In a home garden, you can grow fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs, as well as aromatic flowers that beautify your yard. Gardening can be a great family bonding experience, allowing you all to get fresh air, some sun, and a bit of exercise. And if you harvest produce from your home garden, your children get a hands-on lesson in where food comes from. They also can develop qualities like patience and discipline and learn to work as a team.

But keeping a beautiful and fruitful garden doesn’t have to be a lot of work. There are many options for planting a low-maintenance garden in McKinney, Texas, which is located in Hardiness Zone 8a. That’s why we at Crème de la Crème of McKinney have put together this list of 14 plants you can grow with little effort.

Flowers

Image via Flickr by Michel Curi Licensed CC BY 2.0

Flowers can add color and a pleasant smell to your yard. Here are five decorative plants to grow in a low-maintenance garden in McKinney.

• Henry Duelberg Salvia: This native plant can practically grow on its own, sprouting deep purple petals that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It’s heat- and drought-resistant, so it doesn’t need much water, making it one of the best low-maintenance plants around.
• Mystic Spires Blue Salvia: Similar to the Duelberg Salvia, the Mystic Spires Blue Salvia is relatively self-sustaining. It’s heat tolerant and doesn’t need much water or fertilizer. Plus, it blooms indigo flowers, a perfect addition of color to any McKinney garden or landscape.
• Texas Gold Columbine: This flowering shrub blooms pale yellow flowers for a subtle addition of color. It prefers well-draining soil as well as partial shade and regular watering. While it almost takes care of itself, this plant could help your children learn a thing or two about discipline when it comes to keeping plants watered.
• Hibiscus: Add a tropical flair to your garden with hibiscus. The Lord Baltimore breed produces huge red flowers, which attract hummingbirds and butterflies. However, this native plant does require regular watering to thrive.
• Cape Plumbago: This perennial thrives in Texas heat and even flowers until the frost comes. It’s another flower that invites butterflies, which is perfect for kids who love insects. However, this one requires pruning to take of dead and dying leaves and stems, so it’ll require a little more discipline from the family.

Produce

There are so many vegetables and a few fruits you can grow in North Texas. Some may be items that you buy a lot, while others you may not buy at all. Try growing these # fruits and vegetables in your home garden for a simple and delicious array of fresh produce.

• Greens: You can grow mustard greens, turnip greens, collards, chard, spinach, and other greens in a McKinney home garden. And they’re fairly easy to cultivate, too. They grow from seeds or transplants and require watering at least once per week. But you’ll have to be somewhat diligent about keeping weeds and insects away.
• Artichokes: Besides being delicious, artichokes are quite pretty while growing. This plant really thrives when fertilized regularly and requires regular watering to prevent “black tip,” which is just a cosmetic issue. Go for the Imperial Star variety if you’re looking for something even easier to care for.
• Peppers: There are many varieties of peppers you can plant in a low-maintenance garden. You can grow them in large pots or in the ground, but make sure they get at least six hours of sun each day. Water them enough so that they don’t wilt, and till the topsoil without touching the plants’ roots to allow water and nutrients to drain properly. Eight to 10 sweet pepper plants can produce enough peppers for a family of four.
• Onions: Onions add essential flavor and texture to many different recipes, so they’re a staple in many gardens. What’s more, they only need to be watered once a week, but occasionally more if the weather is particularly dry. There’s a bit of weeding to do when caring for onions, but it can be manageable if you keep an eye on weed growth when watering.
• Squash: Squash is a very good crop to plant in a North Texas home garden. It only needs to be watered enough so the plant doesn’t wilt, which would be about once per week. However, it requires more weeding than onions, but that can be part of a gardening day routine a few times per month.
• Tomatoes: The Texas soil and climate make for wonderful tomatoes, and there are so many yummy varieties you can try growing. These plants need at least six hours of sun per day and should be watered similarly to peppers. Add natural fertilizer or compost to provide more nutrients, and consider adding mulch to the soil to prevent weeds.

Herbs

Fresh herbs pack a punch you may not often get in your home-cooked meals. But you can also dry herbs from your garden and create your own spice blends or stock up on your must-haves Here are a few flavorful herbs you can easily grow in a McKinney garden.

• Rosemary: Rosemary is relatively resilient, as it’s able to withstand drought and a bit of freeze. That means it doesn’t require a lot of water. In fact, too much water could damage the plant, so you really only have to water once every week or every two weeks.
• Cilantro: If you make a lot of Hispanic dishes or even Thai food, then you’ll want to grow fresh cilantro. What’s great about this herb is that it really only needs regular and consistent watering during germination, and then it can basically grow on its own.
• Ginger: Though ginger is technically a root, it’s often used in recipes for flavor. In tea and certain food recipes, ginger can also help reduce inflammation and ease sour tummies.

So there you have it, 14 plants you can put in a low-maintenance garden at your McKinney home. If you plan to set up a garden with your kids this year, let us at Crème de la Crème of McKinney know. We can’t wait to see what your family accomplishes!