You can reduce both your watering and weeding chores drastically if you cover the soil surrounding your plant with a 2-3in blanket of mulch. Mulch is any loose material spread over the soil to conserve moisture and inhibit weed seed germination. Keep mulch an inch or so away from the crowns of plants to discourage disease. Replenish the mulch as necessary every year. Please note that a layer of mulch will not by itself prevent winter damage in cold climates.
Most ornamental plants grow best if fertilized with a light hand.
Here at the Farm, we fertilize our borders and our specimen trees and shrubs just once - in early spring. Our aim is light but even coverage of the soil. Water-soluble fertilizers are best reserved for plants grown in decorative containers. Take care to avoid covering the evergreen foliage of plants such as Digitalis and Dianthus. Remove this winter mulch gradually in spring when frosts become infrequent, usually at about the time Daffodils and Forsythias are in bloom.