Gardening creates the perfect opportunity for bonding with your kids. You can spend quality time planting together, then watch the results of your hard work blossom and grow. Still, maybe you’re hesitant to dive into gardening because you don’t want to spend tons of time planting only to see those plants wither away. Is it really possible to plant a thriving garden here in Gilbert?

It certainly is! You’ll find an abundance of options that you can easily plant right in your own garden. Whether you’re an expert gardener or you’ve never tried your hand at gardening before, you can find plenty of plants suited to low-maintenance gardens in Arizona. Let Crème de la Crème of Gilbert, AZ help take the guesswork out of finding the right plants to use in your own garden with this roundup of plants you can turn to for your home.

Perennial Plants

Image via Unsplash by quiethabits

Good news, Gilbert residents. Growing perennial plants in our region is so easy, you’ll likely find choosing which plants best fits your garden to be the hardest part of the process. Because temperatures here dip below freezing so infrequently (if ever!), you’ll even find a range of plants that grow as annuals in cooler regions easy to plant as perennials here.

While your particular gardening site will impact which plants are most suitable for you to grow, you’ll find an abundance of options. Some popular perennial plants for gardens in our area include:

• Asiatic Lily: These gorgeous flowers are just about foolproof, making them a great plant to use to get started on a new garden. You can find them in solid colors and bi-colors. They also multiply quickly and grow from bulbs you plant in the fall or early in the spring, so you can easily divide them to plant throughout your garden.
• Black-Eyed Susan: This popular plant is native to North America. You can find a range of shades surrounding the dark center “eye,” such as bronze, red, and yellow.
• Buddleia: Commonly called butterfly bush, this flowering shrub loves the sun. You can expect this plant to grow between 3 and 5 feet tall. Choose a color that fits the rest of your outside setup and enjoy. With so many colors available, including red, pink, white, purple, lavender, yellow, and even blue, you’re sure to find a butterfly bush to add to your yard.
• Daylily: Though not true lilies, daylilies are still a popular choice. They’re also available in a wide assortment of colors.
• Hosta: If you want a plant to put in shady areas of your garden, hosta makes a great choice. However, they won’t do as well in full sunlight. Once you find the right spot, though, these plants don’t require much care at all.
• Liatris: A member of the aster family, Liatris produce tall spikes with pink, purple, or white flowers that come out in the middle or later stages of summer. These plants do well in heat and sun, making them primed to thrive in your garden. They also attract butterflies, so they’re sure to delight the kiddos as well.
• Russian Sage: This tough plant thrives in dry and hot conditions. The tall plant boasts bluish-purple blossoms and silvery-green foliage, making it an elegant addition to any garden.
• Sedum: Looking for a plant that requires next-to-no maintenance? You’ll want to add sedum to your list. This plant also easily stands up to tough conditions like drought, heat, and even pests.
• Trumpet Vine: Treat your family to the wonder of hummingbirds around your home by planting this pretty vine. Though it needs a lot of space to grow, trumpet vine adds a wonderful touch to your garden thanks to masses of blooms in the shapes of trumpets. You can find vines boasting red, yellow, or salmon-hued flowers.

Annual Plants

If you want some drought-tolerant plants to add to your garden, you’ll also find an assortment of annual plants. Remember that even plants that do fine during droughts will still need regular water until they establish their roots. That said, the following plants have relatively low water requirements overall, making them easy for you to grow and care for with your kids helping every step of the way:

• Cosmos: Enjoy blooms that look a lot like daisies in elegant shades like maroon, pink, or white, not to mention reddish-brown or yellow eyes and feathery foliage from this striking and low-maintenance plant.
• Dusty Miller: Though the hardy dusty miller grows best in full sunlight and rich, well-drained soil, it stands up to drought quite well. You’ll also love the silvery-gray foliage it produces.
• Marigold: You can’t go wrong with marigolds if you want a low-maintenance plant that simply loves the sun. There’s good reason marigolds are so popular! You can choose from various sizes and colors like yellow, gold, mahogany, and red.
• Portulaca: You might know portulaca as moss rose. Whatever you call it, you can count on the ground-hugging plant to thrive in bright sunlight and intense heat.
• Zinnia: You’ll brighten any corner of your garden when you plant some zinnias. These vibrant plants come in a huge assortment of colors ranging from pastel to bolder shades.

Edible Plants

If you want to get the kids excited about trying new foods, growing vegetables yourself is a great way to do it. Kids will love getting to sample the veggies they’ve helped grow. Fortunately, you’ll find plenty of delicious edible plants that are easy to grow right in your own garden. Fill your garden in Gilbert with easy-to-grow plants like:

• Beets.
• Carrots.
• Cucumbers.
• Green beans.
• Kale.
• Lettuce.
• Onions.
• Peas.
• Potatoes.
• Radishes.
• Spinach.
• Swiss chard.
• Tomatoes.

There you have it, Crème de la Crème of Gilbert’s guide to planting low-maintenance gardens. You don’t have to be an experienced gardener to get started crafting a beautiful garden for your own home. In fact, these plants make creating something beautiful in your own yard easier than you might imagine. Do you have a favorite flower, vegetable, or other plants that you enjoy growing with your kids that we missed? Let us know so we can add your recommendation to our list.