Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Low maintenance plants recommendations?

GuybrushGuybrush Posts: 172
in Plants
Hi

My father rents out my Grandparent's old bungalow. It has been rented for a few years and over the time the garden has become a mess. I've been helping to clear it out which had got totally overgrown with weeds, 20 foot high laurels and a giant sprawling hop vine. I'm nearly at a point where I'm left with an almost blank canvass. I've saved some hebe shrubs and some nearly dead day lilies. The place is going to be rented out again so I need suggestions on some low growing perennials that will need little maintenance and can withstand some neglect but still look pretty. I don't mind if they get to 4 or 5 foot, just as long as they don't reach for the heavens. Also I've laid weed suppressing membrane and bark chips down so they can't be herbaceous perennials.

Cheers 

James

Posts

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    I don't quite understand: do you want to plant into the bark chips or make holes in the membrane? I cannot think of anything other than a few weeds that will grow in the bark and if you are making holes, any shrubs or perennials will do. As I understand it, all perennials are herbaceous.
  • GuybrushGuybrush Posts: 172
    edited July 2018
    Sorry for the confusion. I don't mind cutting into the membrane and planting through but I'll be packing the membrane back tightly around the plant. Cheers James 🙂
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    Guess you are really looking at small shrubs which will grow no more than 3 ft. and which should only need a once a year maintenance routine. 
    There are lots of shrubs available. If you give us some idea of which way the borders face and the type of soil, we will be able to give you suggestions. You may want to think about a tree or two to add some height. 
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • GuybrushGuybrush Posts: 172
    Thanks hogweed! Yes that's really what I'm looking for. The garden is predominantly west facing with sandy soil which hasn't had much organic material dug in (pretty grey and dusty). I'm in Christchurch on the south coast and the bungalow's just round the corner. Usually the temperature doesn't go lower than about -5° although it got pretty cold this year. 

    Cheers

    James
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    To give your new shrubs the best chance of survival, you should really dig in copious amounts of manure and some blood fish & bone fertiliser first.  Would it be possible to lift the membrane in order to do so before you plant? If that's not possible, then you will need to dig in some in each hole first.  Potentilla's come in various colours and flower for quite a long time. Also hebe's might suit. I would imagine that your soil will be sandy and acid in Christchurch so small azaleas or rhododendrons might also be an option.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I think a shrub like Nadina Domestica Fire Power would be ideal. They don't grow huge and require very little pruning and have a long seasonal interest. 
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    I'm hoping you mean Christchurch UK rather than NZ!
    Lots of nice medium  sized shrubs you could use:
    Potentilla as suggested - little or no maintenance - comes in yellow, white, pink or peachy colour.
    Any of the hebes. 
    Brachyglottis (silver leaves, yellow flowers, evergreen). Cistus, rosemary, lavender. Lots of roses etc. That's probably enough to get you going. More or less any shrub would do well there - just steer clear of the ones who obviously like some shade. 
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
Sign In or Register to comment.