Have a left it too late?

[stirling]

Hello all. I have an awful garden and am completely incompetent when it comes to taking care of plants.
I do however feel like having a little corner to myself in the garden, to relax, and want to make it look good.

I've started by painting a small bench a very pretty shade of green. There are about 5 large containers / terracotta coloured plant pots (plastic) that I'm hoping to fill with (multi purpose?) compost and some impossible to kill plants.

Have I left it too late to plant stuff? I don't necessarily care for flowers. Just greenery and something that may survive the occasional negligence...Im not great at remembering to water.

My sister suggested artificial outdoor plants but they're v costly - even at ikea, and let's face it, they still look plastic. Don't they?

Any suggestions welcome. If you don't feel it's too late for me to plant stuff, would you be able to name one or 2 plants I could seek? Not too many I'll get v confused!

Many thanks

Host as are good, maybe a bit late this year for splendid results but next year they would look lovely.

I'm not good at remembering to look after plants either.

I manage to keep potted pants alive by keeping the pots in a shady area, if they are in sun they will require daily watering, and in my garden this means almost certain death

Surviving happily on my mostly shady patio despite infrequent watering and feeding are bamboo, japanese acers, box and lilies. If you are not bothered about flowers then evergreens are good, as well as box I have also had success with bay, holly and euonymous. They were/are clipped into balls, pyramids or lollypops, mine are now planted in the soil but they survived in pots(along with the acers) for many years when I lived in rented accommodation and moved frequently.

Flowers are a bit more tricky in the shade. Im really pleased with my lilies, they are beautiful at the moment and have a wonderful evening scent. I have also previously under planted the evergreens with spring bulbs, cyclamen and busy lizzies. My neighbour has lovely red geraniums in her shady front garden, I always thought they needed more sun but they are flowering beautifully, so I'm tempted to give that a go next year.

If you use nice big pots, mulch with a thick layer of pebbles and site the plants out of direct sun then plants survive a surprising amount of neglect. If you can't get them out of direct sun then succulents, Mediterranean herbs like lavender and desert plants like agave survive ok, but they are less hardy in the UK's wet winters so may need protection.

Sorry, forgot to say that any of those plants will be fine to buy and put in pots this year, I really isn't too late at all

I have hostas, philadelphus, choisya, camellia, lavender and a pieris which I have done nothing with and they are absolute glorious.

Last year I planted two bare root roses in pots. One has been gorgeous this year, Gertrude Jekyll. The scent is just wonderful. The other rose just didn't grow and died.

Ah thank you. Mewling I managed to successfully kill off several box shrub plants that I placed in the front garden to decorate the entrance... Strong sunlight. Hopeless at daily watering!

Yes my bench area is mostly in the shade

I'd second all plants mentioned already.

Mint looks good in a pot, is useful and smell nice. You can get several varieties in different shades of green. Also, Fatsia ( castor oil plant ) does well in a pot and looks exotic.

lavender for next year - seems to look good anywhere but a bit past its best now.

How about herbs? Mine survive with little watering, lovely scent too.

I've just put a fatsia in a large pot and an acuba in another with some ivy to tumble out - I too am rubbish with plants but I am getting better
I also have in pots/shade:
Pieris mountain fire
Lavender
Choisya sundance though this gets a bit of sun
Camellia
Maltese cross
Cordyline in a tall pot with lots of ivy tumbling down

Oh and sedum (think the autumn ones) thrive on my neglect!!