordinarily heat and drought-tolerant. Making it a must-have for gardeners who reside in hot and dry climates. Do not water them too regularly and keep them in full sun, with some bouts of shade here and there.
Bee Balm
Bee balm has been known to remedy sore throats, nausea, and digestive problems. The spiky, edible, and wonderfully colorful flowers attract pollinators, especially hummingbirds. These perennials are rather easy to care for. They need to thrive in full sun, moist/well-drained soil, and some simple steps to prevent powdery mildew growth.
Yarrow
The common makeup of a low-maintenance perennial is often how drought-tolerant and heat tolerant the plant is. Yarrow is a great fit for a gardener living in a hot and dry climate that may not receive much rainfall during the summer months. Yarrow requires well-drained soil and seldom watering. In fact, too much moisture could bring upon invasive spread. So, keep that soil nice and dry, with the exception of a weekly 1-inch deep watering.
Daylily
Like most of the perennials on this list, daylilies require very little care once they’re fully established within your garden. They of course thrive on 6-8 hours of sunlight, well-drained soil, and a brief watering twice a week, reducing to once a week after the first growing season. Keep in mind, darker varieties might require more shade than the brighter daylilies.
