I don't have a green thumb, but find that a perennial garden is easy to create and maintain in Calgary, Canada. It satisfies that human need to create, but doesn't tie me to a weekend of weeding throughout the growing season. Each spring, my plants emerge and paint my yard with colourful forms, textures and flowers.

Calgary is an amazing place to live, despite our relatively a harsh climate: cold and snow in winter, hot and dry during our brief summer. Plants such as roses, cedars, and petunias don't thrive (without a lot of human help) in local gardens.  ...