What plants for low maintenance, colourful garden?

HendoP

Hi

We are preparing our house for sale in Newcastle and want to freshen up the front garden.

The garden is 5m x 0.8m and east facing and am looking for ideas / suggestions on what to plant.  Ideally I am looking for something relatively low maintence that will improve the street appeal.  Any ideas / suggestions greatly appreciated!

Front garden

JacobZ

Hi @HendoP,

It looks like a great opportunity to add some colour and appeal to the front of your home, and that soil looks beautiful to support your new plants.

For a balanced, layered look in your narrow garden bed, aim to place slightly taller plants along the back edge and lower-growing varieties toward the front. 

Since your garden sits close to the house, it’s important to choose back-row plants that won’t grow taller than about 60 cm and have non-invasive root systems to protect your home's foundations. Compact, well-behaved natives like Westringias, Lomandras, or compact varieties of Grevillea are perfect choices. These can be spaced evenly along the back to form a soft backdrop of foliage and subtle colour.

At the front of the bed, choose plants that grow lower, around 15–30 cm high, to create a natural tiered effect and allow the taller shrubs behind to remain visible. Great options include Native Violets, Brachyscomes, or Scaevolas, all of which spread gently and provide bursts of purple, blue, or white blooms. 

You might like to have a look through Top Low Maintenance Plants For Your Garden for some further options and advice.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob