low maintenance planting

[yoink]

I'm having my garden done to include some new borders and probably some patio pots.

I'm completely clueless about gardening so can anyone advise on things I can plant that aren't very needy of time and attention?

How much pruning are you prepared to do? I really like hardy geraniums, you can get these in a variety of pinks, purples and white. Once planted. You cut off the flower stems once they are done at the end of the season. They come back every year.

My favourite is Dicentra (Bleeding Heart). It is perennial and so will pup back every Spring/Summer. All I do with it is cut the stems down to the ground when it finishes flowering. It is lovely and the first thing flowering in my garden each year other than bulbs.

Strawberries dont need much attention either and are lovely to grow in borders and pots.

Lavender is good. Just cut back once the flowers are dead.
Primula look after themselves - dead head if you can be bothered.
Honeysuckle well grow up a fence or obelisk thingy and can be ignored forever!
Rambling roses will also view up a fence etc. We have a bright pink one which flowers from May to December. I occasionally dead head and cut it back once a year.

oh thanks guys!

I could definitely manage dead heading flowers, that's easy right?

Dicentra looks gorgeous!

Love lavender too. Will honeysuckle grow up a wall? Oh, I see a rambling rose will!

It will but its best to either put some nails in the wall to wind garden wire across or fix / lean a bit of trellis stuff against it just so there is something to guide it.
Heather is good for ground cover and can be ignored.

Fuschias are brilliant too - different shapes sizes and colour.

Low maintenance plants I have -Erysimum "Bowles mauve" is a purple wallflower that flowers for ages, lavender, Ceanothus (bush with bright blue flowers in the spring, may need cutting back occasionally), Pyracantha (red autumn berries, ditto) and a bush with bright yellow leaves, no idea what it is but it looks cheery all year. Plus lots of bulbs in the spring! Think about planting for all seasons, not just summer.

I would go for lots of Herbs and maybe some shrubs like Hebes.

I have a post on low maintenance plants which maybe of some help.

kidsinthegarden.co.uk/family-friendly-plants/