Maintenance: It's a fact of life for gardeners. And even if you truly enjoy the process of deadheading, dividing, staking, and pruning, these chores can take up a great deal of time. And speaking of time—who has a minute to spare? Most gardeners—including myself—are busy people with family responsibilities, professional commitments, friends to see, hobbies and interests to explore, and everyday household chores to keep up with. I don't know about you, but when I look at my schedule, there are very few blocks of free time available for garden maintenance. And when you do have a free day, wouldn't you prefer to spend it enjoying your garden than slaving in it?
We gardeners all want beautiful borders, filled with healthy, show-stopping plants—but who has time for constant primping? I am a busy woman myself, and I struggle to keep everything in balance. I once had a garden filled with horticultural prima donnas; fussy plants that required hours and hours of tender loving care. As a result of my choices, I was overwhelmed by garden tasks, and I spent every spare minute tending my garden. Well, one day I decided, no more! Through years of work in other people's gardens, I have discovered that by selecting perennials and woody plants with an eye toward lower maintenance requirements, it's possible to reduce—if not altogether eliminate—many garden chores. These days—though I still have a few high-maintenance 'pets' here and there—my beds and borders are populated with tough-but-beautiful, easy-care plants.
So, you may be wondering, how does a gardener know which plants are higher maintenance than others? Perhaps you've noticed that those nursery tags at the garden center contain very little bad press. Qualities such as "temperamental," "floppy," "prone to fungus," and "needs constant deadheading" are never listed alongside "sensational color" and "intoxicating fragrance." Well, fear not, gardener; do I have the guide-book for you! Tracy DiSabato Aust, garden-maintenance hero and author of one of my favorite titles, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden, recently produced a little gem of a book called 50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants. And this is no collection of ho-hum hosta and dull daylilies, oh no. Some of my favorite plants—such as purple snakeroot (Actaea simplex atropupurea), Arkansas bluster (Amsonia hubrichitii), Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'), among many others—are included in DiSabato Aust's top 50. All specifically selected by the author to reduce time spent deadheading, staking, dividing, and otherwise primping, these plants are always stunning, but never time-consuming. After all, although she is a renowned author and landscape designer, Tracy DiSabato Aust is also one of us—a busy, well-rounded person who just happens to love gardening.
How many hours a week do you spend on garden maintenance? Do you feel like that's just right, too much, or not enough?
Michaela grew up gardening, studying plants, and picking organic produce on the family farm. When she isn't spreading compost or pruning shrubs, she can usually be found writing articles or giving seminars on all things gardening. Michaela has worked as a gardening professional for 15 years and is author of the popular blog, The Gardener’s Eden.
Oooh, this sounds like an interesting read. I sure could use some help in the "variety" area. I've almost always played it safe when It comes to gardening. Always stick with the same kinds of perrenials such different types of daisies, lavenders, and flowering herbs. I do have to say though that they are easy to take care of....just a trim here and there and voila I'm done. I'm at a certain point in my gardening life where I now need a little more excitement and would like to try planting new things. Presently I have a cottage garden so I do try sticking to the theme but I think I'm ready for a little bit of a change.
This looks like a guide that may very well help me. Thanks for the post 
