6 Pretty Perennials That Look Better When I Stop Tidying Them and Let Them Go a Little Wild

Everyone thinks that a beautiful garden is the result of back-breaking labor, but I have finally accepted that I am not doing my garden any favors by tidying it too much. Especially when it comes to my perennials.

Yes, I am very much of the opinion that some perennials genuinely look better when you leave them alone (which suits my gardening style and generally lazy demeanor) right down to the ground. Honestly, stop deadheading, cutting back and generally fussing over them, and you'll find that their seedheads become architectural, their stems add movement, and the whole border takes on a wonderfully Secret Garden vibe that is so much more appealing than a garden where everything is standing to attention.

That doesn't mean I let everything go. My lupins, for example, are spectacular for the five minutes they're in flower and then spend the rest of the time looking like they've escaped from a Tim Burton film. Those, I am still tempted to tidy away. Still, there are plenty of perennials that become more interesting as the flowers fade, and I've become increasingly convinced that we should give them the chance.

6 Perennials That Look Better When You Let Them Go Wild

Look, it might appeal to my lazy side to let my perennials do their own thing, but there's an added bonus; leaving plants standing can also be better for wildlife, too.

Yes, faded flowers and seedheads provide food and shelter, while their stems and foliage add structure long after the main flush of flowers has passed. And, selfishly, there is something rather lovely about doing less work and ending up with a garden that looks more abundant.

The trick is knowing which plants to leave alone. These are the ones I've found can handle a little benign neglect – and, in many cases, actually look better for it.

1. Alliums

Alliums are perhaps the easiest place to start if you're trying to break the habit of tidying everything the moment it finishes flowering. I love them in flower, but I think I might love them even more once those purple globes have faded and turned into sculptural seedheads.

Rather than cutting them down, I leave them standing among grasses and other perennials. The dried heads hover above the planting like little skeletons of the flowers that were there before, catching the light beautifully, particularly later in the season. And because they hold their shape for so long, they give the border something to look at when many early-summer flowers have disappeared.

If you fancy an unusual twist on the trend, go for the Nevskianum Allium Bulbs from Burpee; this rare red allium blooms from May to June. If you prefer that classic purple hit, though, Burpee's Globemaster Allium Bulbs are widely considered the best for color intensity.

2. Agapanthus

Agapanthus is another one of those perennials I am very reluctant to cut back too soon. Those spectacular blue or white flowerheads are obviously the main event, but the fading heads can remain attractive for weeks afterwards, gradually drying into something that looks almost as though it belongs in a flower arrangement.

There is also something very satisfying about allowing a plant to go through its whole performance (from bloom, to flower, to fading petals, to seedhead) rather than treating the end of flowering as a cue to get the scissors out.

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3. Coneflower

Coneflowers are practically designed for the stop-tidying approach. The flowers are beautiful, but once the petals fall, those prominent central cones remain, giving the plant an entirely different look.

I leave mine standing for as long as possible, particularly into fall. The seedheads add useful structure when the border is starting to lose its summer fullness, and they provide food for birds.

It's a perennial that serves as a good reminder that a flower doesn't necessarily stop being useful – or beautiful – just because it has stopped flowering. Although, yes, there are ways around this; something like the Magnus Purple Coneflower from Nature Hills is great as it never droops or goes floppy!

4. Salvia

I have salvia in pots out front, and for years I have done absolutely nothing to it. It comes back, flowers, gets a little unruly and generally looks lush without asking for much in return. It's one of those plants I planted and then more or less forgot about.

Recently, though, I will admit that I've had to start watering it. And honestly, if salvia is telling you it needs a drink? Yeah, then you know it's been hot; no surprise, then, that this year's heat and relentless sun have left it looking a little more scorched than usual, but normally it just gets on with things, filling its pots with flowers and foliage without any careful shaping or constant deadheading from me.

That's exactly what I love about it. I'm increasingly drawn to plants that don't need me hovering over them, and salvia has more than earned its place in the garden on that basis alone. Let it grow, let it flop a little and let it do its thing – the result is much more relaxed than anything I could achieve by trying to keep it perfectly tidy.

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5. Mexican Fleabane

I have spoken before about my undying love for this invasive perennial, because Mexican fleabane is truly the ultimate “please just leave me alone” plant. I grow it in pots (every container garden needs one plant that thrives on neglect, right?), where it spills over the edges in clouds of tiny daisy-like flowers and somehow manages to make the whole container look more generous than anything I deliberately planted in it.

While you should never let it loose near sensitive habitats or encouraging it to spread unchecked, it's a beautiful pot plant. And a very, very, very easy one, too.

6. Yarrow

Yarrow is another perennial that gets more interesting as it ages, not least of all because it is one of the longest-blooming perennials going. Its flat-topped flowerheads have a lovely meadow-like quality when they're in bloom, but I also like the way they gradually dry and turn into little architectural platforms above the foliage.

Instead of cutting them down as soon as they fade, let them remain through fall and even into winter if you like the look. And, if you want one that looks like the picture above, you need the Strawberry Seduction™ Yarrow from Nature Hills in your life.

BONUS: Plants I Want to Grow

The lazy side of me is always on the lookout for plants that look fantastic while requiring approximately zero fuss. So there are a few more perennials firmly on my wish list.

Bee balm, catmint, Russian sage and tickseed (Coreopsis) are all calling my name, largely because they seem to have that same wonderfully unfussy quality – plenty of flowers, plenty of movement and very little need for me to hover over them with secateurs.

I'm particularly tempted by Russian sage for its silvery foliage and hazy purple flowers, while tickseed has the kind of cheerful, easygoing look that makes a border feel instantly more abundant. And bee balm? Anything that brings flowers, pollinators and a slightly unruly presence to the garden has my attention.

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Basically, my ideal perennial is one that looks like I've put considerably more effort into the garden than I actually have.

If that's not a planting strategy, I don't know what is.