Want colour without the constant fuss? These tough, reliable plants deliver month after month.
Created by jflgardens.co.uk
A garden full of colour doesn't have to mean deadheading every weekend. A few hardy, reliable performers can keep the show going from June to September with very little input — especially when they're planted in the right spot.
Plants that shrug off dry soil and full sun need far less fussing. Lavender, sedum and many ornamental grasses are beautiful, aromatic and essentially take care of themselves once they're established.
Choose plants suited to your aspect and soil and you'll do far less watering, feeding and worrying than if you try to force the wrong plant into the wrong corner.
A little regular deadheading turns a good show into a long one. Spending ten minutes a week removing spent flowers from plants like dahlias, geraniums and roses keeps them blooming far later into the season.
If that's more than you want to do, choose self-cleaning varieties that drop their spent blooms on their own.
Clumping plants together in drifts looks better and means you're watering and feeding fewer, larger patches rather than dozens of single dots. Grouping also shades the soil, holding moisture and crowding out weeds.
A generous mulch of bark or compost over the soil in late spring keeps the roots cool, holds water and smothers most weeds. It's one of the simplest ways to make a low-maintenance border genuinely low-maintenance.
From planting & borders to a full planting-style overhaul, the JFL Gardens team works across Surrey and London.
