If your life is completely driven by a hectic schedule, and you barely find the time to take care of yourself at times, then the last thing that you need right now is to take care of plants, right?
However, you would love to add a touch of green here and there in your home, and even more, you’d like to have a garden. Even if your level of commitment at the moment isn’t as high as you’d wish, you can still have plants…with a little bit of low maintenance.
Lots of plants, actually. How? Because there are some plants that not only don’t mind you forget about them, but they actually thrive because of it.
I don’t know about you, but if you have a busy schedule, it sounds like a match! These plants are great for forgetful homeowners:
Lomandra Lime Tuff (Lomandra longifolia)
Lomandra Lime Tuff is a native Australian plant, and it’s ideal for mass planting. It is oftentimes used to suppress weeds and help you save up hours from the usual gardening duties.
The plant is compact, with fine tufty green foliage. During spring, it also has cream flower spikes. As this plant is more of a hybrid of three lomandra types, it’s known to be very healthy and steady.
The plant is good for knitting soils that erode together, which gives your garden a bigger capacity to tolerate the dryness. This means that you will never feel obliged to grab the hose instead of going out.
Blue Bugle (Ajuga reptans)
With its striking colors, Ajuga reptans is the perfect groundcover substitute, with green-purple foliage and violet flower spikes that bloom in the spring.
The Blue Bugle is a low maintenance plant of small stature, so you’ll never have to worry about cutting the hardy flower back every spring, or even undertake any deadheading.
Even more, the plant has a great ability to suppress weed growth, which will gift more hours that otherwise you would have spent in the garden.
It’s also versatile when it comes to light, as it handles full sun and total shade altogether. Trust me, when it comes to the Blue Bugle, it’s like having a garden on autopilot!
Blue Chalk (Senecio Serpens)
Extremely exotic and elegant, Senecio will deliver a unique shade of icy blue that will fit perfectly as a groundcover or garden border. If you have a hard time getting out that hose, don’t worry!
This plant is a very low-maintenance plant that won’t hold any grudges, as it barely needs any water during the growing season. Senecio is basically a low-growing succulent, so you’ll get to have a vibrant color in your garden from a plant that goes very well in rock gardens or any other dry environment.
Even if most of the plants need more water in the beginning, this plant can easily be soaked every three or four weeks. However, make sure you let the soil dry out completely.
Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Whether your garden is bathed in constant sunlight in the morning, or it’s predominantly shady, this gem right here won’t care either way. Heuchera is a fantastic choice for forgetful gardeners (and yes, if you’ll have a garden, you’ll be a gardener).
It has very attractive foliage, providing a beautiful display of flowers. The plant is evergreen, except for the coldest environments, but it accommodates very well with all types of climates and positions, including chilly Victorian mornings.
It’s an easy-care plant with a large variety of colors, from deep purple to burgundy and chocolate brown. Plus, it will offer you year-round foliage to enjoy.
Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum)
If you’re not a fan of pruning, then this durable, low-maintenance plant is for you. Even if pruning your Loropetalum isn’t actually needed, you could consider giving it a light trim after flowering, only to keep it in the shape you desire.
A tall-growing and dense shrub, with beautiful oval leaves, Loropetalum will come as a delight for your sight. The plant keeps its pinky-brown colors throughout the year, without needing too much water.
Loropetalum is a great addition to your garden, and that’s why you should consider planting it in a sunny or even partly shaded place, ideally with morning or afternoon sun.
Creeping Boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium)
This particular plant is ideal for ground covering, and it’s not too difficult to look after, either. With dense and soft green foliage and little masses of white flowers from late spring to early autumn, Myoporum will guarantee you a vibrant green coverage for your garden.
Not only that, but it will also help you control all the unwanted weeds, so you can spend less time in the dirt and more time enjoying your little corner of paradise.
And the cherry on the cake? The low-maintenance landscaping plant will bring you lots of birds, as the little creatures love spending time around the plant.
Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis Indica)
If you’re looking for a bullet-proof plant to add to your collection, make sure you don’t forget the Indian hawthorn, because this plant is definitely only of tough stuff!
The Indian hawthorn is extremely resistant and robust, offering soothing dark green leaves that add richness to your outdoor space, but also flowers that bloom in the spring and add vibrant colors to your garden.
Without any specific pests or diseases, you can rest assured that the plant is going to be just fine. Even if the featured varieties are compact by nature, you can still consider pruning after every blooming episode, just to maintain a rounded shape.
Limonium perezii blue (Perennial statice)
If you’re living near the coast, you might find it a bit difficult to keep your plants alive, right? Even if some plants don’t resist those conditions, the Perennial statice will stay with you forever, as it thrives as a frost-tender plant, and it’s also enjoying salt.
As an evergreen perennial plant that is producing clusters of little mauve papery flowers, you will be completely surprised by its adaptability.
Native Violet (Viola hederacea)
If your garden seems to fall into a regular shade…Viola hederacea might help you out with that. This particular plant comes as an amazing ground cover in some pretty difficult conditions, as it thrives in sun as well as in full shade.
The robust plant won’t require any kind of maintenance, and will even tolerate light foot traffic. What’s cooler than that, right? It has kidney-shaped leaves and some beautiful white viola-shaped flowers.
You can plant it wherever you want, whether it’s a sunny or shaded location, and just remember to water it once in a while.
Birthday Candles (Banksia spinulosa)
Banksia spinulosa is divine for small gardens and rockeries that are supposed without watering for big amounts of time. This is an evergreen shrub, with a beautiful and dense green foliage, and impressive golden-yellow flowers in autumn and winter, that look just like candles!
They are very steady and tolerant of all kinds of weather. Also, you should expect to wake up to nectar-eating birds and butterflies in your garden from now on.
Try to water it regularly, maybe once or twice a week. Also, you should feed the banksias with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertilizer.
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I love this site. I am waiting until spring but I am going to purchase some of these tree’s. I have about two acres to plant. I will have fun.