Now that the weather is nice, we're finally getting a chance to enjoy our yards. Unfortunately, after taking a closer look, we realize that our grass is going in places, and the shrubs we do have look more like weeds. Here to help us create our own backyard oasis is Bob Tuckey, Master Gardener...
I don’t have a green thumb (at all) but would love to have a garden. What should I plant?
Don’t worry, just having an interest in gardening is going to help you develop a green thumb. When deciding what to plant you have to look at several things. First off, location. Where do you want to put your garden? Once you’ve decided that, you have to watch and see how much or how little sun the area receives. A sunny garden will be much different than a shaded garden. For a sunny garden, I would recommend starting out with the following:
- Echinacea purpurea – Purple Coneflower
- Rudbeckia – Black-eyed Susan
- Campanula ‘Blue Clips’
- Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’
- Actaea ‘ Brunette’
- Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’
- Purple carpet thyme
For a shaded garden, here are a few suggestions:
- Hostas, all kinds and as many as you can fit in.
- Dicentra – Bleeding Hearts
- Hakonechloa aureola - Japanese Forest Grass
- Corydalis ‘Blue Panda’
- Ligularia ‘Britt-Marie Crawford
- Polemonium ‘Snow & Sapphire’
- Pulmonaria ‘Opal’
That should get you started and whet your appetite for more plants as time goes on.
I have a small backyard, and don’t really want the upkeep of grass. What can I replace it with?
Good on you for wanting to replace your grass. There are many options for you to consider and of course it’s going to depend on how much grass you are replacing. Here are a few suggestions:
- White clover – the most popular option and great for replacing your whole lawn. Once established it is a no maintenance ground cover.
- Creeping Thyme – perfect for smaller areas of lawn replacement it has beautiful red or purple flowers in spring.
- Herniaria glabra – A tough ground cover for most parts of the yard.
Bob Tuckey is a Master Gardener, as well as the owner and operator of The Natural Gardener in Vancouver, BC.
Thought that was sweet? You'll Enjoy: