Providing reliable good looks without a lot of work, these eight plants are a garden unto themselvesby Lynden Miller - Fine Gardening
Photo: Purple smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria cvs)
I've always called any low-maintenance, high-impact plant a “plant that pays the rent.” To me, that means a plant that earns itst keep in the garden by reliably contributing year-round interest. If a plant looks good for only two or three weeks, I don’t use it. As a result, I have come to rely more and more on shrubs—especially these eight—as the main players in my borders. Every gardener wants a garden that is easy to take care of, and shrubs provide long-term impact without all the work of perennials. In fact, you could use just these plants in a border and have an interesting, beautiful planting all year long.
Photo: Purple smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria cvs)
I've always called any low-maintenance, high-impact plant a “plant that pays the rent.” To me, that means a plant that earns itst keep in the garden by reliably contributing year-round interest. If a plant looks good for only two or three weeks, I don’t use it. As a result, I have come to rely more and more on shrubs—especially these eight—as the main players in my borders. Every gardener wants a garden that is easy to take care of, and shrubs provide long-term impact without all the work of perennials. In fact, you could use just these plants in a border and have an interesting, beautiful planting all year long.
