| In many ways, growing your own plants is the most | | | | plants and ideal if you need large numbers of the |
| satisfying way of stocking your garden, as you have | | | | same plants for creating drifts of color. |
| the satisfaction of feeling that you have created | | | | How to choose plants for a low maintenance garden? |
| something from nothing. Seed is still fairly cheap and is | | | | The ideal low maintenance garden uses hard surfaces |
| widely available in a wonderful range of perennials and | | | | rather than grass, to reduce or eliminate the need of |
| annuals. | | | | mowing. |
| You do not need much equipment to germinate them | | | | If you take this route, choose plants that you think will |
| and grow them on because most can be grown in | | | | look good in this kind of situation and you might want |
| open soil. | | | | more colorful or luxuriant plants to make up for the |
| Seeds can be bought from seed companies, garden | | | | lack of green lawn, for example. Remember that using |
| centers and some general purpose stores. There are | | | | ground cover reduces the need for weeding. |
| also specialist societies that run seed exchanges, | | | | Concentrate on plants that are self supporting, so that |
| where you can get unusual seeds not carried by other | | | | you do not need to do any staking. Also, try to use |
| sources. | | | | plants that do not need deadheading and only require |
| Certain botanical gardens also offer seed that can be | | | | cutting back once a year. |
| difficult to obtain elsewhere, so giving you the chance | | | | Foliage plants such as hostas are ideal in these kinds |
| to grow some unusual and unique plants. You can, of | | | | of situation. Long flowering annuals are also a boon, as |
| course, collect your own seed and propagate from | | | | they will perform for the whole summer with only the |
| this. | | | | occasional bit of attention and just some deadheading |
| This is not difficult and can be very rewarding, as you | | | | and the cutting back of straggling stems. |
| are actively involved with every stage of the plant's | | | | Containers and hanging baskets need daily watering |
| life. | | | | and deadheading to look at their best, so you may |
| There are other methods of propagating plants like | | | | want to stick to plants in beds, which need far less |
| dividing and taking cutting from your own plants, for | | | | watering. Reduce the need for watering further by |
| example. This does not mean that you will not be | | | | using plenty of mulches, which help to prevent water |
| introducing new plants to your garden, but it is the | | | | evaporation from the soil and cut down on weeding. |
| perfect way of increasing your stock of favorite | | | | |