As gardeners we all know how plants can brighten up and magically transform a space, whether it’s inside or out. But I have met people who rent properties who are a little hesitant to take on any of these ‘transformations’ because the property belongs to someone else.
I understand their position, but I always reassure them that although it’s a little harder to do, you can still create an outdoor oasis that’s easy on the wallet, and also doesn’t have the permanence of many landscape designs – so that you can load up and take all of these things with you when your lease is up.
First of all, if you’re able to plant in the ground, annual flowers will give your yard an instant boost at a reasonable price. They are available in 4” pots and 6-packs for much less than perennials, and come in a range of colors and textures.
In addition to the summer standards like begonias and impatiens, consider planting some edible annuals such as colorful peppers and Bright Lights Swiss chard. You can switch these out in the winter with violas, snapdragons and ornamental and edible kales.
Planting seeds is another way to create beauty in a place where you don’t want to invest a lot of money. Many of these same annuals come up without any difficulty from seed, as well as some of our native and adapted perennials.
Easy annuals include the herbs cilantro and basil, and morning glory vine, impatiens and alyssum. Many of our natives also come up readily from seed. These include tropical sage, cedar sage, purple coneflower, 4-nerve daisy, gulf penstemon and even red yuccas.
Pass-along plants and cuttings are another (completely free) way of obtaining plants for your rental landscape. Many plants create ‘pups’ and offsets and can be divided without damaging the mother plant.
Bearded irises and other bulbs are passed along for generations using this method and agaves can also be divided this way (and people are usually more than eager to share their extra agaves!).
Cuttings of succulents usually ‘take’ with little trouble, along with many porch plants such as the old tried-and-true standbys hen and chicks and pothos ivy. You can also grow shrubs and roses from cuttings with a little extra time and attention.
Another effective way to dress up a flowerbed is to use sunken pots. Simply dig a hole and put the plant – container and all – into it. It’s best to leave a lip above the ground, so that you can remove it easily at a later date. This works especially well for cacti and succulents in need of winter protection. It also works well for plumerias … the plant Hawaiians use to create their pretty lei wreaths.
When you can’t plant anything in the yard (or don’t have one at all) container plants and yard art can be your best friends. Plant pots come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. Look for the empty spots around your yard or patio and find a beautiful pot (or group) to set there to brighten up the space.
If the planter is in full sun, make sure that you plant it with something hardy and drought resistant. Choose the right size for the plant so you don’t have to re-pot often. I always use high quality potting soil and fertilize every month to keep the potted plants looking their best.
You can also use yard art to add a touch of whimsy to an outdoor space, especially when you’d like to dress up a difficult spot where plants have a tough time growing. A splash of colorful metal art can really make greenery on a patio pop!
Gardening in a space that’s not yours can sometimes be tough, but with a little ingenuity, budgeting and planning even the smallest, concreted space can be turned into a garden oasis. Happy gardening everyone!
If you have a gardening question, send it via email to iathyme@yahoo.com. (Please put ‘Ask Chris Winslow’ in the subject line.) Or mail your letter or postcard to: Ask Chris Winslow. It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748
iathyme@yahoo.com
