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8 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for the Busy Gardener

by on May 23, 2013

Keeping a garden can seem like an intimidating task. It’s daunting especially for someone who is a beginner! We’ve rounded up eight of the best low maintenance plants that can handle tough love. So even if you don’t have a green thumb, they’ll still survive and thrive!      

Watch the video for the full list of fool-proof plants to grow this spring, and keep reading below!

8 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for the Busy GardenerParks Wholesale Plants
Photo: Parks Wholesale Plants

1. Wave Petunias

This plant requires little pruning. Just sprinkle with a little fertilizer, water frequently, and enjoy the color these guys bring all summer long. 

8 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for the Busy GardenerDorling Kindersley
Photo: Dorling Kindersley

2. Yarrow

This flowering plant requires full sun and poor soil. You don’t even have to fertilize to get these lovely flower heads. 

8 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for the Busy GardenerSparkman’s Nursery
Photo: Sparkman’s Nursery

3. Hosta

Plant once and forget the rest! This perennial is my kind of plant. Little water, sun or shade, this plant thrives when you basically ignore it! 

8 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for the Busy GardenerBHG
Photo: BHG

4. Impatiens

You don’t need a green thumb to get these to blossom. They come in almost every color, and if you have a bright spot indoors, they can blossom all year long! 

8 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for the Busy GardenerBHG
Photo: BHG

5. Primrose

Creating thick, luscious, and fragrant bushes, Primrose plants are show-stoppingly beautiful. Flowering mostly in the spring months, these plants do well  in full sun or lightly shaded areas. 

8 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for the Busy GardenerDorling Kindersley
Photo: Dorling Kindersley

6. Pot Marigold

Another colorful flower, these fun blooms come in all sorts of cheery yellow and orange hues. Make sure to plant in a pot with fast drainage, deadhead as needed, and you’ll enjoy this plant all season long. 

8 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for the Busy Gardeneronlyfoods.net
Photo: onlyfoods.net

7. Daylily

Although each bloom lasts only one day, each plant produces several at a time. Water these plants each time you water your lawn and they’ll grow continuously. 

8 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for the Busy GardenerHGTV
Photo: HGTV

8. Four O’Clock

This trumpet-shaped annual does best in full sun, but can take some shade. They quickly blossom and thrive in almost any type of soil. The best part? They keep your garden smelling great all summer long!

What are some low maintenance plants that offer good ground cover?

For an alternative to grass, consider using a perennial like Creeping Jenny or Irish Moss. You can even try some types of herbs as a ground cover option; thyme and mint spread nicely and don’t require much maintenance.


8 Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants for the Busy Gardener

 

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Looking for more gardening tips? Check out these 13 affordable alternatives to traditional landscaping.

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4 Comments

  1. I have Stella de Ora day lilies tht re suppose to rebloom. I live in zone 6a but they never rebloom. The first blooms are prolific. I have divide them and they still don’t rebloom. Their leaves in the heat of zone 6a turn brown and I have decided that it’s time to plant something else. One plant I love is the sun begonias. I put soil moist along with fertilizer and potting soil in my pots nd they look so nice. They don’t require a huge amount of water either.

  2. Hostas?? Mine always die; they’re puny and usually get eaten (large holes or pieces of leaf gone) by something.

  3. In order for Stella de Ora day lilies to rebloom you have to cut the spent stalks of flowers otherwise the plant is going to produce seeds in the pods where the flowers use to be. The plant will rebloom instead of spending energy to produce the seed . Good luck!