10 great low maintenance plants for your garden

Love your garden but not enough time to care for it? What you need are some low maintenance plants. No plants are truly maintenance free (even the artificial ones need dusting!) but here are some that need minimal care and will still look happy about it.

1. Grasses

Ornamental grasses such as Stipa tenuissima or Stipa gigantea give planting an airy, relaxed look and other than cutting them back once a year, they are relatively hassle free. As long as the conditions are right (well draining soil and full sun is generally preferred), they will look good for most of the year.

2. Pittosporum

Pittosporums are evergreen shrubs that come in a range of sizes and leaf colours so there is one to suit every garden. Choosing a smaller type like Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Tom Thumb' or Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Golf Ball' will mean that you don't need to cut it back regularly although you can prune it into a shape if wished.

3. Hebe

Hebes are a great option if you want all year round interest but only have a small space. These evergreen shrubs range in height from 30cm to 120cm but the small ones are particularly useful as most evergreen shrubs are large. A real favourite of mine for its diminutive size and vibrant green foliage is Hebe 'Emerald Gem'.

4. Euonymus (Spindle)

You probably recognise some varieties of Euonymus as they are commonly used in parks and communal planting. An evergreen shrub, with broad leaves which are variegated on some varieties like Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold' and Euonymus fortunei 'Harlequin'.

5. Hardy Geraniums

Don't confuse your geraniums! What many garden centres label as geraniums are actually pelargoniums - a completely different plant which will not survive a UK winter outside - therefore, quite high maintenance. Hardy geraniums or Cranesbills on the other hand are a lovely perennial plant which in a mild winter may not even lose their leaves. They have purple/pink/white flowers in summer and they make a beautiful addition to the front of a border. Look for the botanical name on the plant label, rather than the common name as this is where the confusion lies! Geraniums to look out for are Geranium phaeum, Geranium 'Rozanne' and Geranium macrorrhizum 'Album'

6. Bergenia

Also known as 'Elephant's Ears' and for good reason- the leaves of this perennial are large and leathery with small (usually pink or white) flowers. They flower in spring and the leaves are a year round feature that cover a lot of ground. Some varieties don't mind whether they are in full shade or sun making them easy plants for a shady spot - Bergenia 'Bach' and Bergenia 'Harzkristall' are two of these. As they are easy to grow, happy in most conditions and don't grow too fast, they are fairly low maintenance, just benefitting from a once yearly mulch.

7. Mahonia

Although not everyone's cup of tea, Mahonia japonica and Mahonia x media 'Charity' are low maintenance shrubs that provide year round interest. The spiky, evergreen leaves make it a good plant to provide security for your garden and the yellow flowers and blue berries in winter are a welcome sight. It is best pruned every other year, other than that, little work is needed to keep it in great condition.

8. Hylotelephium (Sedum)

Hylotelephiums (or Sedums as they used to be known) are deciduous perennials with umbrella-shaped flowers in a variety of colours and succulent-like leaves. Most will grow up to about 50-60cm tall and the flowers, if left to die on the plant, dry beautifully and become a feature in their own right. If you leave the dead flowers to dry, there is no need to dead-head them and this will save a lot of work! Some popular varieties are: Hylotelephium 'Matrona', Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude', Hylotelephium spectabile 'Stardust' and Hylotelephium telephium Atropurpureum Group 'Purple Emperor'. They like well drained soil and a sunny situation.

9. Spiraea

Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame' is a small-medium deciduous shrub which changes colour with the seasons. In summer the lime green foliage contrasts with the pink flowers and in spring the emerging new leaves are a fiery red-orange. It is happy growing in most soil types and in full sun or part shade. It can be pruned back once a year in spring if getting too large.

10. Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan)

One of my favourite perennials which really livens up a garden in summer is Rudbeckia. Also known as Black-eyed Susan or Coneflower due its dark cone shaped centre, surrounded by golden yellow petals. In the right conditions (sunny with moist but well drained soil), Rudbeckia will clump up easily so remember to give it enough space when planting it! Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ is a popular variety as it only grows to about 60cm tall, meaning it won't flop about and need staking. It benefits from regular dead-heading (removing the dead flowers) but otherwise is fairly low maintenance.

For more information on any of the plants I've mentioned, the RHS website is helpful. When purchasing any of these plants from a garden centre, remember to check the full botanical name as different names indicate a different variety, some of which may not be so low maintenance. See my blog post What's in a name? for an explanation.