Source of relaxation and adventure playground, a spot for free-time activities and meeting point for companionable hours: a garden can be many things and it can change its face again and again, over the course of years, to suite the life stages of its users. The corresponding demands on garden design can also vary widely.
Room for play and fun For a young family, tall plants just aren’t in the cards. Instead, robust varieties such as lady’s mantel (Alchemilla), bishop’s hat (Epimedium), barren strawberry (Waldsteinia), or daylily (Hemerocallis) will handle the occasional out-of-bounds kick just fine. How do the blossoms of the peony smell, what’s that rustling the leaves over there – and can you really hear the grass growing? In the yard, play and learning overlap each other seamlessly. Those who have opted for a sandbox or swing in place of a vegetable bed can still place a surprising accent in a perennial bed with decorative vegetables like red beets or chard. And wild strawberries are both an attractive groundcover and well suited to gardeners with children. A pond is taboo for a garden in which small children will be playing, but a fountain in the flower bed might not be. And as for the topic of poisoning: few perennials are so poisonous that they must be entirely avoided.
Half the work, twice the enjoyment
Devoting some careful attention to your plant selection is worth it, even for garden fans with little time. In general, perennials are less demanding as annuals. And among perennials there’s an extensive palette of plants that hardly need any attention at all – peony (Paeonia), Siberian iris (Iris sibirica), ajuga, and geranium, for example. Some types will even tolerate being cut by the lawnmower, instead of being trimmed by hand. Place lady’s mantle (Alchillea ptarmica) and alumroot (Heuchera) between iris, ramps, and ornamental grasses for a complete groundcover. Weeds won’t even gain a foothold. Purple allium (Allium aflatunense), swamp yarrow (Achillea ptarmica), and woodland sage (Salvia nemorosa) will look pretty for months. When skillfully combined, such plants create attractive yet undemanding plantings.
They’re also recommended, by the way, for those who for health reasons can’t devote themselves to gardening intensively. A 2- to 6-inch thick layer of bark mulch reduces their care demands even further, since it will prevent weed growth and drought – it won’t have to be weeded or watered as much. Those who appreciate even more comfort can install an automatic watering system.
