Ready to try your hand at creating your own home garden but don’t know where to start? If you’re looking for plants that will thrive in Westerville’s climate without requiring you to put in a lot of work, this guide is the place to start.
Planting a Garden in Westerville
“girl planting with green plant at daytime” used with permission via Unsplash by annaelizaearl
There’s no denying the many benefits of planting a garden. Involving kids in gardening can help teach them responsibility, all while relieving stress and building confidence. You’ll create a beautiful home environment as well thanks to the plants you watch blossom around it. When you add vegetables and other edible plants into the mix, gardening will even encourage kids to eat healthier and try new foods.
If you have a packed schedule, though, simply finding the time to deal with gardening work can be challenging. You can stay away from finicky plants that require constant tending or special attention and still create a gorgeous home garden to enjoy. You’ll want to look for plants that don’t need lots of extra work but will still thrive in hardiness zone 6a, where Westerville is located. So, Crème de la Crème of Westerville put together this list of some amazing, low-maintenance plants to get you started.
Astilbe
Astilbe (Astilbe hybrids) will transform your outdoor space with muted red and pink blooms in late spring to early summer. These stunning plants are ideal if you’re looking for a flower that will do well in shade.
Though astilbe traditionally are shade plants, newer hybrids can tolerate more sun. These plants also require medium moisture and well-drained soil. If you have that in a shady area, just plant some astilbe, then sit back and watch the beauty bloom.
Coneflower
Echinacea, known better as coneflower, adds a lovely aesthetic touch to a garden. They’re reminiscent of daisies, but come in varieties with colors like purple, pink, red, and white.
Coneflowers are at their best in well-drained soil, dry to medium moisture, and full sunlight. The best part? They tolerate drought well, so you don’t have to worry much about these beauties.
Daylily
No gardener with a penchant for low-maintenance plants should ignore the daylily (Hemerocallis spp. and hybrids). Staples in perennial gardens, daylilies come in thousands of varieties. Fun fact: Daylilies actually aren’t lilies. Even more fun: There’s pretty much no other plant as easy to care for than these gorgeous flowers.
Though each individual flower will only grace your garden for a day or so, every plant will produce a large amount of flower stalks that add texture and shape to your garden year-round. Then, they’ll bloom for a few weeks in early to mid-summer, or even return with a repeat blooming pattern or with a modest autumn second bloom. Daylilies prefer full sun but can tolerate shade well, and they boast a great tolerance for poor soils and drought. Basically, you can plant daylilies in just about any soil (as long as it’s well-drained) and they’re good to go.
False Indigo
False indigo (Baptisia spp. and hybrids) delivers the refinement of the best garden flowers with the maintenance level of a wildflower (read: next to no attention required). You can use these flowers to fill spaces in your garden with purple, blue, yellow, or white.
You’ll want to plant false indigo in full sun to light shade to get the best results, as you may need to dedicate some time to pruning or putting in supports if you put false indigo in partially shady conditions. In full sun and well-drained soil with dry to medium moisture, though, these flowers will thrive even while your back is turned.
Sage
Sage plants (Salvia spp.) are incredibly easy to maintain once they’re established. They’re extremely drought tolerant, and they add an enticing scent to your garden as well.
You can find various cultivars with different foliage and bloom colors and heights depending on your needs. Plant in full sun with dry to medium moisture and well-drained soil.
Sedum
Sedum (Sedum spp.), often known as stonecrop, get their common name because they love rocky soils. That’s your first indication of how low-maintenance these plants are. Sedums thrive in just about any conditions. Just keep them away from very soggy soils, as that kind of soil can lead to root rot.
There are many varieties of sedums, and they all look fairly different. You’ll find sedums as shrub-like plants and creeping groundcovers, with some flowering in spring and others in later summer or autumn. Depending on the variety you get, your sedums will need full sun to partial shade.
Yarrow
Yarrow (Achillea spp. and hybrids) will grow a few feet tall and deliver blooms in yellow, white, red, or pink along with some pretty fern-link foliage. Because the summer plant tolerates drought well, you can look forward to gorgeous flowers even if you get a dry summer — or even if you forget to water here and there.
You’ll want to pay attention to the location to keep your yarrow low-maintenance, however, as they can flop in wind or shade, while wet soil can lead to leaf spots or root rot. Plant in soil with dry to medium moisture or sandy loam, and ensure your plants get full sun.
Low-Maintenance Vegetables
Looking for easy-to-grow, common vegetables to add to your garden? You’ll have a range of available options to add to your list. Keep in mind the planting calendar for Westerville to give your plants the best chance of success. If you’re starting seeds outdoors, try veggies such as:
- Beets
- Green beans
- Lettuce
- Peas
- Radishes
- Zucchini
There you have it! Crème de la Crème of Westerville just gave you a guide to planting easy, beautiful, and incredibly low-maintenance plants in your very own garden. Whether you’re planting a vegetable garden or upgrading your space with some gorgeous flowers, you’ll find many plants that do well in our area, without requiring tons of work. But maybe we skipped a favorite plant you’ve loved watching thrive at your home? If we did, drop us a line. We’d love to add your recommendation for other Westerville-area families to try.