I planted Lavender last year and it looked great, needed no maintenence, was a sun lover and didn't get eaten (by pests or deer). It self pollinates and does spread so make sure you put it somehwere you wouldn't mind it taking over in a coupl eof years. Plus, it attracted honeybees which is always helpful to general health of flora in the area. Good luck.

Thanks Tristate - I actually love lavendar so will check it out. Any suggestions on where I can buy?

The key to finding low-maintenance plants is to select plants that like the conditions you have. For example, lavender does not grow well for me, since it likes dry soil, and I have heavy, moisture-retentive soil. For me these are a few examples of nice, low-maintenance perennials: perennial salvia, perennial geraniums, astilbe, coreopsis, echinacea, and rudbeckia.

I don't live in Westchester so I don't know the stores down there, but I would highly recommend finding a gardening neighbor or a local gardening club, and seeing if anyone needs some help thinning out their garden, or would be kind enough to give you some divisions. This way you'll get stuff that will grow well in your area, you'll often get free advice, and you might get some free plants as well. Even if you don't get plants, the gardening neighbor will know what the soil is like, where is good to shop, etc., and if something is low-maintenance in their yard, very likely it will be for you, too.

Then, once you get started and have stuff of your own to divide, go to a local plant swap. They are lots of fun, free, and give you a chance to try out new stuff with minimal investment.

Good luck and have fun!

Jayco - thanks for the great advice! I had not considered that the type of soil I have could affect what grows. I also did not even consider asking a local gardening club for advice. We have a garden club in my area that I can contact. This is my first foray into gardening and I am looking forward to learning from experienced gardeners. Thanks so much!

You are most welcome!

When we first got our house 8 years ago I was in the same boat as you. There's definitely a lot to learn, but it's fun! I was lucky in having a wonderful neighbor who likes to garden. She is older, and needed help dividing her stuff. I dug, and was rewarded with divisions. Now I have a friend, plus a lot of nice easy-care perennials -- tried and true from the garden next door.

Soil conditions make a huge difference in what will grow well for you, and since watering and soil amendment is a lot of work, it's very important to know how well-draining your soil is, what its texture is, etc.

Definitely go to the local garden club! In my experience these folks are very friendly and love to help newbies out. They will certainly know plenty about local soil conditions, pests, good nurseries, etc.

By the way, if you get into gardening and want advice on specific plants, try posting on the Perennials forum. It gets a lot more traffic than this one does, and you will find many very experienced and generous gardeners there to share their knowledge.

Wow Jayco - thank you so much. I have never gardened before in my life and my landscape is a bit of an embarrassment. We have this stone wall in our front yard that is literally a bed of weeds. At one time, I'm sure flowers grew but the weeds have overtaken. My backyard was also terrible - all stone and weeds but I recently had someone level it out and plant grass and I'm soooo happy! Now I want to tackle the front of the house but didn't know where to start.

I am looking forward to learning. Thank you again for the excellent advice and and for pointing me in the right direction. Once I get started, you may see my name pop up in Perennials :)

Try some Liatris!