25 Plants That Survive With or Without You

The satisfaction a seasoned gardener enjoys is the result of patience, time, and experience: trial and error, taking some chances, watching things thrive—and sometimes watching them fail. But a beginning gardener needs a few sure things, plants that are easy to grow and maintain, and that will give them the confidence to move on to greater challenges. Check out these 25 garden gimmes, practically guaranteed to bring lush beauty to the garden with minimal effort.

Nandina domestica, commonly called "nandina," is an easy-to-grow evergreen shrub that looks lush in a landscape. White flowers in spring give way in winter to brilliant red berries that make excellent cuttings for wreaths and holiday floral arrangements. Nandina will fill out and reseed itself, but this hardy beauty can be pruned without worry. Available at The Home Depot; $13.95.

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As far as annual flowers go, marigolds offer one of the best bangs for the buck. After you put them in the ground, you can leave them alone and they'll bloom until fall. Hardy and forgiving, marigolds tolerate most any soil condition and will even rebound after being nicked by the lawnmower. The plants can reseed themselves, so depending on your location, you may find marigolds popping up next spring. If you're so lucky, dig them up and move them as you see fit to enjoy them for another season. Available on Etsy; $20.95.

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This deer-resistant perennial is easy to care for and rewards the beginning gardener with long-blooming deep purple flowers. It’s a favorite of hummingbirds and bees, and will become a favorite of yours, as it comes back year after year. Available on Etsy; $12.99.

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This non-culinary mint variety is a showy perennial that will bring pleasure to you—and your cat—for years to come. Blooming in early spring, it is easy to grow and tolerates both heat and drought. You don’t need to do a thing for it, although if you prune the flowers after they’re spent, you may get another show later in the season. Available on Etsy; $12.95 for one plant.

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Low, and slow growing, Indian hawthorn is the perfect shrub for sunny spots in your landscape. It has a naturally rounded growing habit, and so needs little pruning. Its attention-grabbing clusters of pink or white blooms, which give way each spring to blue berries that attract birds and other small wildlife. It is evergreen, to boot—meaning it will provide year-round interest to your garden. Available from The Home Depot; $32.98.

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A hardy perennial, the Autumn Joy variety of sedum is an easy-going showstopper. Drought tolerant, its sturdy shoots bring forth deep burgundy flowers in late summer and autumn. When the weather turns cold, you can leave the stalks standing to provide food for birds throughout the winter. Or, simply cut them to the ground once they’ve flagged, and wait for them to burst out again next spring. Available on Etsy; $6.50.

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For easy-care groundcover in shaded areas, you can’t beat hostas. Coming in hundreds of varieties from green, to gold, to variegated, there’s one to suit any taste. Relatively disease-free, once established, hostas will grow and continue to come back for years, making these lush beauties are a welcome addition to any garden. Available on Amazon; $27.

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Called Lamb’s Ear for it’s soft, fuzzy foliage, this stalwart perennial will grace your garden as a border or ground cover. Though mostly grown for its low growing, mat-like foliage, it sends spikes of purple flowers up in spring. Once established, Lamb’s Ear requires little maintenance. As with all flowering plants, it’s best to deadhead blooms once they’re spent, but Lamb’s Ear will thrive whether you do or not. Available on Etsy; $9.49.

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If you’re in need of a low-growing ground cover that thrives on neglect, Creeping Juniper is your best friend. It will adapt to most any soil and is extraordinarily hardy. The ultimate in low maintenance, this evergreen makes an excellent foundation or border plant, and never needs pruning. Available on Amazon; $5.99.

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Coreopsis, also called Tickseed, is a part of the Asteraceae family and comes in a variety of heights and colors. Once established, perennial varieties will come back year after year, and blanket your landscaping beds with cheerful, delicate flowers and wispy foliage. Available on Etsy; $9.95.

Also known as monkey grass, liriope provides evergreen color, seasonal flower spikes, and fall and winter berries. This ground cover will crowd out weeds and can spread to fill in bare spots with no effort from you. Just be sure to plant it in an area where you don't mind it spreading out, or be prepared to prune it back.  Available on Etsy; 1$24.99.

Ornamental bamboo does well in shaded parts of the yard, like against the house or fence. Many varieties of bamboo can grow quite tall, making them ideal plants for a living privacy fence. Be aware that some varieties of bamboo are invasive and should be grown in containers to prevent them from spreading into the wider natural environment. Available on Amazon; $55.98.

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