For many, gardening is an incredibly rewarding hobby. Not only does it produce beautiful (and sometimes even nourishing) plants, but it’s also good for the soul. Getting your hands in the soil and feeling the warmth of the sun are key elements to a healthy body and mind.
But honestly, in this busy world, who’s got the time? Not everyone wants to spend their precious free time doing yardwork. What if we told you can enrich your life by creating the tranquil garden of your dreams while still having time to actually enjoy it?
We’ve compiled a short list of some of the best outdoor plants for your low-maintenance landscape. With the right landscape design, even the busiest person can indulge in the joy of gardening.
Shrubs are great landscaping plants for your low-maintenance garden. They look great season after season and can be either deciduous (losing leaves seasonally) or evergreen. Plus, with some species growing as high as 20 feet, they can even provide privacy from the neighbors.
Here are some of our favorites:
Distylium is a great option when searching for easy plants to grow outside. Depending on the variety you choose, they can grow three to ten feet in height and four to eight feet wide, offering a great deal of privacy.
They’re also incredibly easy to care for. A little bit of yearly pruning helps keep plants lush and dense, but even that's not necessary
Loropetalum is another beautiful and versatile shrub for your low-maintenance landscape design. They require minimal pruning and stand up to pests and diseases.
Most loropetalums reach 8-15 feet tall, but for smaller areas, Purple Pixie is your gal. Weighing in at 1-2 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide, it’s great for small gardens and can even be used as groundcover in some designs.
Fun fact: gardenias, roses, and hibiscus are all varieties of shrubs! Flowering shrubs provide all the benefits of non-flowering shrubs, like privacy, but they also grow beautiful flowers year after year!
Some great, low-maintenance bushes for the front of the house include:
Azaleas are a gorgeous addition to your low-maintenance yard with a variety of size options and bright, colorful blooms. Most bloom in the spring, but some varieties are the gift that keeps giving, reblooming in the summer and fall.
Azaleas are relatively disease and pest-free. Better yet, just a bit of pruning after flowering will help maintain their shape and encourage new growth.
This is a great choice for beginners or just anyone with a busy schedule. Lavender is a classic, beautiful, and easy option. They thrive in a variety of soil conditions and climates, requiring little water or other attention.
Plus, not only are they beautiful all season long, but lavender is also a deterrent to summer-time pests like mosquitoes!
Stately and shade-giving, trees are a beautiful addition to any tranquil, outdoor space. They can be a stunning focal point or just blend in with the rest of your personal oasis.
Two popular choices are:
Smoke trees are a beautiful choice. They have reddish-purple leaves that turn a brilliant scarlet in the fall and smoky-purple seed clusters. They can also be grown as large, deciduous shrubs or small trees!
They’re drought-tolerant, do well in various soil conditions, and require minimal pruning. Some varieties even look best when left unpruned!
Beautiful, evergreen junipers are one of the best landscaping plants to use as a screen, border, or tall hedge.
Sun-loving and incredibly hardy, they require very little maintenance to thrive year after year.
Ground cover is any type of low-growing, spreading plant. Some species are green while others vary in color, adding pop to your yard. There are even flowering varieties!
Not only can ground cover plants replace high-maintenance grass (see ya later, lawn mower!), they can even help prevent the spread of weeds, freeing up hours of weed-pulling time.
Like most plants on our list, Euonymus Fortunei (or wintercreeper) is adaptable to a variety of conditions, including sun exposure and soil type. This is another one that does well with a bit more care, like occasional pruning. Overall, they’re very easy to care for.
Hardy geraniums are a flowering perennial, but are often used as ground cover due to their ability to spread. They come in a variety of colors and bloom from spring through summer, giving you beautiful flowers all season long.
Perennials, typically flowering plants that come back every year, are great for the gardener with a touch more time on their hands. Flowers do require some pruning and maintenance to thrive, but perennial flowers alleviate the need to buy and plant new flowers every spring.
Some great options include:
With their lush, green leaves and pretty, late season blooms, hostas are one of the most popular plants for low-maintenance gardening. They do like adequate watering and prefer shade, but if situated correctly, hostas can thrive year after year with very little attention.
Sedums are succulents that need little water and love full sun. There are over 300 species of sedum, making it easy to find just the look you want. Not only are they one of the most low-maintenance plants you’ll find, but they also attract pollinators!
If planting low-maintenance outdoor plants has you dreaming of a backyard that’s as beautiful and functional as your garden, we’re here to help. At LiveWell Outdoors, we specialize in complete backyard transformations that bring your entire outdoor space to life.
From luxury patios to pools and outdoor kitchens, we’ll help you design a space that reflects your lifestyle and gives you more reasons to step outside. Schedule a consultation today, and let’s create the outdoor retreat you’ve been imagining.
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