Landscaping Tips & Ideas for NH Seacoast Homeowners

White Clover as Living Mulch: What It Does and What It Does Not Do

White clover planted between vegetable rows or landscape beds gets marketed as a free solution to weeding, fertilizing, and water retention. Some of that is true. Some of it is not. Here is what you are actually getting.

What It Actually Does Well

White clover fixes nitrogen, but most of it stays locked in the plant tissue while it is alive. You get the nitrogen release when the clover decomposes, not before. It does suppress weeds effectively once it fills in, and it creates real pollinator habitat when it blooms. For larger beds with room to manage it, it earns its place.

Where It Falls Short

Clover competes for water. It needs 1 to 2 inches per week and does not reduce total water use the way some people expect. In drought-prone or unirrigated gardens it can stress out neighboring plants rather than help them. It also creates conditions that favor slugs and voles, so if you already have pressure from either, clover makes it worse.

Works Well For

Transplanted vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and brassicas do well alongside white clover. Larger beds with irrigation and no slug or vole pressure are good candidates. It is a solid choice when you have the space to manage it properly.

Avoid or Use Carefully For

Direct-seeded small crops like carrots and lettuce will struggle with the competition. Small intensive raised beds are too tight for clover to work without crowding out what you planted. Drought-prone unirrigated gardens will see more competition than benefit.

Drought-Tolerant Garden Design That Actually Works in New Hampshire

NH summers have become drier and longer. Beds that relied on regular rainfall are struggling more than they used to. These plants are selected specifically for the Seacoast region and hold up without constant intervention.

Russian Sage

Silvery stems and lavender-blue flowers from midsummer through fall. Russian Sage is drought tolerant once established, deer resistant, and thrives in the well-drained soils common in sandy coastal NH yards. It pairs naturally with stone hardscape and does not need much attention after the first season.

Lavender

Needs good drainage and full sun, both of which are easy to achieve in raised beds or sloped sites. Once established it survives dry stretches without irrigation. It also brings in pollinators and holds structure through winter with a hard cutback each spring.

Agastache

A high-performing drought-tolerant perennial that blooms heavily in mid to late summer. Hummingbirds and bees are drawn to it. It handles heat and dry spells better than most perennials and comes back reliably in Zone 6 NH conditions.

Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)

One of the longest-blooming perennials available, running from early summer through frost. It thrives in poor, dry soil and actually performs worse when overwatered. A good choice for sunny slopes or gravelly areas where other plants struggle.

Blue Fescue and Ornamental Grasses

Low-maintenance and drought tolerant once established. Blue Fescue stays compact and tidy at the front of a bed. Taller grasses like Karl Foerster provide movement and structure through the winter months without needing supplemental water after the first season.

How to Divide Perennials and Get More Plants for Free

Most perennials benefit from being divided every few years. They fill in faster, bloom better, and stay healthier when split at the right time. Here is how to do it correctly for three of the most common plants in NH landscapes.

Hosta: Drive a Spade Through the Center

Wait until early spring when shoots are 3 to 4 inches tall. Drive a sharp spade straight down through the center of the clump and pull the halves apart. Each division needs at least 3 eyes to become a full plant by August. Do not wait until the leaves are fully out or you risk damaging the foliage.

Daylily: Pull Apart by Hand

Daylily clumps are made up of individual fans that separate naturally. Dig the whole clump, then pull the fans apart by hand the way you would tear a phone book. Each fan becomes one flowering plant. Divide in spring or fall, never during bloom. The roots separate cleanly without cutting in most cases.

Ornamental Grass: Two Forks Back to Back

Ornamental grasses develop a tough, woody root mass over time. Cut the old foliage back to 2 to 3 inches first. Then drive two garden forks into the clump back to back and lever them apart. It takes some force but splits cleanly once you get the forks in the right position. Divide in spring when new growth is 2 to 3 inches tall.

Timing Matters

Spring division works for all three. Fall works for Hostas and Daylilies but not for grasses. The key rule for all of them is to divide before or after bloom, never during. Dividing at the wrong time sets the plant back by a full season.

9 Plants That Thrive on the North Side of Your House

The north side of a house gets 0 to 2 hours of direct sun on a good day. Most homeowners either ignore it or fill it with mulch and call it done. These plants actually belong there and will reward you for it.

Hosta

The go-to for shaded beds in New England for good reason. Hostas come in dozens of sizes and leaf colors, they fill in fast, and they look their best in full shade. Divide them every few years and you end up with more plants, not fewer.

Astilbe

One of the few perennials that blooms reliably in deep shade. Feathery plumes in white, pink, and red from midsummer into fall. Works well planted in groups along a shaded foundation or woodland edge.

Bleeding Heart

A classic NH shade garden plant. It loves the cool, sheltered conditions on the north side of a house and blooms in spring before most other perennials get going. It goes dormant in summer, so pair it with hostas or ferns to fill the gap.

Japanese Painted Fern

Silver and green foliage that catches whatever light is available and reflects it back. One of the most ornamental ferns available and perfectly suited for Zone 6 in NH. It spreads slowly and fills in over time without becoming aggressive.

Coral Bells (Heuchera)

Grown for foliage more than flowers, Coral Bells offer year-round color in burgundy, caramel, lime, and silver. They handle shade well and hold their look from spring through hard frost. A reliable choice for the front of a shaded bed.

Brunnera

Heart-shaped leaves with silver markings that light up dark corners. Small blue flowers in spring. Brunnera is one of those plants that looks like it should be delicate but is actually quite tough once established in NH conditions.

Solomon's Seal

An arching native perennial with clean, architectural form. It naturalizes in the deepest shade and spreads gradually to fill space. Works well along a foundation or under trees where other plants struggle to take hold.

Ligularia

Bold, dramatic foliage with tall yellow flower spikes in late summer. Ligularia needs consistent moisture, so it works best on the north side where the soil stays cooler and does not dry out as fast. Plant it where you want a statement.

Wild Ginger

A low-growing native groundcover that handles deep shade and suppresses weeds once it fills in. It spreads slowly but once established it stays put and requires almost no maintenance. A good solution for shaded areas under trees or along foundations where nothing else wants to grow.

Building a Low-Maintenance Deer-Resistant Garden in New Hampshire

Deer are a genuine problem across the NH Seacoast and inland towns alike. If you have planted a bed only to watch it get browsed down to stubs, the answer is not a fence around everything. It is choosing plants deer consistently avoid from the start.

Russian Sage

Deer rarely touch it. The silvery stems and lavender-blue flowers provide color from midsummer through fall, and it handles drought and poor soil without complaint. Pairs well with stone hardscape and looks good planted in mass along a retaining wall or bed edge.

Lavender

The fragrance that attracts people repels deer. Lavender thrives in well-drained soil with full sun, which makes it a good fit for raised beds or slopes that dry out quickly. It also brings in pollinators and holds its structure through winter with a hard cutback in spring.

Salvia

A reliable deer-resistant perennial that blooms heavily in early summer and often again in fall. Purple spikes over dark green foliage. Low maintenance once established and works well in front of taller plants like Russian Sage or ornamental grasses.

Yarrow

One of the toughest perennials for NH landscapes. Deer avoid it, it tolerates dry soils, and it blooms in yellow, red, pink, and white depending on the variety. It spreads over time to fill space, which is a feature rather than a problem in larger beds.

Catmint

A lower-growing blue-flowered perennial that deer consistently skip. It spills over walkway edges and retaining walls in a way that looks intentional. Cut it back after the first flush of bloom and it comes back for a second round in late summer.

Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan)

A New England native that deer tend to leave alone. It blooms from midsummer through fall, self-seeds to fill gaps, and handles dry conditions well. One of the best low-maintenance choices for a sunny bed that needs consistent late-season color.

Lamb's Ear

Soft silver foliage that deer avoid due to the texture. It works as a low-growing edging plant or groundcover along the front of a bed. Spreads gradually and requires almost no care once established.

A Note on Deer-Resistant vs Deer-Proof

No plant is completely deer-proof when a herd is hungry enough. The goal is to build a planting plan where most of the bed is filled with species deer consistently pass over. A few high-value plants, like ornamental grasses or specific shrubs, can be placed toward the center or back where they are less accessible.