A home garden is a popular way to build value and comfort into a house and outdoor space. What better way to sit back and relax at the end of the day than by breathing in the aromas of your own flowers? Because gardening can be time consuming, not everyone thinks they can do it. But that is just plain untrue – there are plenty of low maintenance flowers that can make your backyard a haven of relaxation and beauty. The below flowers will naturally do well in the California weather, requiring very little attention after they’ve been planted. So get out your gardening supplies and get going!
1. Wildflowers are a beautiful, low-maintenance addition to any landscape. Frequently seen alongside ponds, streams, or lakes, they also work well in a backyard. Because they don’t need any weeding, mowing, or trimming, wildflowers are a perfect option for someone looking to spruce things up a little without too much elbow grease and make a great choice for a homeowner looking to create an organic, sustainable garden in Northern California. Simply pick a spot with plenty of sunlight, remove the weeds, and plant your seeds by scattering them in small areas and covering with a little bit of soil. Keep the soil moist for at least 4-6 weeks. You should see your first blooms in about 6-10 weeks.
2. California Fuschias are native to the Northern California area and so they’ve adapted to our soil, climate and insects. These flowers will also attract hummingbirds in the summer and don’t need much water – just a little bit once a week should do the trick. It will not only keep the leaves plump, it will also clear away any cobwebs that might have accumulated.
3. California Pipevine is another native that you will enjoy. In the wild, it ranges from about Monterey County north to the northern edge of the Sacramento Valley. Plant it by a swing and watch it crawl over it, while it attracts the beautiful Pipevine swallowtail butterfly. Keep it out of full sun, don’t give it much water, and let the vine do the work. (It can also be used as a ground cover!)
4. Flowering Shrubs can also add a great, easy touch to your garden area. There are several low maintenance kinds. A double knockout rose bush is naturally disease and pest resistant, is regularly covered in beautiful red blooms, and can handle extreme weather conditions. Butterfly bushes are also pretty options that will add a bit of whimsy to your garden. The flowers attract butterflies from midsummer through the fall. To plant them, dig a large hole about twice the size of the root-ball, and soak it with water. Then line it with some soil and peat moss. Insert the shrub in the hole and fill the rest with dirt. Choose a sunny spot or shady spot based on the specific kind of shrub.
5. The Leopard Lily is another native to the better coast. It is drought tolerant, does not require any fertilizer, and will naturally keep away diseases and pests. These flowers naturally invite the local pollinators – the good kind of insects like hummingbirds and butterflies. The leopard lily stands as tall as four feet, with narrow, orange, shiny lily flowers. You will love them.
These fragrant flowers will bring a breath of fresh air to your garden with only minimal attention and work required. So get planting and enjoy!
Author: Abigail Turner is a respected journalist who covers everything from health related topics to botany and beyond. When she isn’t busy covering companies like Architectural Gardens, she loves to tend to her own expansive garden and enjoys reading amongst her many flowers.
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Try some of this stuff on your flowers. Check out my homemade seaweed fertilizing mulch formula video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOuA0qapooY
Nice work Joseph, very creative – love it how we can recycle seaweed, it makes total sense.
Hi Abigail,
What is your criteria for low mantenance? I would agree that flowering evergreen native shrubs are carefree but the others you mentioned are all short blooming and need deadheading. Epilobium, while it love it in the spring and summer, looks a bit too dormant and rangey for most homeowners. However, in small quanties and in the right place in the garden, all your suggestions will look beautiful.