Here's a straightforward low-maintenance approach that reduces garden upkeep while delivering beautiful results.

I was discussing this with my neighbour Frances, who manages an allotment with flowers, vegetables, soft fruit, fruit trees, a lawn, a shed, and a greenhouse. This year she felt overwhelmed by maintenance demands, especially after a poor spring rainfall stunted her seedling growth.

Rather than maintaining every inch of space, Frances applied mixed annual seeds to the areas she couldn't keep up with. The result was charming — a carpet of poppies and complementary flowers that's been flourishing with virtually no intervention since late May.

Annual seed mixes offer rapid, dramatic results requiring no maintenance for several months once established. Commercially available blends feature succession plantings, providing visual interest from June right through to the first frosts. The approach works regardless of garden size.

Success depends on proper seedbed preparation — better preparation yields better results. Pernicious weeds will compete with seedlings and reduce the display.

At season's end, the dead plants look untidy and need removing. And over years, seed accumulation creates imbalances that favour early-flowering, early-seeding species at the expense of later varieties.

This is a temporary solution, not a permanent planting plan. But for filling a gap with colour and pollinators while you work out what you really want? It's hard to beat.