Top 29 Low-Maintenance Plants for Your Garden

Because weigela shrubs offer a variety of functions such as colorful foliage, attracting hummingbirds and bees, and come in a range of sizes, they are a versatile and hard-working plant for any garden.

Pruning is easy and it is not necessary. If you want to prune for size or shape, do it right after the flowers have bloomed so you don’t have to worry about sacrificing next year’s blooms. These plant will do well in full sun and average garden soil. They can also handle being dried out once they have been established and deer don’t usually bother them.

Winter daphne is an easy to care for plant that does well in full or filtered sun and well-draining soil. It is known for its beautiful yellow-edged foliage and intensely fragrant white blooms. It is a good idea to cut a few branches to bring indoors during the winter as the blooms can perfume an entire room. pruning is not necessary but it is important to note that daphne does not transplant well, so plant it in an area where it will have room to spread.

Euonymus

This evergreen shrub, Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’, provides an excellent weed-proof ground cover. Another option to consider is the gold-leaved ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’, which has similar height and spread (1×1.5m).

Although Blue Star juniper is not as large as some other varieties, it is well behaved and a good size for today’s gardens. Evergreen conifers are a valuable addition to the landscape, but to be considered low maintenance they also need to be drought tolerant and resistant to disease, and not need pruning for either shape, size, or optimal color. This variety meets all those criteria. The steel-blue needles take on a purple cast in winter; and like all junipers, it resists deer and rabbit damage. Planted singly or in groups, this low-growing conifer is likely to become a favorite.

Buddleja

The Buddleja davidii ‘Sugar Plum’ is a new, low-maintenance shrub that produces deep pinkish-red flowers. This plant is attractive to a wide range of butterflies and bees. Removing faded flowers will encourage more repeat blooms. This plant can be grown in full sun or partial shade, and will reach a height of 3m.

You may have a hard time picking just a few varieties of grasses to add to your traditional mixed border because there are so many to choose from. They come in different colors, shades, and sizes. Some of these grasses do better in moist soil while others prefer drier soil. If you follow the “right plant-right place” rule, you will be successful in your choices.

The text is asking who can resist the temptation of holding a flower from a peony bush and smelling it deeply. The writer goes on to say that not only are the flowers beautiful, but the leaves are also pretty and change color in the fall.

While peonies require more care than most of the other plants on this list, they are worth it. On the plus side, they are deer resistant, can withstand drought once they are established in average-rich, moisture-retentive soil, and they thrive in full or part sun. When the spring growth is approximately 12 inches tall, add a peony cage or similar structure over the top to support the stems as they grow. Without this, the flowering stems will collapse under the weight of the blooms. It is also best to deadhead the spent blooms and remove fallen petals from the lower foliage to avoid fungal disease. Cut back the foliage completely in fall.

A garden without black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) just seems more fun and complete. Bright, golden-yellow daisies with a chocolate central cone are a cheerful late-season highlight, and they thrive and bloom both in full sun and partial shade. They’re also drought tolerant, deer resistant, rabbit resistant, and easy to care for, making them ideal for busy gardeners as well as beginners. Like coneflowers, it’s best not to tidy up the seed heads in fall, but to leave them as a food source for birds. If they have one fault, it is that they spread easily by rhizomes, but any extra plants are easy to remove and share with friends.

Candelabra Primula

These plants prefer damp conditions and full sun. They have tall stems with whorls of brightly colored flowers in early summer. They are 1 meter tall.

Astilbe

Astilbes are a great addition to any garden,iana reliable perennial that will provide color and interest for many years. They are especially useful in shady areas where other plants might struggle to grow. Astilbes come in many different colors, so it is easy to find one to match your garden. They typically grow to about 30cm tall.

Hosta ‘June’

Spacing: 35cm Adding Hostas to your garden is a great way to get rid of slugs. They are naturally resistant to them, and their variegated heart-shaped leaves make them stand out in any garden. They only grow to be about 50cm tall, so make sure you space them about 35cm apart.

Liguria Przewalskii

The golden ray is a low maintenance perennial that blooms yellow flowers in the summer. It is named for its tall spires of yellow flowerheads. It prefers sun or semi-shade and can grow up to 2.5m tall.

People are looking for perennials that don’t require a lot of care and can grow in either sun or shade. Many of the newer varieties of coral bells fit this description. They also have colorful foliage and flowers that attract hummingbirds. Usually, they do best in soil that drains well and is rich, but the amount of sunlight they need can vary. To make sure you get a plant that will do well where you live, ask a nursery worker for advice or try one of the varieties that we recommend.

Anemone x Hybrida

Japanese anemones are a reliable, low-maintenance option for pretty late summer blooms in pink shades or white. They can be planted just about anywhere in your flowerbed. They grow up to 1.5m tall.

Perennial licorice plants are great for warmer climates, but annual licorice plants are better for the rest of us. They’re deer resistant, drought tolerant, and heat-loving, and they can be left to weave between maturing shrubs. Their network of fuzzy, silver stems and small round leaves suppresses weeds.

Malus Sargentii ‘Tina’ 

This white-flowering crab apple is loved by bees for its blossoms, and birds eat the red fruit in autumn. It’s a slow-growing dwarf variety that is perfect for small gardens, and it can be in borders or containers and does well in sun or partial shade. It is 2m tall.

Few flowering annuals compete with the heat and drought tolerance of sweet alyssum. Low cushions of green leaves are covered by honey-scented white flowers for much of the summer, attracting butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, but usually ignored by both rabbits and deer. When flowering begins to wane, a quick trim with scissors will help the plant rebound. Newer, larger hybrids are available, but note that these are not usually as drought tolerant as this old-fashioned favorite.

Cobaea Scandens

The cup-and-saucer vine is a great choice for filling in gaps in your garden, and it does well in shady areas. It’s a quick-growing annual, so it will quickly cover a wall or arch. You can sow seeds in May or get plugs online or from your local garden center. The cup-and-saucer vine can grow up to 3 meters tall.

Zinnias are an annual classic for their easy growth from seed, jewel-toned cutting flowers, and lack of need for staking (except for the tall Benary’s Giant). They are also drought tolerant and deer resistant. Full sun is all they need. You’ll also get to enjoy the show of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds that visit.

Deadheading will encourage more blooms, but otherwise these annuals are easy care, needing just average soil and no special fertilizers.

Hellebore

Hellebore species and hybrids provide food for bees early in the year and are good for winter pots, providing a splash of color in colder months.

You should plant this in shade and add a lot of organic matter. Cut away the old leaves in winter before the new flowers appear. It will be 50cm tall.

The text is discussing how easy it is to take care of carpeting forms of stonecrops, as opposed to taller varieties. You can simply scatter cuttings on bare soil or gravel and they will quickly take root. With a variety of evergreen, semi-evergreen, and herbaceous varieties available in different colors, it is easy to create a tapestry of succulents that will suppress weeds and tolerate drought.

Epimedium x Perralchicum

This plant is a great ground-cover for a shady spot, with beautiful yellow flowers in the spring. The stunning, heart-shaped leaves sometimes stay green all year. It grows to be 40x60cm.

If you are having trouble thinking of ideas for parts of your plot that do not get much sun, our shade garden ideas may be able to help you.

Japanese Pachysandra

This plant can tolerate dry shade, occasional foot traffic, deer, and rabbits. In the spring, it has white flowers that brighten up the green foliage. It grows best in rich but well-drained soils.

Verbascum Chaixii ‘Album’

Verbascums, also known as mulleins, are annual or biennial plants with grey-green leaves and tall spikes of flower. Although they don’t last very long, verbascums are still good plants to have in your garden because they produce tall spikes of flowers over a long period of time. They prefer to grow in sunny, well-drained areas, and they can help add some height to your garden borders.verbascums, also called mulleins, are annual or biennial plants with grey-green leaves and tall spikes of flowers.

Bergenia

This plant is commonly called elephant’s ears and it is a tough ground-cover plant. It does best in moist, well-drained soil but it can tolerate exposed spots. Spikes of magenta, pink or white flowers appear on the plant in spring. The plant has a height and spread of 1x1m.

To find more of the best ground cover plants, see our guide.

Rosa ‘Flower Carpet’

This rose is a great combination of being both long-flowering and resilient. It is especially good for sloping garden ideas or for planting on banks. It is 60x90cm tall and wide.

Pachysandra Terminalis

This ground cover is a great option because it is evergreen. White flowers appear above the glossy leaves in summer. It is suitable for all spots except for very dry soils. The height and spread are 50cmx1m.

You might want to check out our best budget plants if you’re looking for low-cost gardening ideas to improve your plot.