If you dream of a beautiful garden full of vibrant flowers, but don't have the time or mobility for lots of maintenance, then these low-effort perennials are for you. No more endless deadheading, feeding, and watering – these hardy heroes take summer heat, poor soil, and rain-free spells in their stride and come back the next year even stronger.
Just to set some realistic expectations upfront: no plant is completely free of maintenance. You will need to water these flowering perennials for a few weeks after planting until they settle in, and then at least give them a light annual trim. But you really won't have to do much, and they will reward you for your negligence.
Below you'll find my top picks for fuss-free floral flair, offering a variety of colors, textures, and multi-season interest. As well as delighting you, these garden stalwarts will nurture wildlife, giving sustenance to pollinators and other beneficial creatures who call your garden home.
1. Russian Sage
Silvery, aromatic foliage topped with graceful spires of soft lavender-like blooms makes Russian sage (Salvia yangii) a standout in low-maintenance borders. It thrives in a sunny spot in poor, well-drained soil and needs no attention apart from a trim in early spring. You will need to water it a little until it establishes, but from that point on, it will be happy waiting for rainfall.
Another advantage of Russian sage is its appeal to pollinators – it draws bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, yet hungry deer tend to leave it alone. Hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9, this low-maintenance gem brings structure and fragrance with the bare minimum of upkeep.
Some varieties of Russian sage can overtake beds in the garden, but this compact Denim 'n Lace variety from Woodies Garden Goods is very well behaved, with an upright habit and mature height and spread of 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90cm).
2. Peruvian Lily
Peruvian lily – or alstroemeria – is a heat-loving perennial that produces trumpet-shaped blooms in colors spanning peach to violet. The clumping stems grow 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90cm) tall with little encouragement. Plant them in fertile, well-drained soil in USDA zones 6 to 10, and they'll keep blooming for years. At the time of planting, it's a good idea to add a support, as some flowers will flop over, but it's not essential.
I don't water or feed my alstroemerias, and they never disappoint – coming back every year with even more flowers. But if you live in a warmer zone, then it's a good idea to water them in prolonged dry spells.
As well as being low maintenance, these exotic-looking beauties have a long flowering season – from early summer right into fall, and make excellent cut flowers with a two-week vase life. This Indian Summer alstromeria from Burpee is a top variety that stands out in borders and floral arrangements.
If you can be bothered to deadhead them during the season, you'll get even more flowers – you need to pull them rather than cut them. Otherwise, once a year, during the big garden tidy-up, you just need to pull the dead flowers.
3. Hardy Geranium
Don't confuse hardy geraniums with showy annual pelargoniums, which are commonly known as geraniums. Also known as cranesbill, hardy geranium forms neat, spreading mounds of foliage and charming cup-shaped flowers in pink, purple, blue, or white. They bloom from late spring to summer – longer if you make the time to cut them back in midsummer.
Hardy geraniums thrive in sun or light shade and suit USDA zones 4 to 8. They hate waterlogged soil, but are generally unfussy, requiring only one annual trim after flowering or in the fall.
Geranium 'Rozanne', available in the Gardening Know How Shop, is a particularly robust standout performer that bursts with vibrant violet-blue flowers from late spring until mid-fall.
4. Coreopsis
These joyful daisy-like flowers provide a blanket of gold all summer long with minimal effort. Also known as tickseed, coreopsis grows in tidy clumps of ferny foliage that support prolific flowers. Deadheading spent blooms will help promote further flowering, but it isn't essential.
Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil in USDA zones 4 to 9, coreopsis is drought-tolerant and care-free, bringing long-lasting joy with barely a second thought.
Walmart sells a good range of coreopsis varieties, including these gorgeous UpTick gold and bronze flowers.
5. Stonecrop
One of my favorite low-maintenance plants in the garden, stonecrop is a compact sedum succulent with structural foliage that looks good year-round and thrives in full sun and rock-solid soil. In the summer, it blooms with pink or red flowers that add a stunning pop of color and are beloved by pollinators.
Once plants have established, stonecrop needs no watering or feeding – just ignore it and let it shine. Once a year, you will need to cut off the spent flowers. I tend to pull mine out, and if a little plant clump comes away, I replant it in a gap elsewhere in the garden, and it always roots.
Perfect for USDA zones 3 to 9, stonecrop bridges the gap between planting simplicity and seasonal beauty.
Autumn Joy stonecrop, available at Nature Hills, is a hugely popular variety with deep pink-red flowers. Or, for a unique look, try this Proven Winners Rock 'N Grow Back in Black sedum, with near-black foliage.
6. Daylily
Tough as nails and endlessly varied, daylilies offer massed flowers on arching leaves from early summer onward. Each flower lasts a day, but the buds keep coming. They tolerate almost any soil, shrug off drought once settled, and require little more than an occasional feed to get the most out of them (though you will still get flowers if you forget to fertilize).
Thriving in USDA zones 3 to 9, daylilies come in nearly every color under the sun and love to naturalize themselves in borders. They're the ultimate flowering perennial for when you want to look like you made an effort – but didn't.
Lowe's sells a great range of daylilies, including this gorgeous Masterpiece collection containing eight varieties.
7. Yarrow
With delicate fern-like foliage supporting flat-topped clusters of tiny blooms, this perennial's pretty appearance belies its hardy nature. Yarrow is a butterfly and bee magnet, yet stubbornly drought-tolerant and unfussy about fertilizer. The only maintenance necessary is an annual trim after flowering to encourage tidier foliage.
Yarrow is reliable in USDA zones 3 to 8 and thrives in full sun in poor to average soil. It's the perfect perennial if you want meadow charm that nurtures pollinators, without any bother.
This Saucy Seduction yarrow from Walmart features delightful rosy florets and is a compact choice at 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60cm) high.
