A Low-Maintenance Shrub That'll Add Gorgeous Flowers To Your Landscaping

If you're looking to add some floral texture to your property, then you should seriously consider planting shrubs. They will soften the exterior of your house and obscure the sharp edges on the corners of your home. But before landscaping, you should take some time to select the shrub that's right for your property and consider factors like climate and upkeep. And if you're not crazy about doing a ton of maintenance, you should consider growing weigela.

Weigela (Weigela florida) grows about 6 to 10 feet tall and 9 to 12 feet wide, which makes it ideal for covering the sides of houses. Native to eastern Asia, the plant grows well in most of the continental United States. One of the first things you'll notice about the plant is its sweet fragrance, which is reminiscent of the smell of honey. This is a great option for homeowners who are looking to encourage pollination. The shrub is known to attract plenty of wildlife to your yard, such as hummingbirds, butterflies, and honeybees. The flowers can be white, purple, and red, and in addition to complementing the front of your house, it will also look great in your garden.

So what is it exactly that makes weigela a low-maintenance option for your lawn? Well, as long as weigela has enough space and sunlight and as long as the soil isn't waterlogged, it should grow fairly easily. Weigela can survive in a range of soil types, including clay and sandy ground. The plant also doesn't need a lot of water and can even withstand periods of drought. You should water your shrubs frequently in their first years, but once the root system is established, the plant doesn't require very much moisture.

Unfortunately, you might have to worry about certain pests. Insects like leaf and brown scale, bud eelworms, and capsid bug can burrow into the leaves and stems and cause damage. But one upside is that deer usually avoid this shrub, which might be a relief because deer often wreak havoc on gardens.

Weigela also only requires minimal pruning, which should be done in the early spring. Once a year, you should use some clippers to remove dead branches and cut back about a third of the plant. You probably want to make sure that the shrub doesn't block your porch or windows. The shrub doesn't require a lot of fertilizer, but if you want to add some, it's also best to put it down in the early spring. If this bush isn't right for your property, there are other low-maintenance bushes that might be a good addition to your front yard, and if privacy is an issue, Green Mountain boxwoods are evergreens that grow high quickly.