Many people would prefer to be able to embrace low maintenance gardening. They desire a well-thought-out landscape design with impressive focal points, without having to take on any topiary artwork - or another form of regular garden maintenance for that matter.  Often not the most comfortable wishes to fulfil, but thankfully, not impossible. Growers and breeders all over the world focussed on low maintenance plants: and these are the impressive results. 

 

The blue-grey foliage and spiky, upright growth make the Dianella Coolvista® perfectly suited for a border, mixed container or even as a solitary pot plant. She branches out with ease, covering most of the soil with her bright foliage. But most importantly, she's both drought and heat-resistant and doesn't mind the full sun.   Do note: the Dianella Coolvista® is not hardy, and will therefore only be low maintenance in areas with gentle winter temperatures.

2. Lomandra White Sands 

Not only is the Lomandra White Sands the very first variegated Lomandra: she's also an evergreen perennial - not a grass! With grey-green foliage, accentuated with a white stripe and white edges, she's an easy to maintain, fast-growing plant that requires very little maintenance—heat and drought resistant, hardy to -10 ºC and happy in both full sun and semi-shade.

3. Sedum SunSparkler® 'Firecracker' 

Vibrant, sunny and bright colours - so bright, you can admire the SunSparkler® 'Firecracker' from afar. Being a succulent, the SunSparkler® 'Firecracker' has a compact, creeping habit, making it perfectly suited as a ground cover in rock gardens, perennial borders or a low maintenance garden. They hardly require any maintenance, are both hardy and heat-resistant and very much loved by bees and butterflies. Firecracker is part of the colourful Sedum SunSparkler® series.

For more information, visit www.sunsparkler.com.

4. Miscanthus Red Cloud®
The compact Miscanthus Red Cloud® is selected for its appealing, bright-coloured flower plumes. Winter hardy to -23° Celsius, not fussy about soil and happy in both full sun or partial shade. An excellent ornamental for borders, mass planting, a grass hedge or windscreen, and perfectly suited for a low maintenance garden.

5. Euphorbia 'Tasmanian Tiger' 

The green-centred, white flowers of the 'Tasmanian Tiger' bloom in early spring, bringing life to a rock garden or Mediterranean garden. This beautiful Euphorbia with variegated foliage is compact and uniformly variegated. The flowers are white with a green centre. Hardy to -15 ºC, happy in both full sun as partial shade and as low maintenance as a low maintenance plant should be.

6. Schizachyrium ‘Standing Ovation’
This beautiful ornamental grass has a sturdy, upright habit - preventing it from falling over. The blue-green foliage colours to a flaming red during the autumn months, bringing balance to a landscape design. ‘Standing Ovation’ thrives in full sun, is hardy to -30 °C and doesn’t demand much looking after.

7. Lavandula Phenomenal
The Lavandula Phenomenal didn’t get her name by chance: the large, purple-blue flowers, flower abundantly from early summer until late autumn. The strong branches and root system make for a sturdy, low maintenance plant. Great for garden, border or mass planting, making any landscape design as aesthetically pleasing as can be.