In today's fast-paced world, finding time to maintain a garden can be a challenge, especially for those with busy schedules. As much as we all love to garden, sometimes life gets in the way, whether it's that demanding boss, children needing taxiing around or running a business. Life is busy, and sometimes, the garden falls to the wayside.
However, a beautiful, thriving garden doesn't have to be a time-consuming endeavour if we, as Garden Ninjas, choose plants that will do the hard work for us!
For time-poor gardeners, the key lies in selecting the right plants. Plant choices that require minimal care yet offer maximum impact. In this article, I’m going to show you a range of low-maintenance plants that are perfect for creating a stunning garden without demanding too much of your time. Then to finish off a few extra Garden Ninja hints to reduce the maintenance of your green spaces no matter what plants you have!
1. Hardy Geraniums
Straight out the gates, it's the granny's garden favourite, Hardy geraniums, not to be confused with the annual Pelargonium. Hardy geraniums come back year after year and are another excellent choice for time-poor gardeners. These resilient perennial ground cover plants are adaptable to a variety of soil types and can thrive in both sun and partial shade.
They bloom profusely from late May to October, providing long-lasting colour with minimal effort. Deadheading spent flowers can encourage further blooms, but even this is optional. Their ground-covering habit also helps suppress weeds, reducing the need for weeding. Every few years, lift and divide them for more plants for free. If they get a bit ‘leggy’, simply cut them back with scissors. They are super tough and can take it!
2. Ajuga
My second choice may surprise you. It's Ajuga, or bugleweed, which is a robust ground cover plant that thrives in a variety of soil types and light conditions. It surprises people as they often think it's a bit drab, but its flowers in blue and purple are gorgeous. I also find it's a great specimen to run riot through borders of damp gardens and fill the space.
It is particularly valuable for shady areas and is known for its vibrant foliage and spikes of blue flowers. Once this plant has been established, it will creep and fill pretty much any space. As its leaves are so dark, they act as a great foil for other plants. It’s cheap to buy online and easy to propagate through divisions like Geraniums. Once established, Ajuga requires little maintenance beyond occasional trimming to control its spread. Its dense foliage helps to suppress weeds, reducing the need for frequent weeding.
3. Lavender
Lavender is a quintessential choice for low-maintenance gardens and is usually placed in position one (I’ll explain why it missed that spot further on). This hardy perennial thrives in well-drained soil and sunny spots, making it ideal for many UK gardens that are full-sun or south-facing. Once established, lavender requires little more than occasional watering during dry spells and a light prune after flowering each year to maintain its shape. Its fragrant blooms attract pollinators, and the plant itself is drought-tolerant, meaning you can enjoy its beauty without constant attention.
It isn’t number one because most gardeners (myself included) fail to prune it during late summer, and it then turns woody and awkward. Also, most people mistakenly try to grow it in shade, which they hate!
4. Sedum
Sedums, or stonecrops, are succulent plants well-suited to dry or gravel gardens. They are drought-tolerant, making them perfect for those who might forget to water regularly. As these plants are often seen on green roofs, you can see why they are less fussy by looking at their native growing habits. Sedums originally grew high up in mountainous regions and were subject to extremes of high and low temperatures. Their waxy small leaves help conserve water.
Sedums come in a variety of forms, from low-growing ground covers to upright varieties with striking flower heads. Spend some time researching individual species to see what colourations they bring to your garden. Sedums thrive in poor, well-drained soils and are ideal for rock gardens, borders, or containers. Sedums are also beloved by pollinators, adding ecological value to their aesthetic appeal. The best way to grow them is either as ground cover or in containers around more floriferous specimens to out-compete the weeds!
5. Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses are an excellent option for adding texture and movement to your garden with minimal upkeep. In fact, they are one of my all-time favourite plant groups for high impact. Grass species such as such as Miscanthus, Stipa tenuissima and Pennisetum are particularly well-suited to our UK gardens. These grasses are hardy, drought-tolerant, and require little more than an annual cut back in late winter or early spring to remove old growth. Their graceful, flowing forms can soften hard landscaping elements and provide interest throughout the year, including during winter when their seed heads catch the frost. A plant to get established and then leave to do their own thing!
There really is grass for all conditions, whether it's damp soil or dry positions. The same goes for their ultimate height and spread, so do your research to pick a species that's suitable for your garden.
6. Spring Bulbs
Planting bulbs is one of the easiest ways to ensure a colourful garden with minimal effort and helps give a blast of bright colour to the garden early doors. Spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, and crocuses require planting in the autumn and will provide a burst of colour with no additional care required. Planting is easy, especially if you follow my ‘slit trench’ method and can be naturalised into lawns if your flower beds are already packed to the brim with plants!
Many bulbs are perennials, meaning they will come back year after year, gradually multiplying and filling out your garden. Summer-flowering bulbs like Alliums and Lilies can add interest later in the season. Once planted, bulbs need minimal attention other than giving a liquid feed every few years once they have finished flowering.
Tips for Creating a Low-Maintenance Garden
Beyond selecting the right plants, there are several strategies you can employ to create a garden that requires less time and effort to maintain—taking the effort out of maintenance and freeing up your weekends to actually relax in the garden or entertain, Ninjas!
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Mulching
Applying a layer of organic mulch around your plants helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and improve soil fertility, reducing the need for watering and weeding. -
Drip Irrigation
Installing a drip irrigation system can save time and water by delivering moisture directly to the roots of your plants, minimising evaporation and runoff. This is especially true if you’ve recently planted your garden or have very exposed, dry, sandy soil. -
Use Ground Cover Planting
Ground-covering plants like hardy geraniums or creeping thyme can fill in bare spots, reduce weeds, and add beauty without extra work. -
Always Opt for Perennials Over Annuals
Perennial plants return year after year, unlike annuals, which, as the name suggests, only live for one year. This reduces the need for replanting and ensures your garden remains lush with minimal intervention.
Conclusion
With the right plant choices and garden strategies, even the busiest UK gardeners can enjoy a beautiful, thriving outdoor space without sacrificing too much time or effort. By incorporating low-maintenance plants like lavender, hardy geraniums, and ornamental grasses, along with smart gardening practices, you can create a garden that not only looks lovely for the most part of the year but also fits into your busy lifestyle. So, if you're short on time but still want to enjoy the benefits of gardening, start by selecting the plants that will give you the most reward with the least amount of work—your garden will thank you for it.
Until next time Ninjas,
Lee Burkhill - Garden Ninja
About Lee
Lee Burkhill aka the Garden Ninja is a multi-award-winning garden designer, horticulturist, garden blogger, vlogger, TV Presenter and YouTuber. Hailing from the North West of England, Lee has an infectious enthusiasm for helping gardeners all over the world. The Garden Ninja is his garden design business and online gardening blog, and he was recently voted one of the Top 10 Gardening Bloggers and Garden Vloggers in the UK. Lee is also part of the BBC Garden Rescue Team, which you can watch on weekdays at 3.45 pm on BBC One or BBC iPlayer. Here at Lazy Susan, we’re looking forward to sharing his exclusive horticultural tips, tricks and advice on our blog.
