Hi,
I am thinking of removing my front lawn in the spring and replacing it with low maintenance perennials, shrubs, grasses, etc. Does anyone have suggestions for plants that do well in the Ottawa, Ontario area? I am a novice gardener without much of a green thumb. Attached are a few picture that I found online that caught my eye. I hope to have interloc installed either this year or next (depending on the cost of plants etc.). Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.
Thanks for all your help,
a
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Gorgeous garden, Sweetpea!
I have all of the plants lookin4ideas suggested and they will all do well in Ottawa....I live in Northern Ontario & have not had any trouble with these suggested plants....they come in a variety of colours...Hosta is my favourite,they always look neat & shiny & come in a nice array of colours....I have posted a picture of my perennial garden (last year pictures):)
The trick to low maintenance, I think, is getting native plants -- coneflowers, astilbe, black-eyed susans, etc. Day lilies are also really easy to grow and don't take a lot of tending. If you've got shade, hostas are great and they come in so many different colours and varieties.
the city of Ottawa holds occasional talks on this. maybe their schedule is out for the spring? If you are a newby gardener, I encourage you to find a less-is-more solution so you are not overwhelmed with maintenance issues/effort. cost varies considerably with plant type & size & quantity. I'd get in a good grade of soil - natural compost (with horse manure base) from Earth Depot is my recommendation. And do mulch. Keep collecting those pics - whether you do this yourself or get someone to do it for you, the pics in time will clarify trends in your thinking.
Before you start digging up your front lawn, you need a plan. I would suggest going to Sheridan Nursery and requesting a landscape designer come to your house. You can request them online too, or call them. They are VERY affordable. You pay per hour, or half hour for the consultation. The designer will come to your house, walk around with you, listen to what you want, draw a sketch for you, and design a layout of where the paths should run, what plants, shrubs, trees to get and where to put them. I used them last summer for my garden, and I was very impressed and it cost me only $160.
This way you will have a list of plants and shrubs that work together, and come spring plant sales, you will know exactly what to look for, and not just buy a shrub because you think it is pretty but actually won't give you the overall look you are trying to create.
You can go one step further, and they will purchase the plants for you and put them in. But you can do it all on your own too.
Happy gardening.