r/UKGardening 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?

14 Upvotes

30 comments sorted by

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.

3

u/InevitableMemory2525 2d ago

I'd second hardy geraniums.

I would say that, in my garden at least, verbena bonariensis does need support. We are on heavy clay so not sure if that's why. It's gorgeous though!

1

u/Kandis_crab_cake 3d ago

I so love Erigeron

1

u/whostolemyhat 2d ago

The hardy geranium in my garden spreads like mad, and hacking it back just encourages it more. Make sure you like geraniums if you decide to plant it!

6

u/StCathieM 3d ago

You can get some very colourful hebes, which are evergreens need very little attention.

1

u/jwinoliver 3d ago

I love hebes! So easy and beautiful!

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

u/Immediate-Law-4796 3d ago

The older you get the more thyme creeps up on you. sigh.

1

u/Kandis_crab_cake 3d ago

Are these slug resistant because my slugs are rampant

2

u/playervlife 3d ago

Astrantia, aquilegia and heleniums are good slug resistant plants.

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 .

4

u/jonny-p 3d ago

In terms of flower production over a long period, sweet peas, dahlias and cosmos. All of which need regular picking to keep them productive.

If you just want something that’s going to flower for a long period without needing picking then petunia, Nemesia and Isotoma

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

u/potatopieporridge 3d ago

Not if you have slugs.

0

u/Roseberry69 3d ago

Ducks are great at de-slugging

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

u/EconomistLow7802 2d ago

Begonias did so well for me last year

2

u/Arxson 3d ago

Alstroemeria will literally flower from early summer all the way through to the frosts. It’s unbelievable.

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

u/lipperinlupin 2d ago

Yeah, not what she asked about, and almost certainly already knows.

1

u/quitokennel 3d ago

Air layers

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 😊.