The lazy gardener: Four easy weekends to botanical bliss

 

Five easy-care plants
No need to sweat it this summer. These plants will provide colour for most of the season, don't need deadheading, are drought tolerant, and are resistant to pests and disease. And all but the petunia will grow in poor to average soil.

1 Hardy geraniums
Not to be confused with your grandmother's windowsill Pelargoniums. New hybrids of these perennials bloom continuously from early summer to autumn. Look for cultivars like 'Ann Folkard,' 'Okey Dokey,' 'Purple Pillow' and 'Rozanne' for their dependable floral display. (Perennial, part shade to full sun.)

2 Zebra grass
A striking, non-invasive grass "striped" with horizontal gold bands. Hardy to -30°C. A fast grower that adds instant architecture. (Perennial, part shade to full sun.)

3 The 'wave' petunia series
Available as single- or double-blooming plants in a wide range of colours, each plant can spread to one metre in width. Blooms don't go soggy after rainfall like old-fashioned petunias. (Annual, part shade to full sun.)

4 Daylily
Many new, large-flowered, multicoloured cultivars are available (avoid the old-fashioned orange daylily as it's invasive). Buy an assortment of early-, middle- and late-blooming varieties to keep the show going all season. (Perennial, part shade to full sun.)

 

5 Yew
The most forgiving of all shrubs because it will grow almost anywhere, including dark corners where nothing else will survive. Doesn't require frequent pruning. Bonus: provides deep green colour with red berries in winter. (Evergreen, shade.)

Spruce up your boring urban garden with our easy tips.

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Horticulturist Stephen Westcott-Gratton is the author of several books on gardening, the host and creative consultant of HGTV's Flower Power and a regular contributor to Canadian Gardening.

 

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