Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
It’s hard to keep the gardening looking wonderful All. The. Time.
We all watch those garden shows and dream of having such an inviting garden to hang out in and entertain our guests in, showing off our plant prowess. Then we look out the window at the tangled mess that is our yard with sad shrubs, hedges that have blown out into trees and a lawn that’s trying to scale the fence. Sigh!
It all looks too damn hard!
No wonder our biggest request during Chris’ one-on-one Free Garden Designs is a Low Maintenance Garden. How can I achieve that delectable garden and maintain my busy life?
If you’re after self shaping shrubs, this little beauty is right up your alley. The Golf Ball forms into the shape of, you guessed it, a golf ball! Or any ball really. No trimming required Plus it thrives in most soils and climates.
Another self shaper, Polygala ‘Little Bibi®’ forms beautiful soft green balls when mature and flowers rich purple pea-like flowers throughout most of the year. Suited for most soil types and climates, ‘Little Bibi®’ works as a feature, low hedge or border.
Perfect for borders and edging, pots and containers or mass planted, ‘Society Garlic’ is a low growing strappy foliage plant with a tall purple flower spike. It’ll grow in almost all situations and climates, an easy care plant!
Seaside Daisy are very popular in Cottage gardens, used for borders, pots & containers and as a garden bed filler. In warmer climates these cute, low maintenance perennials tend to flower for the whole year, particularly if they dead-headed.
For tall, narrow screening look no further than the most popular narrow screening plant – the Glauca ‘Pencil Pine’! Growing to a maximum of 1m wide, it is no wonder this is one of the most sought after low maintenance screening plants.
The Nandina comes in a variety of styles with the majority having one thing in common – they are incredibly low maintenance! Used abundantly in public landscapes due to their hardy nature, year round interest and zero maintenance, Nandina’s are always a popular choice in any garden.
Hebe’s come in a wide variety of shapes, colours and sizes, including many self shaping styles that are very easy to care for. These varieties can be kept in pots, planted as borders and edging or as a feature and best of all they need very little attention from you!
We often get asked for a feature tree that requires very little care and customers are never disappointed with the answer. The ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia is a versatile and hardy little tree, growing to a maximum height of 6m, although it can be kept at 2-3m tall. It is used as a feature, shade or even a screening hedge! Plus its gorgeous, heavenly scented white flowers will not disappoint!
Soft, fine foliage and best of all it doesn’t grow too large! ‘Little Lime’ Lomandra is amongst many small ornamental grasses that are incredibly hardy and are, best of all, low maintenance!
It wouldn’t be a low maintenance garden without the trusty succulent, but not just any succulent. The magnificent, bold Agave with broad blue-green leaves in a gorgeous rosette giving the appearance of a large flower. They grow in almost any clime (except the very, very cold) and require no pruning.
Professional advice to create a low maintenance garden
For expert advice on a low maintenance garden, try our Garden Design Service.
Solution number one: Get someone else to work it out for you! Chris designs hundreds of these types of gardens a month, working with your colour palette, climate, styles and budget to get you the garden you need. To create a low maintenance garden, plants that need minimal care and trimming or pruning are used, as well as plants that are quire tough and can tolerate a wide range of conditions. The right mix of all these factors is used to come up with a custom design for your individual project.
Find out more about our free Garden Design Service.
Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
Solution number two: Choose from our list below of choice plants for the low maintenance garden and create your own!- Pittosporum ‘Golf Ball’ PBR
- Polygala ‘Little Bibi®’
- Tulbaghia ‘Society Garlic’
- Erigeron ‘Seaside Daisy’
- Glauca ‘Pencil Pine’
- Nandina
- Hebe
- Magnolia ‘Little Gem’
- Lomandra ‘Little Lime’
- Agave
- Rhapiolepis ‘Oriental Pearl’ Indian Hawthorn
- Scleranthus ‘Lime Lava’
- Festuca ‘Blue Fescue’
- Cordylines ‘Choc Mint’
- Phormium ‘Purple Haze’
- Yucca
- Myoporum ‘Fine Leaf’
- Acer ‘Inabe Shidare’ Weeping Maple
- Buxus ‘Emerald Pillar’
- Ophiopogon ‘Dwarf Mondo Grass’
Low Maintenance gardening advice
In a recent Facebook Live video, Chris discussed all things low maintenance in the garden. As well as answering questions from the audience, he showed off some examples of very useful low maintenance plants. Chris also gave extra advice about creating an easy to maintain garden from the beginning that really saves work and pays off in the long run.
The low maintenance plant options for Melbourne gardens showcased in this video include:
- Teddy Bear Magnolia which keeps its shape without trimming
- Prostrate Rosemary to block out weeds
- Weeping Japanese Maples that won’t get overgrown
- Glauca Pencil Pines for a screen that doesn’t need expensive trimming
- Nandina for very tough pops of colour and warmth
- ‘Daisy Spray’ Seaside Daisy that flowers almost all year
- Cousin It for an interesting groundcover
1. Pittosporum ‘Golf Ball’ PBR
If you’re after self shaping shrubs, this little beauty is right up your alley. The Golf Ball forms into the shape of, you guessed it, a golf ball! Or any ball really. No trimming required Plus it thrives in most soils and climates.
Back to list: Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
2. Polygala ‘Little Bibi®’
Another self shaper, Polygala ‘Little Bibi®’ forms beautiful soft green balls when mature and flowers rich purple pea-like flowers throughout most of the year. Suited for most soil types and climates, ‘Little Bibi®’ works as a feature, low hedge or border.
Back to list: Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
3. Tulbaghia ‘Society Garlic’
Perfect for borders and edging, pots and containers or mass planted, ‘Society Garlic’ is a low growing strappy foliage plant with a tall purple flower spike. It’ll grow in almost all situations and climates, an easy care plant!
Back to list: Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
4. Erigeron ‘Seaside Daisy’
Seaside Daisy are very popular in Cottage gardens, used for borders, pots & containers and as a garden bed filler. In warmer climates these cute, low maintenance perennials tend to flower for the whole year, particularly if they dead-headed.
Back to list: Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
5. Glauca ‘Pencil Pine’
For tall, narrow screening look no further than the most popular narrow screening plant – the Glauca ‘Pencil Pine’! Growing to a maximum of 1m wide, it is no wonder this is one of the most sought after low maintenance screening plants.
Back to list: Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
6. Nandina
The Nandina comes in a variety of styles with the majority having one thing in common – they are incredibly low maintenance! Used abundantly in public landscapes due to their hardy nature, year round interest and zero maintenance, Nandina’s are always a popular choice in any garden.
Back to list: Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
7. Hebe
Hebe’s come in a wide variety of shapes, colours and sizes, including many self shaping styles that are very easy to care for. These varieties can be kept in pots, planted as borders and edging or as a feature and best of all they need very little attention from you!
Back to list: Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
8. Magnolia ‘Little Gem’
We often get asked for a feature tree that requires very little care and customers are never disappointed with the answer. The ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia is a versatile and hardy little tree, growing to a maximum height of 6m, although it can be kept at 2-3m tall. It is used as a feature, shade or even a screening hedge! Plus its gorgeous, heavenly scented white flowers will not disappoint!
Back to list: Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
9. Lomandra ‘Little Lime’
Soft, fine foliage and best of all it doesn’t grow too large! ‘Little Lime’ Lomandra is amongst many small ornamental grasses that are incredibly hardy and are, best of all, low maintenance!
Back to list: Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
10. Agave
It wouldn’t be a low maintenance garden without the trusty succulent, but not just any succulent. The magnificent, bold Agave with broad blue-green leaves in a gorgeous rosette giving the appearance of a large flower. They grow in almost any clime (except the very, very cold) and require no pruning.
Back to list: Top 10 Low Maintenance Plants
