Do you want to select plants that make your life easier, instead of harder? Whether you’re a landscape architect looking for a few low-maintenance plants to add to your palette, or you’re a home gardener who’s never designed a garden in their life, this article was written for you. We’ll start by learning a few tips that consistently make life easier in the landscape, and then we’ll go over a list of low-maintenance plants so that you don’t have to keep scouring the internet.

Making good choices during the design stage means fewer headaches down the line. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/landscape-architect-garden-sitting-her-modern-2240018725
Focus on Maintenance While Planning
Most gardens look best on the day the landscapers finish construction, which is a shame. A good landscape design ages like a fine wine, because the designer understands the growth habits and future maintenance requirements of every plant, and they’re realistic about the monetary or time commitments that are going to be allocated to the project moving forward.
One of the first considerations in your planning process should be building maintenance considerations into your design. This ensures your landscape will remain beautiful, functional, and sustainable for years to come.

Do you think installing these plants in this space was a good design decision, or a poor design decision? https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/city-landscapers-gardeners-mowing-lawn-gas-230875855
The Benefits of Maintenance-Focused Design
- Reduced Costs: Avoid frequent replacements or excessive upkeep by thinking ahead. Select plants and materials that will endure New Zealand’s variable climate and your specific location’s micro climates.
- Environmental Harmony: Efficient water usage, soil conservation, and biodiversity support are central to creating eco-friendly landscapes. And eco-friendly landscapes tend to look after themselves better than monocultures with dead soil, drenched in pesticides.
- Safety and Accessibility: Maintenance crews need easy and safe access to work on plants and structures. Plan pathways, avoid steep zones, and provide space for tools and machinery.
Practical Design Tips
Once you’ve chosen your plants, the next step is designing with their care requirements in mind. Here are some practical ways to simplify garden upkeep and boost efficiency.
Plan for Ease of Maintenance
- Paths and Access Points: Ensure gardens are easy to reach with tools or machinery. Narrow or cramped spaces make landscaping work unnecessarily difficult. As a maintenance horticulturist of over a decade, one of my pet peeves has always been pedestrian gates on an acreage, where you have to push mow the entire lawn every couple of weeks, instead of ride-on mowing, which would take a fraction of the time.
- Strategic Planting: Remember the golden rule of horticulture: right plant in the right place. Put moisture-lovers in wet spots and drought-lovers in dry spots. Space plants properly to prevent overgrowth. Temporary overplanting is fine when filling gaps, but be prepared to thin them out as they mature. As mentioned above, take all advice with a grain of salt as there’s a place for ‘over-planting’, too – and it doesn’t always have to be high in maintenance if you know what you’re doing.
- Functional Features: Think beyond aesthetics. Choose hardscape materials that are easy to clean and resistant to damage. A wise man, Erik van Zuilekom, once advised me to get at least 5 functions out of every plant – examples include predator attraction, erosion control, shade provision, etc.

Unlike most westringias, this variety can tolerate constant wet feet. Grey Box™ Westringia ‘WES04’ PVR. http://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/shrubs-and-ground-covers/grey-box-westringia/
Common Challenges and Mistakes to Avoid in Your Designs
Even seasoned gardeners can fall into design traps. Avoid these common errors when planning your next landscape.
- Poor drainage in high-rainfall areas causes waterlogging and can harm plants and hardscapes. This can be navigated using ‘buffer plants’ that can survive both extremes of flooding and drought, because such areas (bioswales, rain gardens, etc.) are rarely irrigated.
- Using fragile or high-maintenance materials, like intricate pavers, adds unnecessary complexity. With that being said, one or two high-maintenance elements can add a lot to the landscape and may be worth the trade-off; just make each material choice mindfully.
- Overcrowding leads to excessive trimming, shading issues, and resource competition. However, you may wish to embrace the scrubby, scrappy, naturalistic bush aesthetic which has many benefits. One way to keep the maintenance down is to chop everything down (coppice) every few years in early spring and then let it all grow back. As always, you need to choose the right plants for this approach.
- Putting the wrong plant in the wrong place is the cardinal sin of horticulture. Avoid putting sun-lovers in shade, water-haters in depressed areas lacking irrigation, or giants in courtyards.
Take these into account, and you’ll lay the groundwork for an easier-to-manage space.

This bottlebrush only needs pruning once every two years for a manicured appearance – or, leave it to grow in its natural shape without ever pruning at all! Better John™ Callistemon viminalis ‘LJ1’ PVR. http://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/shrubs-and-ground-covers/better-john-callistemon/
New Zealand-Friendly Plant Selection
Choosing the right plants for your garden is perhaps the single most important decision you’ll make for maintenance. The ability to buffer varying climatic events like flooding and frost is a good start, and low-maintenance qualities are a smart choice for reducing effort without compromising aesthetics.
Key Considerations for Plant Choice
- Climate Suitability: For example, Northern regions enjoy warmer conditions, while Southern areas may face frost and cooler temperatures. Opt for hardy plants that can tolerate your local conditions. Don’t forget about micro climates, either.
- Growth and Maturing Habits: Select plants that grow as you intend. Consider their ultimate size, growth speed and how much space they need to thrive. Avoid planting trees and large shrubs too close to fencelines, pathways, roofs, etc. Also, remember that fast-growing plants get to size quickly but they need more regular pruning than slow-growers.
- Choose Proven Performers: Plants that are well-bred for the challenges of the modern urban environment will generally last a lot longer than plants with more variable genetics, such as seed-grown plants. I don’t know about you, but I’m trying to create an idealised version of nature guided by the hand of man without all of the dieback we see in the bush.
Looking for inspiration? Here are a few excellent low-maintenance options for Kiwi gardens.
- Slim™ Callistemon viminalis CV01′ PVR. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/shrubs-and-ground-covers/slim-callistemon/
- Better John™ Callistemon viminalis ‘LJ1’ PVR. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/shrubs-and-ground-covers/better-john-callistemon/
- Blush™ Nandina domestica ‘AKA’ PVR. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/shrubs-and-ground-covers/blush-nandina/
- Obsession™ Nandina domestica ‘SEIKA’ PVR. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/shrubs-and-ground-covers/obsession-nandina/
- Dense Fence™ Viburnum odoratissimum. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/shrubs-and-ground-covers/dense-fence-viburnum/
- Little Jess™ Dianella caerulea ‘DCMP01’. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/little-jess-dianella/
- Tasred™ Dianella tasmanica ‘TR20’ PVR. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/tasred-dianella/
- Evergreen Baby™ Lomandra longifolia subsp. exilis ‘LM600’ PVR. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/evergreen-baby-lomandra/
- Lomandra longifolia ‘KATRINUS DELUXE’ PVR. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/katrinus-deluxe-lomandra/
- Amethyst™ Liriope muscari. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/amethyst-liriope-muscari/
- Sweet Mist™ Phormium tenax ‘PHOS2’ PVR. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/sweet-mist-phormium/
- Stripy Mist™ Phormium tenax ‘PHOS4’ PVR. https://ozbreed.co.nz/plant-ranges/strappy-leaf-plants/stripy-mist-phormium/
Towards Better Landscapes
By carefully planning for maintenance, you can create outdoor spaces that thrive with minimal input. Whether you’re designing a community garden or revamping your backyard, low-maintenance plants like these ensure a perfect balance between beauty and practicality.
Sustainable landscaping is about foresight and smart choices—embrace these principles, and your garden will flourish for seasons to come, with minimal upkeep!