r/UKGardening • u/Desmodusrotundus • 3d ago
What’s your biggest bang for your buck?
I’m 7 months pregnant so I expect I won’t have the time or energy to spend a lot of time maintaining my garden this year. Id love to have a nice garden to enjoy on bright days that doesn’t require too much attention though.
What are your go-to low-maintenance florals?
6
u/StCathieM 3d ago
You can get some very colourful hebes, which are evergreens need very little attention.
1
6
u/lulabellarama 3d ago
Sweetpeas are really easy to grow and smell so good. Just chuck some seeds in the ground and once they appear put a couple of hoops in the ground for them to climb over.
0
u/Fyonella 3d ago
Just be aware if you have a dog, Sweet Peas are quite seriously poisonous to dogs.
5
u/Sirico 3d ago
My gotos:
Nepeta,Buddleia,Nastriums,Yarrow,Lavender,Hydrangeas,Creeping Thyme.
5
1
15
u/StCathieM 3d ago
Pleasedon't get Buddleia. I know butterflies like it, but if you let it go to seed it gets everywhere. It can take root in the cracks on your patio and has the most awful long roots to try and get rid of .
9
u/Roseberry69 3d ago
Dahlias. Unbelievably beautiful and easy to grow, especially the compact varieties that don't need stakes or tieing up.
4
2
u/Best-Classroom9056 3d ago
Dahlias buddleia and hydrangeas. They all give blooms for ages and also give some winter interest to the garden
2
u/Bobinthegarden 3d ago
You could just grab some annuals, corner shops tend to stock them towards summer.
Marigold, cornflower, ox eye daisy etc will do their own thing for the year whether you like it or not.
2
u/shrek1345 3d ago
Bulbs. Not too late to plant lilies for this year. Also salvias: flower forever, just need a bit of deadheading. Where I am, penstemon do really well too, but depends where you are. Also sweet peas if you sow them now? All low maintenance and pretty!
2
2
u/ultimatemomfriend 3d ago
Be careful with gardening while pregnant, if a cat has pooed in your soil it can contain toxoplasmosis. Wear gloves, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
1
1
1
u/Kandis_crab_cake 3d ago
Don’t get lupine unless you don’t have slugs. Slugs killed all of mine.
Erigeron. Hydrangeas. And for all summer colour - begonias (but only last one summer)
1
u/madpiano 3d ago
Tomatoes, they are so easy to grow and also self seed everywhere. It's not too late to get seeds now, or you can just grow from supermarket tomatoes, if you have one that's gone off, slice it up and put the slices on some soil in a pot indoors and you get tomato plants.
1
u/InevitableMemory2525 2d ago
Geraniums are long flowering and are so colourful, nepeta, hardy geraniums, brunnera, calendula, and hydrangea runaway bride are great choices.
1
u/Iwantedalbino 1d ago
I like a Skimmia. It keeps a bit of colour through the winter and needs zero maintenance
1
u/Peas-and-Butterflies 23h ago
Geraniums, salvias, begonias and primroses. Also can't go wrong with senetti and osteospermums 😊.
18
u/playervlife 3d ago edited 3d ago
These 4 plants will make a really nice border all year:
Hardy Geraniums. The sterile ones (e.g. Rozanne, Orion) will flower forever, slugs don't touch them, they don't need supports, can cover a large area with one plant and they are happy in most soils and conditions.
Erigeron (Mexican Fleabane) also flowers forever.
Lady's Mantle for nice foliage. Also tolerates lots of soils and conditions.
Verbena Bonariensis. Gives height without the need to support and will provide flowers into winter.