Field Guide No. 03
Plants That Suit Your Lifestyle
Right plant. Right place. Right for your time.
Your time is precious. Choose plants and simple routines that fit your life, your soil and our Suffolk climate. The right plants need less routine attention once established — so you can enjoy your garden, not feel like it's a never-ending job.
A quiet read — around 6 minutes.
What's your lifestyle?
I've got time
You like to get stuck in and change things around. Try roses, dahlias, clematis, hydrangeas, hostas, peonies, annuals and veg.
TipA little and often keeps these gardens looking their best.
I've got some time
You've got some time most weeks but don't want high maintenance. Try hardy geraniums, nepeta, salvia, rudbeckia, heuchera, lavender, ornamental grasses and evergreens.
TipThese plants are reliable and give great value for the time you put in.
I've got little time
You want a good-looking garden without spending hours on it. Try lavender, salvia, hardy hebes, sedums, ornamental grasses, pittosporum, euonymus and Ilex crenata.
TipMulch well and water deeply in dry spells — then let your plants do the rest.
I want to do as little as possible
You want simple, tough planting that looks after itself. Try choisya, hardy hebes, lavender, sedums, euphorbia, stipa and festuca grasses, evergreen groundcovers and hardy ferns.
TipGood plants + good mulch = minimum maintenance.
The three golden rules for every lifestyle
Right plant
Choose plants that suit your garden — not the other way around. Match to your light, soil, climate and time.
Healthy soil makes healthy plants
Good soil, mulch and watering when establishing make all the difference. Feed the soil, not just the plants.
Little & often
Small, regular tasks keep any garden looking its best and prevent big jobs later on. Do a little, regularly.
Quick wins for busy people
- Mulch well — stops weeds and keeps moisture in.
- Water deeply, less often. Early morning is best.
- Deadhead faded flowers to keep things looking good for longer.
- Cut back in late winter or early spring.
- Do a little each week — ten minutes adds up.
The best gardens fit around your life, not the other way around.
Bon Gardening Field Guides are written with Suffolk gardens in mind. Every garden is different, so these guides offer practical principles rather than fixed rules.
