Hi Jules and welcome to GoY. We need to know more about your garden, size, aspect, soil conditions. What sort of plants do you like, will you be growing in containers or the ground? To start with if you could put up a photo or photos of your garden and answer the questions I've asked we will undoubtedly be able to help you.

Hi Jules, welcome to GoY and the wonderful world of gardening. If your soil is suitable then I would suggest that one of the easiest low maintenance gardens could be created by growing heathers and conifers. You can get heathers that will flower at all times of the year and conifers of all sizes to suit the size of your garden. A suitable soil for these would be one that is not alkaline (chalky).

Thank you for your response. Dont have any photos of my garden yet, but it is quite small. i have a small patio, with steps leading up to a lawn with small flower beds. I have alkaline soil that is quite damp. Also i have a real problem with slugs and snails (i have Hostas that now look like lace) I have the sun in the garden most of the day.I love ferns, hostas, and most colourfull shrubs.

Hi Jules welcome to Goy. A Solunum Glasnevin will grow quite quickly and give you height . If you have a fence or wall round the garden, grow it near there, in a spot where you want a little shade. It has the great advantage that you can grow it like a tree or as a shrubby bush. As you say the garden is quite small I think as a tree would suit. It has blue flowers and lots of them throughout the whole summer. An Amelanchier Canadensis would give you height immediately, flowers in spring, fruit later and glorious autumn colour. Deciduous so no shade in the winter. Both will grow well in any aspect. If you have some way of supporting them Clematis or climbing roses will cover your walls and make the garden look much bigger. Go to the alphabet at the foot of this page and click on 'S' then 'small garden ideas' to see what others have done to get more ideas. Do not rush into doing anything, although mistakes can be rectified, and you will make them, as we all have done, it is very pleasurable to create something unique for yourself. Good luck

hey Jules, I'd suggest lots of flowering shrubs. Require very little maintenance, just a cut back/tidy up once a year, if at all!