For a low-maintenance garden, there are certain high-maintenance, fussy plants that you should avoid. Avoid bedding plants, vegetables, seeds that need sowing, annual flowers, tender plants, delphiniums that need staking, climbers and creepers that quickly run out of control, and plants that require extensive pruning such as wisteria.

You should also limit the number of plants you have so there are fewer to maintain. Stick to around 5-10 varieties and those that are well suited to your garden’s soil type so that they grow without needing much attention.