Effortless Elegance: The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Container Gardening

This picture of my side porch at the Corner House was probably my favourite year for my flower boxes. The yellow begonias were stunning. The ferns couldn’t be an easier plant to look after. They are hardy and were forgiving when I forgot about them 😜

I’ve been going on and on about how excited I am to be starting my garden. I just need to clarify something, come clean…when I say that ‘I’ am excited, I really mean that I am excited to watch Benjamin dig my gardens FOR me. Not sure if I EVER mentioned that! 😂

Ben is going to get the beds ready for me and then I will take over with the plantings.

I get that not everyone wants to have a garden. Not everyone even has a garden. Who says you need a green thumb and endless hours of free time to enjoy the beauty of gardening? With container gardening, even the laziest of girls can create a stunning garden oasis with minimal effort. OK…so not all of you are lazy when it comes to gardening, some of you are just too busy. I get it 😉 Say goodbye to back-breaking labor and hello to effortless elegance as we explore the lazy ‘busy’ girl’s guide to container gardening.

KISS 😘  Not that kind of kiss… Keep It Simple Silly! As a busy girl, simplicity is your best friend. Opt for low-maintenance plants that require minimal care and attention. Succulents, cacti, and air plants are perfect choices for the busy gardener, as they thrive on neglect and only require occasional watering and sunlight. My daughter in law Maxine swears that she has killed an air plant 😆 There are a lot of low maintenance flowers to choose from.

How pretty and completely simple is this? Sweet potato vine and classic petunias. I caution though…you have to dead head the petunias…so if you are really lazy busy you might want to take a pass on them.  Kind of lovely though in the early mornings to be out in your garden dead heading while having your coffee. I find it very relaxing.

Salvia. These easy and trouble free flowers  have a beautiful deep purple colour. They will produce flowers all season. Once they are established in either a pot or garden they are really resilient. Definitely a favourite for their rich colour.

This is a perfect example of  a Thriller, filler and spiller container. Have you never heard of it? Read about the concept HERE.  Such an easy to grow window box. Begonias (filler), sweet potato vine (spiller) and a Dracaena/spike plant (thriller)

Choose Self-Watering Containers if you can: Say goodbye to the hassle of daily watering with self-watering containers. These innovative pots feature built-in reservoirs that slowly release water to keep your plants hydrated for days or even weeks at a time. Simply fill the reservoir, sit back, and let the container do the work for you. A fun tip 🤞 place a diaper in the bottom of your planters before you add your soil. The diaper will soak up water and feed your thirsty plants between watering.

Go Vertical: Maximize your gardening space and minimize your effort by going vertical. Vertical gardening allows you to grow a lush garden without taking up valuable floor space. Hang baskets of trailing plants from hooks or railings, or invest in a vertical garden tower to create a living wall of greenery with minimal effort. Place an obelisk inside your planter with a pretty vine such as Morning Glory and watch it grow up towards the sun.

 

Mix and Match: Get creative with your container combinations by mixing and matching different plants, textures, and colours. Choose a variety of plants with varying heights, shapes, and foliage to create visual interest and dimension in your garden. The lazy party busy girl’s motto? The more the merrier – and the less work for you!

Invest in Perennials: For the ultimate lazy busy girl’s garden, invest in perennial plants that come back year after year with minimal maintenance. Once planted, perennials require little more than occasional watering and pruning to keep them looking their best. Choose a mix of perennial flowers, shrubs, and grasses for a garden that practically takes care of itself. I don’t put perennials in my planters. I change them out with the seasons. But I filled my Corner House front garden with them.

 

Keep It Contained: Container gardening is all about containment – both literally and figuratively. Keep your lazy busy girl’s garden contained to a manageable size by limiting the number of containers and plants you have. Start small and gradually add more containers as you become more comfortable with gardening.

Gardening doesn’t have to be a chore – especially for the lazy busy girl who values simplicity and ease above all else. With container gardening, you can enjoy all the beauty of nature with minimal effort and maximum reward. So grab your favorite plants, kick back, and let your garden do the work for you. After all, lazy busy girls deserve a beautiful garden too!