Homes: The lazy gardener’s guide!
For a stress-free stunning outside space, follow these simple steps
1 MAKE IT EVERGREEN!
Evergreens will give value throughout the year – especially the beautiful tribe of euphorbias. There’s one for every situation, damp or dry, baked or shady, varying from a waxy mat a few inches high to a hefty shrub six feet across, and in colours that range from cool blue-greens to zingy lime, deep burgundy and orange. Avoid the variegated ones, which can be sulky, and among the purples, stick with reliable ‘Blackbird’ or ‘Redwing’, but in general euphorbias are tough as old boots. Mix them with hardy geraniums that will bloom all summer like soft blue ‘Rozanne’, darker blue ‘Orion’ or lipstick pink ‘Patricia’, and low-key lovelies like astrantias in subtle shades of pink, green and claret, or the wine-red buttons of Knautia macedonica.
2 EMBRACE THE SHRUB
Shrubs are coming back into fashion – and no wonder: they require such little attention. You may have to cut back your buddleja in spring, but that’s all you have to do all year. Lilacs, witch-hazels and camellias you can ignore altogether. Evergreens like box, viburnum, hebe and pittosporum all add structure and substance to the garden, instilling a sense of order even if your borders get a bit wild and woolly.
3 CUT DOWN ON CONTAINERS
You’ll get much more impact for much less effort if you go for one large container rather several small ones, and prepare your compost with slow-release fertiliser and waterretaining gel. A new almost-black double-flowered petunia, ‘Black Night’, offers summer-long wow factor – pair either with tasteful silvers or eye-popping magenta and lime. Conventional hanging baskets are a chore, needing watering every day. If, however, you plant up your basket with the new trailing sunflower ‘Inca Gold’, you will have sunny golden flowers from now until October, even if you sometimes neglect to water it. For seeds, try mr-fothergills.co.uk.
4 GROW YOUR OWN – THE EASY WAY
French and runner beans and courgettes are all prolific and really easy. Don’t bother to grow from seed – just buy a few plants from the garden centre. Cut-and-come-again salads are ready in weeks and will save you a fortune in bagged salad.