One Instagram gardener has covered her garden in a plant that regrows every spring, requires little to no maintenance, and even multiples over the years.
The scoop
Instagram user Jess (@happy_smallholding) is a gardener in the UK who uses her account to post tips on growing fruits, veggies, and flowers.
One of her hacks seems almost too good to be true — a plant that actually thrives on having less maintenance.
The wonder plant is called verbena bonariensis and usually has a long green stem with gorgeous purple flowers.
The flower self-seeds around the garden — meaning that when the blooms die, they turn into seeds and drop off into the soil. This eliminates the need for you to deadhead your flowers, and the seeds are often carried around the garden by wind or small animals, so you'll get extra flowers for free after a few years.
Plus, verbena bonariensis is a perennial, meaning that it comes back each year without you needing to replant it. It also has a long flowering season, so you'll be able to enjoy its beauty for most of the season.
"I actually can't believe this plant exists," Jess says in her video.
How it's helping
Verbena bonariensis is an incredibly cost-effective plant for those looking to garden on a budget, and it's a great low-maintenance option for those with limited time to devote to their flowers.
In her video, Jess also mentions that these flowers in particular attract tons of pollinators like insects and birds. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pollinators are vital to many plant species — especially ones that provide us with food. Unfortunately, due to habitat loss, disease, and environmental contaminants, many pollinators are quickly losing their habitats.
Growing plants like verbena bonariensis will not only benefit the other plants around you by providing food for pollinators but also your entire local ecosystem that counts on them.
If you're interested in growing flowers like these, you might use some hacks to help your garden thrive, like using banana peels to make your garden healthy and smothering weeds the easy way.
What everyone's saying
Comments on the post attest to just how beautiful and easy the verbena bonariensis is. "I absolutely love it! I also have it everywhere in the garden," said one user.
Another wrote, "I love this plant. It's the best ever," and a third echoed the sentiment, "Causes me no stress! Beautiful to look at and needs nothing from me!"
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