Go for instant effect
If you want quick results, go for plants that grow fast but won't swamp your garden. The potato vine (Solanum jasminoides) and passion flower (Passiflora incarnate) are climbers that put on plenty of growth in a season, and they keep some of their leaves over winter too. Or invest in a few large, distinctive plants such as New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax) and New Zealand cabbage palm (Cordyline australis) which create stunning focal points. Container-grown ornamental grasses or bamboos provide an instant, informal screen.

Don't prune
It's simple: choose plants that don't need pruning. Slow-growing shrubs with a naturally good shape like the conical pittosporum (Pittosporum tenuifolium) need minimal snipping. Mahonias, conifers, palms and ferns have distinctive, architectural shapes and should look after themselves in the right spot. If you love clematis but are put off by complicated pruning, choose the early-flowering 'Group 1' varieties which require no pruning at all.

Avoid perennials
They look great, but they're needy little things requiring staking, deadheading and dividing. Bear's breech (Acanthus mollis), rudbeckias, sedums and hollyhocks are good, lower-maintenance options. Incorporate plenty of flowering shrubs such as Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternate) and osmanthus, both evergreen with beautiful, sweet-smelling white flowers in spring. Feather grasses such as Stipa and ornamental grasses like Calamagrostis will give your border structure and movement. And if you can spare an afternoon in autumn planting bulbs, you'll be rewarded with lots of effort-free colour in early spring.

Minimise watering
It can be extremely time-consuming so opt for Mediterranean-style plants that are used to hot, dry conditions. Hollyhocks, Bear's breeches (Acanthus mollis), lavender, rosemary and verbena (Verbena bonariensis) are all good choices. Pots can be extremely high-maintenance, so fill them with nicotiana, osteospermum, geraniums, petunias and nasturtiums which withstand a little neglect and bloom prolifically too. See Hot and Dry Garden for inspirational advice and Watering Tips for more advice.