Want a Beautiful Houston Garden - Go Native!

Houston.... we have a problem. At least, when it comes to landscaping. The hot, humid summers here can be too harsh for some plants, flooding can damage yards and drown roots, and many species won't tolerate this area's heavy clay soils. If caring for your yard is wearing you out, try these low-maintenance plants for your Houston yard.

1. TAKE TEXAS NATIVES FOR A SPIN

If you're looking for low-maintenance landscape plants, you've got to go native. Native Texas flowers, shrubs, trees, and other plants will need less care than non-natives. That's because these plants already know how to survive Houston's climate without extra watering, fertilizing, or pest control from you.

Plants native to Houston will require less maintenance than non-natives. Some of the best plants for Houston landscaping include:

Carolina jessamine: a flowering vine that does well in partial shade to full sun.
Gulf muhly: a hardy ornamental grass that loves full sun.
Black-eyed susan: a bright flower great for pollinators that loves full sun.

Texas Lantana: a drought-tolerant, multi-colored flowering shrub.
Blue Mistflower: bright blue or violet bunch flowers.
Wax Mallow: a broad shrub with bright red hibiscus-like flowers.

2. EVERGREEN LIVING

Along with native plants, evergreens are a low-maintenance option for your plant beds. Evergreen shrubs, trees, vines, and ground covers keep their leaves year-round, so they won't turn your yard into a blanket of fallen leaves come autumn.

There are many different types of evergreens that would grow well in your Houston landscape:

• American holly
• Cherry laurel
• Several varieties of palm trees.

3. THE POWER OF PERENNIALS

Perennials are yet another low-maintenance plant option for your garden and flower beds. What makes perennials so great is that they come back every year on their own with no help from you. That means you'll have a healthy, colorful landscape year after year without having to plant new flowers.

Some of the best perennials for Houston's climate include:

• Butterfly weed
• Yarro
• Daffodils (Pictured)

4. CONTAINER GARDENS

If you, like many homeowners, aren't a big fan of getting on your knees in the dirt to take care of your garden, consider decorating your landscape with a container garden.

Container gardens feature plants in pots, boxes, bags, or more creative containers. They can look just as beautiful as a traditional garden, but they're much easier to tend to, especially for people with limited mobility.

With a container garden, you also can plant more tropical specimens than you could put in the ground. During cold snaps, you simply bring your potted plants inside to protect them from freezing. You won't have to deal with covering plants or other frost protection methods.

Many low-maintenance landscaping techniques will be cheaper than standard landscaping because they help you use less water and won't have you replacing plants often since natives are naturally low maintenance once established.

Source:Lawn Starter