I don't have time for landscape maintenance, so should I plant perennials?

Answer 1

Since perennials come up every year, beginners sometimes wonder if they don't require care. Could perennials be the easy answer for the on-the-go crowd that still wants to grow plants?

Not really. Perennials do require care. If you choose to grow perennials, choose perennials for the right reasons -- and labor savings is not one of them! It is not even true that perennials are guaranteed to come up every year. If they are not maintained properly, you can very easily lose some perennials. Don't think perennials are the beginner's "easy way out"!

Answer 2

Perennials are great - don't get me wrong. But unless you don't mind lots of dead flowers and leaves marring the blooming flowers and the healthy leaves, and unless you don't mind weeds growing bigger than the flowers, they are positively NOT low maintenance. They need to be groomed, deadheaded, and weeded at least once a fortnight or else they will look intolerably sloppy to most average homeowners.
In most parts of the US and Europe, plant dwarf evergreen conifers like dwarf pines, dwarf junipers, spreading yews, etc for a low-maintenance landscape. Include interest by using different shades and textures of green leaves and playing them off each-other. Nandinas add winter color and fruit and require no maintenance. Knock Out Roses will add color and their only maintenance is pruning, because they will get large.

Answer 3

Idon't want to offend you but gardening takes time and effort, You have to prepare the soil and maintain it.But my suggestion is to give gardening a try. You can purchase perennials for all seasons,but they are expensive. In the south one great perennial is the day lilly. They are very easy to care for,Also good perennials are echinacea,black eyed susie.

Answer 4

Yes you should plant perennials. They come up year after year, and you only have to divide them when they get overgrown. My gardens are all perennials. There are so many kinds, you can have a beautiful display for all seasons. Have fun gardening!

Answer 5

I would say NO. I got rid of my large perennial garden because it was SO much maintenance. I kept only my hostas, which tend to block out the weeds.

Answer 6

You could but remember that even perennials need to be weeded especially until they are established. You can black gardeners cloth and cover it with wood chips to help you with weeding also. But perennials are not labor free!

Answer 7

Sure. You can add annuals for seasonal color. Labor saving hint: Put down 7 to 9 layers of newspaper and cover with mulch. verry effective weed barrier and biodegradeable.

Answer 8

I would have to say - yes. That is what I did at my last place. It looked great! :)

Answer 9

no