No-Fuss Garden Plans

You won't have to worry about dragging the hose to water this garden during the summer. This garden is stocked with heat- and drought-tolerant plants such as sedum, feather reedgrass, and euphorbia. With the right plant selection, it'll look good all summer long.

Garden size: 10 by 16 feet

Keep your yard looking fantastic all summer long with this high-impact, low-care garden plan. It features a variety of summer favorites. Tuck this low-care garden into a corner of your yard for a big display of summer color.

Garden size: 15 by 9 feet

Turn your boulevard into a heavenly oasis of color and bloom with fuss-free native plants. You count on native plants such as purple coneflower, baptisia, goldenrod, and aster to wow your neighbors—with hardly any effort on your part. Use this plant to recreate it for yourself.

Garden size: 6 by 29 feet

Russian sage, lavender, and catmint are sure bets for an easy-care garden. These plants mix with others for a long display of color, texture, and fragrance. The variety of heights makes this garden perfect for flower beds against fences.

Garden size: 12 by 12 feet

Some plants shut down in hot weather. But the varieties in this design shine, so you can enjoy a brilliant patchwork of color no matter what the weather's like. Dahlias and lilies are the backbone of this garden that offers bold, colorful blooms (they're perfect for cutting!) throughout the summer.

Garden size: 8 by 17 feet

Banish front-yard blahs by installing this easy corner-fence garden of fast-growing flowers. Packed with sun-loving bloomers, the garden features a mix of easy-growing annuals punctuated with just a few perennials. Cheery black-eyed Susan looks great with low-care cosmos, penstemon, butterfly bush, and more in this long-flowering design.

Garden size: 11 by 11 feet

Transform a tough-to-mow hillside into a wonderful display of color and texture with this design filled with easy-care plants. Yellows, pinks, and purples fill in every crack and crevice. Plants of different heights add drama.

Garden size: 8 by 9 feet

Enjoy loads of beautiful color all season long with this garden plan. It features no-fuss favorites such as daylilies and purple coneflowers. This garden stays looking great, no matter how hot the weather gets.

Garden size: 10 by 13 feet

Even as the mercury climbs, this ultraeasy garden plan looks great—all summer long. Tall and short plants dress up an empty area of siding. This plan includes flowers of almost every color for a happy look.

Garden size: 5 by 10 feet

Don't spend your summer dragging around a hose. This easy garden plan features a range of beautiful, drought-tolerant plants. Ornamental grasses provide fantastic versatility in texture, color, and structure for virtually any garden, particularly those that receive less water. 

Garden size: 33 by 24 feet

Annual gardens are fun and simple, and provide brilliant color throughout the summer. They are best planted in waves or groups of like plants for the best color displays. Annuals can be planted by seed, or use transplants for faster results. This is a one-season-only garden, but a few of the plants may reseed.

Garden size: 18 by 6 feet

The ultratough plants in this garden plan hold up well to harsh, seaside conditions and look great through the year. Even if you don't live on the coast, this garden is virtually care free. This design provides colorful flowers and foliage all season long.

Garden size: 14 by 9 feet

Add the romance of a cottage garden to your front yard for extra curb appeal. Create Victorian-style charm around a white picket fence with this front-yard garden plan. This easy plan offers favorites such as daylilies, nasturtiums, and Oriental lilies.

Garden size: 9 by 11 feet

Seven perennials and one annual provide colors and textures throughout the growing season. A decorative birdbath adds a focal point. Tuck this garden in a corner of your yard for a beautiful burst of no-fuss, late-season color.

Garden size: 16 by 10 feet

Sultry summer heat can leave a lot of gardens looking down. Use this garden plan to create an easy-care, cottage-style garden that blooms all summer long, even in the hottest of weather. Keep your landscape looking fresh with this easy-care garden plan that features some of our favorite heat-resistant plantings.

Garden size: 12 by 13 feet

Specially designed for beginning or time-constrained gardeners, this small garden plan features some of the best low-care perennials you can grow. This collection will produce colorful flowers and foliage from spring to fall. These plants are low maintence.

Garden size: 14 by 6 feet

End your season with a bang. This easy garden plan features mums, asters, and other low-work fall favorites. This informal, naturalistic garden plan relies perennials and annuals for midsummer bloom.

Garden size: 22 by 17 feet

Solve a tough-to-mow slope with this beautiful, low-care garden plan. This mix of easy annuals and tough perennials will beautify any slope. Warm-toned blooms contrast beautifully with green foliage.

Garden size: 17 by 17 feet