Top ten plants for a low maintenance garden

First is a fantastic foliage plant that are versatile and easy to grow. They are shade loving, so perfect to add some colour to the darker spot in your garden. Hostas can be found in different sizes, some with full green leaves and others like ‘Francee’ that have creamy margins. For upkeep, remove any dead foliage at the end of autumn.

This compact medium sized shrub has wonderful foliage with leaves that have creamy white margins which are joined by pink flowers in spring. They are a low maintenance pick and will grow in any moist but well-drained soil. Pruning is optional, but to keep it in check prune after flowering if necessary.

Next is an evergreen shrub that will provide colour to the garden all year round. The leaves are narrow and leathery in texture, and in spring small clusters of white-pink flowers bloom. The flowers may be small, but they have a wonderful fragrance.

The upright stems and needle like leaves of this perennial have a soft and elegant impact. As its common name suggests, blue-grey star-shaped flowers bloom in summer like little clouds. They are fully hardy and drought resistant and are well suited for prairie planting schemes too.

For dark and dramatic colour in your low maintenance garden, look no further than this evergreen ornamental grass. The narrow strap-shaped leaves are black, so will contrast well with other greenery to add depth.

Compact and dense in growth, ‘Blue Star’ has bright blue-grey evergreen foliage that will contrast beautifully with the other surrounding foliage in your low maintenance garden. Junipers need little or no pruning, so they will put on a show all year round and won’t ask for much in return.

This is a popular pick for many garden styles with its fragranced foliage, that are popular with cats and purple flowers that are popular with pollinators. The spikes of flowers are a great addition to wildlife gardens and Mediterranean style gardens too.

The mat-forming habit of this evergreen makes it a great option for ground cover. The leaves are fleshy and succulent providing colour all year round. From early summer, yellow, star-shaped flowers bloom which are popular with bees. Also, they don’t require pruning, so you can leave them to grow happily in your low maintenance garden.

The cheery flowerheads of this chocolate-scented perennial will add deep colour to your beds and borders. Whilst giving colour and fragrance with their long-flowering period, they don’t demand much and will grow well in a sunny spot with moist but well-drained soil.

For minimum care and maximum results, this perennial is perfect. The purple flowers will look perfect in a border or on a sunny bank, and once established they are drought tolerant, so they will happily thrive in many places.