Don’t fancy yourself a green-thumb? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The good news is, even if you do have a knack for killing plants, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a luscious green garden at your doorstep. The trick is to set your sights on hardy plants that are easy to take care of and hard to kill.

Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. Here are a bunch of plants that are going to survive with or without you – and if you need supplies, you can get an online quote from a local nursery.

Petunia
Petunias are the ultimate plants for Australian gardens. They’re drought tolerant, don’t require deadheading to promote new growth and are super easy to look after. Equally at home in a hanging basket or a garden bed, the pretty little petunia will even survive if they’re stepped on or run over by a bike, making them perfect for gardens frequented by kids and pets.

Related: Drought resistant gardens

Bougainvillea
When you think of bougainvillea, one of two things may come to mind. One: beautiful flowers adorning shopfronts and archways in Mediterranean towns, or two: a vine that climbs over a suburban fence, then over a shed, then disappears. The humble bougainvillea no doubt has a mind of its own, but it’s independent, and it totally doesn’t need you.

Whether you tend to your bougainvillea or not, it’ll definitely thrive and bloom for the most part of the year. Coming in a variety of flowering colours, including orange, yellow, pale green, purple, red and pink, the bougainvillea can definitely put on a show.

Agapanthus
We like to think of them as the superheroes of the plant world. They don’t really ask for anything, they’re nice to look at, and they’re fire retardant. That means if you live in a bushfire prone area, they’re less likely to present a risk, like say, a eucalyptus tree. Win-win.

They’re drought-tolerant, will grow in the shade or sun, can be planted on banks to curb erosion and don’t really need much apart from a bit of a shower every couple of days. You can see why they’re so popular in Australia now, right?

Related: A low maintenance tropical garden

Mint
If you’re after plants that are hard to kill, mint should be at the top of your list. In fact, it’s often known as a garden bully because of its tendency to grow pretty much anywhere and between pretty much anything. Lucky it’s edible and nice to look at.

Make sure you choose a spot where you won’t mind mint taking over — otherwise you can isolate it by growing it between paved areas, in baskets or pots. If you plant your mint in a pot, keep the pot in a paved area, because mint has a tendency to root wherever it touches the ground.

If you want more expert advice on what to plant or need supplies to give your garden the best chance at life, then speak to a local gardening supplier or request a quote from professional gardening services in your area.