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An Almost No Work Sunny Garden, Part 1

© Carol Wallace

SHRUBS, VINES AND GROUNDCOVERS

I still firmly believe that it's easier to care for a shade garden than it is a sunny one - but that's because of my own personal experience. By luck I planted a very easy to care for shade garden and a very labor-intensive on in full sun. But even in that bed I have some plants that are old friends, surviving year after year with only minimal help from me. Besides, something we rarely think about holds true for a garden even in full sun. Pretty soon the taller plants grow up and provide shade for smaller ones that they shield from the sun.

So in a relatively mature garden you can have the best of both worlds. But it's the brand new garden we have to worry about. No one wants to plant a garden that they can't keep up with, so for new gardens and new gardeners it's best to start with plants that are easy to maintain that look great.

Shrubs and Pseudo-shrubs
I like to start with a few shrubs, or shrubby perennials. They give some structure to the garden, add height and bulb and if chosen well can also add color. Not only that - they take up a good amount of space that might otherwise be devoted to several fussy little plants that are always demanding pampering. There is room for that, even in an almost no work harden - but save it only for plants that you fall in love with and won't mind pampering.

One of my favorites is Cornus alba 'Elegantissima' (Zones 2-8)which has bright red stems in winter and beautifully variegated green and white foliage in summer. This is a low-maintenance shrub for me. Early every spring I cut out about a third of its branches - the older ones which lose their brilliant winter color. After that I can cut it down to size if it needs it - and then forget it for another year.

Another shrubby type plant that has been completely undemanding - and absolutely gorgeous - is the tree peony. They can get quite large - and the bigger they get the more spectacular they are. You may want to deadhead the flowers (which usually come before their herbaceous relatives) and trim off any deadwood in spring. Aside from that, my own seem to thrive on neglect.

I've also tried roses. Now some roses can be prima donnas and anything but low maintenance. Others, however, are quite unfussy , demanding little more than a good haircut in early spring. There are several good ones on the market now, such as the Carefree series, Carefree Wonder, Carefree Delight(Zones 4-10) and others from Meilland etc. , the Flower Carpet series (zones 4-10) and many other of the new breed of roses. All of these are hardy and bloom bountifully. I have also had good luck with David Austin roses. 'Heritage', which I still think is one of the most beautiful roses in creation, has been almost trouble-free for me, requiring only a spring pruning. Occasionally the Japanese beetles get it, but I shake them off the branches and into a can of soapy water and that's that. And shaking them off is painless, since 'Heritage' is almost thornless.

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