Gardening for the lax: 5 resilient blossoms perfect for busy cultivators, set them and forget them
For those with limited time to devote to gardening, there are several annual plants that thrive on neglect and require minimal care. These plants are perfect for filling last-minute border gaps, refreshing containers, or adding garden interest for the short term.
Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
The Moss Rose, also known as Portulaca grandiflora, is a drought-tolerant, heat-loving annual with fleshy succulent leaves and bright flowers. It thrives in full sun and poor soil, and requires minimal watering once established. It is self-cleaning, so deadheading is optional but can encourage more blooms.
Angelonia (Summer Snapdragon)
Angelonia is an annual that flowers from late spring to fall in hot, humid conditions. It is self-cleaning, meaning it naturally drops spent flowers without needing deadheading, thus requiring little maintenance.
Begonias
Various types of Begonias are treated as annuals in cooler climates, offering bright flowers and attractive foliage. They do not require deadheading since old blooms drop off naturally, making them easy to maintain in borders or containers.
Additional Low-Maintenance Plants
- Thyme (Herb): Extremely hardy, tolerates heat, drought, and poor soil, and grows quickly. It is easy to grow in full sun and can be used as groundcover.
Sky Lupins
Sky lupins are a compact, low-maintenance annual that thrives on neglect, producing elegant spires of blue and white pea-shaped flowers. They thrive in full sun and lean soils, and offer nitrogen-fixing benefits, essential habitats for pollinators, and are toxic to both animals and humans, so gloves should be worn when handling.
California Poppies
California poppies thrive in full sun and dry, sandy soils, reseed freely for year-after-year color, and are perfect for busy gardeners. California Poppy, Yukon Gold seeds are available from Burpee.
Zinnias
Zinnias are drought-tolerant, pest-resistant, and bloom non-stop with little care. They are perfect for adding quick-growing color to a border or a container, with varieties available in dramatic reds, purples, oranges, and even lime green. Deadheading zinnias is needed to keep them blooming right up until the fall. Zinnia seeds are available from Burpee.
It's important to note that while these plants demand little care, some annuals may require more frequent watering, fertilization, or cossetting from the elements to keep them looking their best. Sunflowers, for example, can be grown in pots, but require more frequent watering compared to when grown in the ground.
Some annual plants can be sown in the fall to flower the following year, and some annuals can even be sown as late as July to bloom just a few weeks later. Sky lupin seeds are available from Amazon.
In conclusion, these low-maintenance annual plants are ideal for gardeners with limited time. They demand little care, tolerate poor soil, drought, and heat, and many are self-cleaning, making them perfect for busy gardeners who still want to enjoy a beautiful garden.
Gardening these low-maintenance annual plants, such as Moss Rose, Angelonia, Begonias, Thyme, Sky Lupins, California Poppies, and Zinnias, can significantly enhance one's home-and-garden lifestyle, catering to those with limited time. The flower beds filled with these vibrant and resilient annuals create a stunning and neglected-friendlyViews of the home-and-garden can be further complemented, as Sky Lupins, for instance, offer beneficial habitats for pollinators and thrive in lean soils.
