BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Landscaping Need Plant Suggestions

We are in zone 5. My friend is mildly disabled. Yard work is very hard for her. Heat bothers her condition. She has a raised bed with a southern exposure in front of the house and a bed with western exposure on the side. What kind of plants can she put in the beds that require minimal work and come back each year? She does not want evergreen hedges or something that would give a burglar a good hiding place. I was thinking some of the shorter fountain grasses with a couple of yuccas in between. She not crazy about the grass but has not said no to the idea.

if she wants short try bulbs, and stagger them so that she will have something in bloom the whole season...from crocus and daffs in march to gladiolus and lilies in august. Try adding rocks for interest or an actual fountain.

You could also try perennial vegetables...like rhubarb, asparagus, strawberries. Or herbs! Thyme, mint, rosemary, garlic, oregano. (mint will need to be planted with a bottomless pot around it as it will take over in short order and is tenacious)

Depending upon the sun try hosta, bleeding hearts, lady's mantle; these all like shade.

if height isn't truly an issue try lilacs (slow growers in NH) as are forsythia which scream in bright yellow around April. There are also azalea types that loose their leaves for the winter.

Hardy cactus, yucca or agaves may work if she likes those. Dianthus is a good choice also.

Sheri

Just a few to add: Daylilies, Black-Eyed Susan, Peonies, Shasta Daisies, Coreopsis


If she does opt for a few grasses: Blue Festuca, 'Little Bunny' Fountain Grass