Bombproof low watering plants for pots?

[Fourmoos]

What can you recommend by way of plants, flowers, shrubs which do well in pots and thrive on neglect please?
And can be left unwatered when on holiday?
Thanks.

Bedding geraniums (pelargoniums) don't need much water and are pretty resilient.

Have you tried the water retaining crystals that you mix with your compost? They reduce the need for watering.

Lavender, Rosemary, Cistus, things with thick fleshy leaves - like Agaves for example.

The bigger the pot the less watering needed. Other than that go for things which naturally grow in arid climates like a lot of the mediteranian herbs; thyme, rosemary, lavender. Woody plants with small silvery leaves will lose less water and are likely to be more drought resistant. Lots of grasses can cope with dry conditions too.

Spring and autumn bulbs don't need much watering in their dormant season. You could use the same pots to sprinkle some annuals such as Californian poppy to flower after the spring bulbs have finished, or plant geraniums on top, which can easily be cut back to allow the bulbs to show and tolerate drought quite well.

Take a look at self watering pots too, they drastically reduce the need for watering, enabling you to try some more water demanding things without being a slave to them.

You can easily make your own too, by taking a large plastic pot without drainage holes, and putting the drainage holes about 5-10 cm up from the bottom on the side. For a bigger reservoir, put an upside down pond basket in the base.

Some great tips here, thank you.

Can recommend the water retainer crystals from wilko you buy them in a pot. They work really well but don't put too much in or it swells out the pots.

I have a trailing jade that hardly ever needs watering and seems to take of itself, mostly.