Planting a garden offers a great way to come together as a family. You can teach your kids essential skills when they join you in gardening. However, gardening can lead to stress if the plants you choose don’t do well. When you want to plant a low-maintenance garden, selecting the right plants is necessary. Crème de la Crème of Deerfield Township (Mason), Ohio, put together these suggestions to help get you started planting a garden in our area.

Finding the Right Plants for Your Garden

To determine which plants are likely to thrive in your garden, you can check out the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. This map looks at the average annual minimum winter temperature in a given location to determine a hardiness zone for the area. You can pinpoint great plants to try based on this information. Deerfield Township (Mason) is in Zone 6, offering a range of exciting and low-maintenance options for your family to plant.

When creating a garden in this zone, you need to find plants that can withstand a solid freeze as average annual minimum temperatures range from minus 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, many plants fit the bill. Crème de la Crème of Deerfield Township (Mason) took the guesswork out of finding the perfect plants for your home by rounding up some of our favorite low-maintenance choices. From colorful flowering plants to fun-to-eat vegetables, you’ll find the ideal plants for your family’s needs on this list.

Anise Hyssop

Despite the name, anise hyssop isn’t anise. It’s also not hyssop. It’s part of the mint family, and you can use the flowers in jellies or salads and add a touch of color to your garden. Look for a spot with full sun or very light shade, and plant in soil that drains well for the best results.

Columbine

Graceful flowers characterize the columbine plant. You can find the blooming flowers in an assortment of colors ranging from deep chocolate hues to light blues. Columbine doesn’t transplant well, but it does self-seed. Plant yours in full sun or partial shade in soil that drains well and is rich, evenly moist, and slightly acidic.

Coreopsis

Coreopsis, also known as tickseed, should top your list if you want something low-maintenance. Coreopsis loves the heat and tolerates drought well. This plant does best when you plant it in full sun, but it can also take partial shade. Go for rich, moist, well-draining soil. You can deadhead the flowers to stimulate a second bloom, but you’ll want to let some go to seed so your coreopsis can self-sow. Then divide every few years and watch the yellow or red-orange flowers thrive.

Goat’s Beard

Add a gorgeous touch to an area in your yard with partial or dappled shade thanks to the cluster of white flowers goat’s beard produces. If you want your plants to self-sow by seed, you should buy multiple plants. This member of the rose family does best in rich and evenly moist soil.

Marsh Marigold

Also known as cowslips, marsh marigolds offer a go-to plant if you have consistently moist soil. These moisture-loving plants do well in boggy soils or low spots along ponds or streams. They bloom in the early spring, delivering golden yellow flowers to brighten your garden. You’ll want to plant marsh marigolds in full sun.

Milkweed

You must play the long game with milkweed, as these plants can take two to three years to flower. You’ll want to grow milkweeds from seed as their roots don’t transplant well. It’s all worth it, though, as these drought-tolerant plants are tough. Better yet, they’re an essential food source for monarch butterfly larvae. Plant yours in well-draining soil and full sunlight.

New England Aster

New England asters are a dream for those who want to plant a low-maintenance garden. You won’t be the only ones to love this plant, though — butterflies love them, too. New England asters grow best in full sun with rich and evenly moist soil that drains well. They bloom late in the season after many other flowers stop producing nectar, and their flowers, which resemble daisies, span from white to purple. The best part? These plants need little to no care.

Purple Coneflower

Purple coneflowers will thrive in well-draining soil of any type if you have a spot in full sunlight. The flowers are typically purple and look like daisies with a distinctive pincushion-like center. Let your coneflowers overwinter so birds can forage for seeds they miss in the summer months. The rest of the seeds will self-sow. These pretty flowers will attract bees and butterflies to your garden.

Wild Ginger

Are you looking for an attractive ground cover for shady patches in your garden? Look no further than wild ginger. Wild ginger isn’t related to commercial ginger or Zingiber officinalis. Instead, gardeners turn to wild ginger for its leaves. Asarum canadense is the most common variety, with leaves shaped like hearts. Wild ginger grows best in full shade with rich and evenly moist soil.

Easy, Low-Maintenance Vegetables

In addition to attractive plants and flowers, you’ll also find a variety of easy-to-grow vegetables to take your garden to the next level. Getting your kids involved with planting can make them more likely to try and eat different kinds of produce. Gardening together as a family can also spark kids’ curiosity and help them learn to be resourceful and self-confident.

Some easy veggies to grow in Deerfield Township include:

• Bell peppers
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Green beans
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Spinach

There you have it. Crème de la Crème of Deerfield Township (Mason) just gave you a range of plants to try when you want to plant a low-maintenance garden in our area. Gardening as a family offers an excellent opportunity to bond, and these plants take the guesswork out of your project. Do you have another favorite plant you love to grow at home in Deerfield Township? Let us know so we can try your recommendation.