Low-maintenance plants fill beautiful yards

By Jean Murphy

It makes homeowners feel good when their yards look great and look like showpieces. But they don't want to become a slave to their yardwork, either. They want to spend most of their free time with family and friends.

So more and more homeowners are looking for plants and shrubs that are low or no maintenance and can withstand both very hot summers and cold, lengthy winters like the one we just endured, said Jean Bragdon, operations manager at Lurvey's Garden Center, 2550 E. Dempster St., Des Plaines.

"They want things that aren't finicky or, better yet, don't need you to do anything to them and they still look great," she said. "We try to steer people to plants that are easy and showy and will live through weather challenges so that the homeowner will look and be successful in their garden."

Drift roses, which are a ground cover rose that performs very well in the heat of the summer, have joined the ranks of hydrangeas and knockout roses as plantings that fall into the easy-to-grow category, Bragdon said.

Succulents are becoming popular, too -- in containers on sunny patios and decks. They tolerate both sun and drought well, so they are great for someone who plans to be gone for an extended vacation during the hot months, she added.

Besides easy-to-grow plants, other popular trends when it comes to landscaping, Bragdon explained, include the use of "living fences" like arborvitae to screen homes and afford some privacy for yards; movable "container flower gardening" on balconies, decks and patios; and growing "edibles" like vegetables, fruits and herbs.

"Popular edibles to grow in the Chicago area include peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, lettuce and herbs. Some people are even trying to grow blueberries, but those are more difficult to tend," Bragdon said. "All of those can even be grown in containers on balconies. If you have space in the ground, you can also try carrots and potatoes in this part of the country. Forget about corn. You need several rows for corn to do its thing, so you need to plant quite a bit for it to work."

Ornamental grasses that mature quickly, are easy to control and give homes a native look during our long winters are also increasing in popularity, Bragdon said. Many people like to leave them long during the winter for landscape interest during the cold months and then cut them back in the spring. Leaving them long also gives birds a place to shelter, she added, and protects the crown of the plant from heavy snow.

Annuals are also popular since they bloom continuously all season and complement perennials that bloom for shorter lengths of time on and off throughout the season.

When it comes to trees, most people in the close-in suburbs are planting ornamental trees that bloom, take up less space and don't grow tall or interfere with overhead utility lines, she added. Shade trees are usually left to the municipalities to plant in the parkways, unless a homeowner is planting all new trees in a new-construction community.

Finally, homeowners are increasingly being drawn to garden art and small water features. Accent pieces like gazing balls, metal flowers, bird baths and trellises are turning up in more and more local gardens as homeowners look for special items to complement their plantings.

"Small bubblers and other similar water features are also very hot right now. People like to hear the water and these are smaller and less work and money than putting in a pond," Bragdon said. "Installing them is even an easy do-it-yourself project."

The Lurvey family has been selling sod, landscaping supplies and other garden items from its 9-acre Des Plaines location since 1986 when they purchased the garden center and former truck farm from Ray and Marion Lindemann, who operated it for about 50 years. The Lurveys continued to operate the business as Lindemann's Garden Center until 1994 when the name was changed to Lurvey's.

Last year the Lurveys have added three new greenhouses at their Des Plaines facility for additional covered shopping and to protect the plants from the elements. They've also added more hard-surface walks.

The family owns a turf nursery in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and landscape supply operations in Volo and Park City. For more information about Lurvey's, visit www.lurveys.com or call (847) 824-7411.