A beautiful, lush garden can be easily achieved by carefully choosing the right plants. Many beautiful plants are also low-maintenance and can transform the landscape just as well as a planting palette that requires weekly care. We firmly believe that gardens can achieve both exceptional beauty and practicality through strategic landscape design and planting choices.
From vibrant colours to lush greenery, here are some of our favourite low-maintenance plants that can thrive in any garden.
Liriope ‘Royal Purple’
Liriope ‘Royal Purple’, commonly known as Lilyturf, is a resilient evergreen plant suitable for borders or mass planting. Its purple flower-like spikes serve as a striking ground focal point. Liriope, once established, is tolerant of drought, frost, and hot weather, making it an excellent choice for many gardens. Although it requires low maintenance, regular watering is essential to maintain soil moisture, particularly during the summer months.
Viola hederacea
Are you looking to transform your hard areas for growth into a lush, well-textured ground cover without the hassle of high maintenance? Look no further than Native Violet, botanically known as Viola hederacea – a beautiful Australian native that’s fast becoming a favourite in Melbourne gardens.
The real secret to success with Native Violet comes down to positioning. Plant it in a full to part shade spot and watch it reward you with a dense, soft carpet that spreads beautifully between stepping stones, pavers, and along that well-worn path to the clothesline – all with little to no pruning required.
Once it finds its happy place in the garden, Native Violet is quick to establish that lush, hardy look you’re after. While it’s wonderfully tough once settled, it does love a soil that stays consistently moist and well-drained to keep it looking its absolute best year-round.
Poa labillardieri ‘Eskdale’
Also known as Tussock Grass, Poa labillardieri is an Australian native grass that brings effortless texture and striking blue-green foliage to the garden with very little maintenance required. You can see it working beautifully in our Hawthorn Rose Garden, where it softens the transition along the path from the front to the rear garden, adding light and texture against the bluestone and filetti paving.
Remarkably adaptable, Tussock Grass tolerates almost any soil type and once established, handles both frost and drought with ease. The only upkeep required is a seasonal cutback during autumn to late winter – trimming back to around 20–30cm, followed by a good fertilise and water to encourage fresh new growth come spring.
Loved these low-maintenance plants for your garden? If shade is a challenge in your garden, discover more of our favourite shade-friendly plants that are just as easy to care for.
