gardening independence

In the spirit of Independence Day, today I pose the question: Which plants give you gardening independence?

Which plants mostly take care of themselves, allowing you more time for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Which plants survive the heat, the drought, the wet, and even the occasional frost? Which plants bloom or grow reliably here in the Tampa Bay area, even if you ignore them completely?

Here are a few of the plants in my gardens that free me from the tyranny of pruning, fertilizing, and watering:

• Plumbago: As long as this plant gets full sun, it can take just about anything. The nasty cold temps this January didn’t harm it, nor did the weeks and weeks of dry weather this spring. This mounding perennial flowers continually – no wonder it’s a Florida favorite.
• Firebush: This Florida native shrub grows anywhere you put it – sun or shade, wet or dry. The red-orange flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. It’s hard to think of a shrub that gives so much and asks so little.
• Silver Buttonwood: This gorgeous native shrub can actually be pruned into a tree, if you so desire. It grows best in full sun, but can deal with partial shade. Although it claims to be hardy only in zones 10-11, I’ve had no trouble with it here in zone 9, even with the hard freeze this winter. This one is even salt-tolerant, so you can grow it near the coast.

What about you, Sticks of Fire readers? Which plants in your garden set you free from constant maintenance? Take a break from the grilling and fireworks to tell us in the comments.

Happy Fourth of July, Tampa Bay!