This is another one of those funny topics for me to cover. For the twenty-two years we have lived in our house I have been on a quest to figure out how to choose plants for our yard that I won’t kill. Considering I was at least 8 months pregnant when we moved into our home, plants weren’t at the forefront of my mind. Besides, we were trying to make every penny scream. Food, shelter, and medical care were our main priorities.
Liriope- The First Plant for the Yard I Didn’t Kill
When my first daughter was around 3 years old, I decided to take her to a greenhouse with my mother. It was sweltering hot as she tagged along grasping tightly to my pinky finger. We strolled along rows of beautiful blooms of all shapes, sizes, and colors. I enjoyed seeing her reaction to all the plants. There still wasn’t much wiggle room in our budget, but I came across some little plants that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Tiny variegated liriope huddled together in black boxes by the greenhouse driveway. We came home with a few of them to try.
Praying For Plants
Being well aware that ornamental plants were not a financial priority, I was determined not to kill the few I purchased. It was a bit scary. I did not want to squander the money my husband worked so hard to earn. After carefully digging holes, I planted each tiny bunch of liriope grass. I watered them and even prayed over them. I had no idea how resilient these little guys are.
How They Grow and Multiply
Over time, they grew and spread. Each year I was able to dig them up and cut them in half then replant them. They grow from little bulb clusters. You can take a shovel and pull the entire cluster out of the ground. To divide them, lay them on their side and cut through the center trying to get an equal amount of bulbs in each cluster. I have been able to half, and fourth the plants this way.
Now, I have beautiful, strong, variegated liriope plants incorporated all over my landscape. In late summer, they produce lovely purple flower chutes. Don’t worry too much about killing these little guys. They have been trampled by toddlers, dogs, and grown men. They pop right back up. Once they are established, you don’t have to do anything for them. I do mow them down once in early spring to keep them fresh and neat.
Lillies (Specifically Lily of the Valley, Orange Lillies, and Lipstick Calla Lillies)
I have found most types of lilies to be forgiving. I have Lily of the valley surviving in my driveway on the shady side of my house. It isn’t as thick as it used to be, but with a little coaxing, it will fill back in. It was here when my husband’s grandparents owned this house. That must have been at least 40 years ago. My mother-in-law shared that to reproduce lillies you must plant at least two together. Makes sense to me…lol! Try it out and you will have a whole crop of lilies next year.
Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley looks just as beautiful as it smells. These plants will always hold a special place in my heart. On the night my boyfriend (now husband) and I went to senior prom, my mother-in-law handed me a bouquet of these from her mother’s home (now our home.) They love it in shady moist areas. You can gently pull them up and replant the tiny bulbs at the bottom to help them spread. Just remember to keep at least two together for baby lillies.
Orange Lillies
These guys have shown their cheerful faces on the sunny bank by my house for sixty years or more! They spread quickly and are super easy to relocate. I sort of created a shaped landscape by digging them up and putting them where I want them. You will always have plenty to go around. They seem to thrive when you thin them out every couple of years. I usually mow them down to the ground in the fall once they stop blooming and the greenery looks droopy. These beauties never disappoint come early summer!
Lipstick Calla Lillies
These gorgeous flowers prefer more shade than sun. They don’t seem to be as hardy (kill proof) as Lilly of the Valley and orange lilies, but they do hold their ground…literally. I think I moved mine around too often. I was used to doing that with my other lillies. They are happier when they stay put. The bloom and color seem so exquisite and tropical.
Ivy (Periwinkle)
It’s no secret that all ivy thrives in the south. I wrote an entire blog about how I covered an entire steep bank with periwinkle ivy. It grows and spreads like crazy. I like periwinkle because it is a bit tamer and easier to keep within boundaries than English Ivy. It also tolerates hot direct afternoon sun fairly well. I do notice it looking a tiny bit droopy during dry spells. A little sprinkle perks it right up. It has cute little purple flowers in summer and spring. Through fall and winter, it keeps a nice green shade. It’s also just fun to say the name “periwinkle” :).
English Ivy
To say English Ivy is a plant for the yard that you can’t kill is a massive understatement. It is the Hulk of ivies. It will grab hold of anything in its path and make a permanent home. English ivy starts growing slowly. I took a few sprigs from my grandmother’s farm and stuck them in a shady area of my bank. After watering them regularly for a year, I almost gave up hope. In the second year, I noticed a little bit of growth so I watered it now and then. After that…LOOK OUT! It took off in all directions. I’m hoping it doesn’t bring down the two Locust trees holding my hammock. It won’t die. It just won’t.
Mint
If you have mint in your yard, you don’t need me to tell you it’s tough. It likes a bit of shade and slightly moist soil. Once it is happy, you’ll always have plenty. I mow it down, neglect and abuse it, and still, it comes back. I suggest planting mint in containers to keep it under control. It is great in tea and lots of other treats. It also smells great when the weed eater or mower strikes a wayward stem. Mint is a plant that withstands just about everything.
Annabelle Hygeranea (Snowball Bush)
I saved my favorite until last. First of all, I love the name because Annabelle was my grandmother’s name. My step-grandfather called her Annie. This is such an elegant plant. I have no idea how long the original bush has been in the corner of my backyard. I would have to guess seventy years or more. It was well established, and huge when we moved into our home. It is still huge and produces ginormous white lacy clusters of flowers each year.
I enjoy the hydrangea blooms in vases when they are green in the beginning. They then turn into a snowy white dream. Toward the end of summer, you can cut and dry the blooms. There is just something about this flower that makes me happy inside. I have been able to begin two new bushes from the original plant. I cut the “mother bush” way back one fall. Early, the following spring, I dug up a few roots and broke them free. After planting them in a shady spot under some deciduous trees they established themselves well. Now I have the pleasure of seeing these two baby bushes, in full bloom, from my bedroom window.
Other than occasionally trimming the hydrangea bushes back in late fall, they take care of themselves. I once tried fertilizing the “mother bush” and I ended up with more stem than bloom. Once established, this is another plant for your yard that is hard to kill.
More Great Ideas
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tour of plants for your yard you won’t kill. Keep in mind I live in Southwestern Virginia. Growing conditions vary within the U.S. and certainly around the world. I don’t claim to have a green thumb, therefore if I can keep these plants alive, anyone can. Be sure to bookmark this blog and visit often for more ways to create the home you want using the things you have. Also, be my guest at the Sawdust and Cornbread YouTube Channel for weekly DIY videos. Thanks for joining me!
~Lora Lea
