Many gardens have soil that is too poor to be worth improving particularly when some perennials would thrive there anyway. Here is a top 14 selection of perennial plants that are tolerant of poor conditions.

Spring Flowering

Alyssum – yellow flowering

Aquilegia – mixed colours likes light  shade

Digitalis – Foxgloves with purple or white spikes

Doronicum – early yellow flowers, die back quickly

Lamium – ground cover bicoloured leaves and purple flowered

Vinca – arching stems with a prostrate habit and blue flowers

Summer Flowering

Acanthus – bears breeches, spikey leaves with purple flowers

Geranium – species with low habit and pink, blue or white flowers ( not Pelargoniums)

Hemerocalis – Grass like foliage Day lilies

Hypericum – St Johns Worts shrubs with yellow flowers

Nepta – silvery foliage cat mints

Saxifrage – white and pink starry shaped flowers on a neat mound

Autumn Flowering

Anemone Japonica – Pink or white flowers clump forming

Solidago – Erect yellow flowers best in a limy soil