Lots of people appreciate deck gardens but not the work they require. They appreciate the beauty of a garden but their job and other commitments get in the way of taking care of them. If you are one of these people, there is still hope- you can have your cake and eat it too by setting up low maintenance deck gardens with plants that don’t need constant maintenance. Here are three low maintenance tips that you can use for your deck gardens:

Plant Hardy Perennials

If you want a low maintenance deck garden then your garden should have plants that mostly take care of themselves and require little watering, division or deadheading. One plant that fits this description is the perennial, but there are many types of perennials. When choosing them, make sure they are appropriate for your climate. Here’s a sampling of five perennials:

Daylily – Daylilies like to flower in the sun. They have a wide variety of colors and resist drought and insects.

Buddleia – Buddleia flower throughout the summer and produce lots of nectar that attract butterflies.

Epicedium – If your deck doesn’t get any direct sunlight, epicedium is a good choice because it’s a shade plant. It readily lives in dry soil and has no problems resisting drought.

Coreopsis – Coreopsis resists insects and disease, and flower throughout the summer. If white, orange, pink, yellow, and red are your favorite colors, then coreopsis will be your favorite perennial.

Sedum – Sedum won’t care if it’s winter or summer because heat or cold don’t matter to them. Drought and insects don’t faze them either. They’re a fast growing creeper and come in a variety of colors.

Use Large Containers

Lots of soil in large containers take longer to dry out than soil in smaller containers. This is especially true of deep containers. Slow-to-dry soil requires less watering on your part.

Use Polymer Crystals

Polymer crystals have the amazing property of being able to absorb hundreds of times their weight in water. One pound of polymer crystals will hold 50 gallons or about 400 pounds of water. By adding these crystals into large pots, they will replenish the moisture of the soil as it dries out. Polymer crystals are available at home and garden centers.

For information about enhancing and caring for your deck gardens, or creating a more beautiful deck for your gardens, please contact us.