Gardening for busy urbanites

Yard and garden tips for busy urbanites

While gardening still ranks as one of the top ten most popular U.S. hobbies, it takes time, and many Portlanders face long commutes or lead busy lives that require thoughtful planning and careful plant choices. How to create a low-maintenance, attractive yard or garden so you still have time remaining for other hobbies and leisure activities is a topic well explore here.

Many easy-care plants to choose from

Whether your yard is bare, or already established with plants and vegetation, here are some low-maintenance shrub species to consider. Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium) is very robust and ever-reliable. Theres also Red-flowering currant, an attractive plant that's a magnet for hummingbirds, and snowberry, featuring tiny bell-like flowers in spring and white berries in winter. By the way, these are native plants helpful for pollinators and the environment.

You might also like to try Hairy manzanita (Arcostaphylos), including kinnikinnick, a charming ground cover featuring small white or pink flowers in the spring. False solomon seal, a perennial (i.e., a plant that lives for more than two years), has arching green leaves and clusters of fragrant small flowers in the spring, and is another winner. Choose a partially shady spot for this interesting plant.

Other easy-care plant choices: Oceanspray, with its foamy white flower clusters, the sweetly fragrant Nootka Rose, Thimbleberry, and Yarrow. For a low-maintenance plant with summer color, try the lovely, long-blooming Meadow Checkermallow. Other choices: goldenrod, a late summer bloomer, and tall Oregon grape, an early blooming sun-lover. Note: some of these plants are most easily obtained at native plant nurseries.

Rosemary and lavender are both easy to grow and attractive; butterflies frequent them often, so feel free to include them in your yard or garden. Ceanothus (Blue Blossom) is another nice alternative.

Additional plant selections that dont require much water: California poppy, Golden Aster, Wallflower and Yellow Lupine. For those seeking attractive, low-maintenance containerized plants for the yard or patio, consider native plants or succulents.

Tree choices

How about easy-care tree choices? If your yard or garden has ample room for a new tree to grow to maturity meaning, both above, and below ground - here's a few possibilities.

More:
Gardening for busy urbanites