15 Easy Plants That Give You More Bang for Your Buck
We polled our go-to garden experts for their hardy and inexpensive favorites.
When you're planning a garden, there are a lot of factors to consider. What's your soil like? How does it drain? What kind of sun—like how many hours?—does your garden get? That will affect whether you need full-sun perennials or shade perennials. Do you want to attract pollinators? Then you should consider planting some flowers that attract bees as well as some flowers that attract butterflies. You should also try to add lots of variety to a garden to keep it interesting—mixing in plants and flowers in number of different heights, colors, and textures.
And then there's the little matter of money. Sure, it's great to experiment, but for the most part, you want to plant things that have a good chance of thriving. It helps to know where your location falls on the USDA Hardiness scale and always read plant labels so you have an idea as to what the ideal conditions are for each and every plant. "A bargain doesn't need lots of attention, isn't prone to disease or insect problems, and spreads on its own," says Lexington, Kentucky-based landscape designer Jon Carloftis. And while there's no question that annual flowers deliver the most bang for the buck in a single season, perennials, shrubs, and trees provide long-lasting structure and color to the landscape.
Annuals: Queen Anne's Lace
Genus: Daucus carota 'Queen Anne's Lace,' 'Wild Carrot'
Zones: 1 to 10
Cost: From $3
Expert Says: "This is one of the most useful and productive filler pants that you can grow from seed. I plant hundreds of them every year." —Erin Benzakein, author of Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden
Perennials: Peonies
Genus: Paeonia
Zones: 3 to 8
Cost: From $5
Expert Says: "In addition to being hugely popular, peonies are very easy to grow. Plants are easy to obtain, thrive in nearly every climate, and can live for over 100 years if cared for properly." —Erin Benzakein, author of Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden
Perennials: Lavender
Genus: Lavandula spp.
Zones: 5 to 9
Cost: $6 to $10
Expert Says: "Lavender's practically indestructible, genuinely deer-resistant, and comes in beautiful hues." —Robert Kourik, garden designer, Sebastopol, California
Annuals: Snapdragon
Genus: Antirrhinum majus 'Snap Daddy'
Zones: All Zones
Cost: $6
Expert says: "This long-blooming snapdragon has bright flowers and variegated foliage—and flourishes in cool and hot temperatures." —Dennis Schrader, nursery owner, Mattituck, New York
Annuals: Cleome
Genus: C. hassleriana 'White Queen'
Zones: All Zones
Cost: $1 to $4
Expert says: "To make a big splash in a sunny area, plant cleome. From late June to frost, you'll have four- to five-inch spiderlike blooms." —Jon Carloftis, landscape designer, Lexington, Kentucky
Annuals: Caladium
Genus: C. varieties
Zones: All Zones
Cost: From $8
Expert says: "Caladium brings color to a shady garden in the heat of summer. And some newer varieties can even take a little more sun." —John Dromgoole, nursery owner, Austin
Perennials: Black-Eyed Susan
Genus: Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii
Zones: 3 to 9
Cost: From $8
Expert says: "The showiest of my self-seeding perennials, these golden daisies bloom from mid-July through mid-September and beyond." —Patricia Hill, garden designer, Elgin, Illinois
Perennials: Maiden Grass
Genus: Miscanthus sinensis 'Adagio'
Zones: 5 to 9
Cost: $9 to $12
Expert says: "This grass forms a light, airy four-foot-tall mound and grows really well in otherwise tough and dry sites." —David McMullin, garden designer, Atlanta
Perennials: Daylily
Genus: Hemerocallis varieties
Zones: 3 to 9
Cost: From $4
Expert says: "Daylilies are gorgeous and easy to divide. You can build a fine collection of colors and shapes by acquiring a few plants each year." —Barbara Damrosch, farmer and author, Harborside, Maine
Shrubs: Yaupon Holly
Genus: Ilex vomitoria
Zones: 7 to 10
Cost: $12 to $30
Expert says: "This drought-tolerant Texas native can grow to 15 feet or taller. In winter, its attractive red berries feed birds." —John Dromgoole
Shrubs: Spiraea
Genus: S. nipponica 'Snowmound'
Zones: 3 to 8
Cost: $7 to $40
Expert says: "The tiny cascading summer blossoms are spectacular. But the wild waterfall-like shape of the stems gives great 'fill' to landscapes year-round." —Rebecca Cole, garden designer, New York City
Shrubs: Clethra
Genus: C. alnifolia varieties
Zones: 3 to 9
Cost: $10 to $25
Expert says: "One plant will perfume a whole yard in August, so I have what my father jokingly called 'a plethora of clethora' next to the porch." —Barbara Damrosch
Trees: Sourwood
Genus: Oxydendrum arboreum
Zones: 5 to 9
Cost: $15 to $75
Expert says: "The sourwood offers four seasons of interest: late-spring blooms, glossy summer foliage, amazing fall color, and winter seedpods." —Jon Carloftis
Trees: Apple
Genus: Malus domestica
Zones: 4 to 8
Cost: $10 to $20
Expert says: "Apple trees produce lovely, fragrant pink blooms followed by fruit. Plus, they can be trained on a wall, as espaliers, or bent over arches." —Judy Murphy, landscape architect, Lakeville, Connecticut
Trees: Swamp White Oak
Genus: Quercus bicolor
Zones: 3 to 8
Cost: $25
Expert says: "On a dollar-per-square-foot basis, oaks are an incredible bargain. They may grow 60 feet or more and live for 300 years." —Steve Castorani, nursery owner, Landenberg, Pennsylvania
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