Thanks in advance.
Can the green fingers on the forum guide this brown thumb on what to plant at this late stage that can still flower in late summer / autumn? Had planted some rose saplings in early spring which have all withered away. Something that is not tricky and is low maintenance - we are clearly not good gardeners.
Chiles.
Tom
asters
Japanese anemone
buy dahlia plants already started--it's too late to start your own
oriental lily, ditto
hortensia
Where are you planting them and do you want flowers or veg/fruit?
Different plants grow better in different conditions. Some like sun whilst others prefer shade, some grow well in pots and others do better planted in the ground.
If you tell us a bit more about what you want and where they’re being planted we can give you better advice.
Even those of us with "green thumbs" have things which don't thrive. Could be you were just unlucky. There might be a reason. I too love low maintenance as we have a very large property bordering on forests and vineyard and one neighbour who has taken "no mow May" into an all year theme. but I digress...
So for me you need to consider the exposure, type of soil, and as mentionned earlier, planter pots or in the ground. Do you want something which stays green all year as well as flowers? Lastly, and maybe not relevant for you, but I always check toxicity for pets, for example, in the case where there are berries which fall.
I have mainly winter resistent plants, shrubs and trees. Some flower, some are very colourful, and some are scented. They flower at different times which makes for an interesting garden. But the common element is that they are all low maintenance. Also, I despise thorns and I won't buy anything with thorns.
For me gardening can be a bit of trial and error. In the past I planted a north garden with junipers and didn't leave enough room for growth so it was too crowded and I had to relocate some So now I have learned to be more patient and accept the fact that empty space at the start is necessary.
Now I am struggling to successfully overseed our grass. Not going as well as I would like so even "good gardeners" have their challenges.
If you post a picture of the area where you want to plant this will be helpful and we can offer suggestions.
Our yard gets mown about 3 times a year, pretty much the norm in Ticino.
Tom
And, please, plant something endemic. Thank you.
Rhubarb, fruit bushes and trees.
Depends what you want.
Tom
Thank you for the suggestions and the questions.
So, to clarify, I only want low growing flowering plants, ideally perennial and endemic ( hadn't thought of that ).
For a sloping bed next to the lawn.
I am sorry but I don't know what kind of soil it is - planted some hortensia and oleander which are doing fine but the roses died. There are also some Mexican feathergrass ( I don't like them ) planted by the landlord last year that are thriving unfortunately. I think the soil is ok and I can fertilise if need be.
Do you know what Oleander are sub-tropical plants and will not survive a Swiss winter in Zurich?
They are ok in pots as you can bring them inside in the late Autumn.
Roses normally like a medium soil - not too free-draining and not too much clay. Their roots take up water slowly so if the soil is too sandy, they won't get enough to drink and will die.
If the Hortensias and oleander are flourishing and the roses died it's probably too wet/slow draining or shaded. Roses prefer good drainage, a nice soak once a week in summer or once a fornight in winter (assuming it's not snowing or raining) and a lot of direct sunshine.
If the Hortensias are happy and you like them - why not just plant some more ?
A sapling is a tree and roses last for about 6 to 10 years... so what exactly is the objective
That might be the norm if you have field grass or "blumenrasen". (Flower grass). But people with gardens with grass mow far more often.
My neighbour has not had the lawn maintained since last August. It looks like a jungle. Even the forest looks better.