A few weeks ago, a harassed gardener asked me if there are any maintenance-free plants. Apparently weeds was not the answer she was seeking. Anyone who wants a non-weed garden will be faced with some maintenance at some stage. But some plants are certainly less needy than others and choosing those can easily reduce maintenance.
For instance, gardeners who focus on native plants as habitat and a food supply for wildlife can enjoy a much more relaxed type of garden.
Many native plants such as salmon berries, thimbleberries, Indian Plum and salal have beautiful flowers and nutritious berries. But theyre only maintenance-free for a while. Later, because theyre so well adapted to our soil and climate they cover more and more space as roots expand and seeds find good spots to sprout.
At some point the gardener must pick up a spade and establish firm boundaries for paths, driveway and other valued areas. This can become a yearly task. Native ferns are much closer to being truly maintenance-free. One of the easiest is the native Sword Fern. Its an evergreen that does best in a moist, shady situation and the old fronds form a thick, mulching carpet that surrounds the plant and suppresses weeds.
Ground-covers are generally thought to be maintenance-free also. But in the early stages diligent weeding is essential. Its not difficult to end up with weeds that a ground-cover will actually hide until theyre difficult to uproot.
As well all ground-covers are invasive to some degree. The more invasive they are, the more successfully they cover ground. Thats why groundcovers such as Vinca minor and Vinca major, Ajuga species, Cerastium tomentosum (Summer Snow), Lamium galeobdolon (Yellow Archangel) can turn into unstoppable monsters in mild climates.
Many are on invasive plant lists. With these and others, sooner or later gardeners must resort to stopping a ground-covers headlong rush for more living room. Its worth noting a few ground-covers such as Kenilworth Ivy and some lamiums can also climb. Some sprawling shrubby groundcovers such as Cotoneaster dammeri and junipers can grow into a dense cover where weeds wont germinate. But there is still the initial weeding as one gets them established.
In our West Coast climate, rhododendrons demand less attention than most other plants. But its important to know that no matter how small a rhododendron seems in the garden centre, many are destined to become big shrubs and some become trees. A crucial point is planting them where they have room to expand. A spot under windows or close to doors will lead to major pruning as the rhododendron matures. Its the smaller rhododendrons that fit best into city-lot size gardens. This includes purplish-pink-flowered PJM rhododendrons and the pink or white-flowered Rhodo yakusimanum and its hybrids.
