For many experienced gardeners, nothing is more soul satisfying than discovering that a pampered plant is finally sending out a delicate bud.

There is a sense of victory and vindication for all those hours spent fussing. But for the veteran gardener, as much as for the beginner, carefree plants are essential to the successful garden.

Carefree plants deliver maximum performance for minimum effort. They can grow in plain dirt with minimal watering or fertilizing. They can tolerate our Mediterranean climate and are not susceptible to most pests and diseases. It is easy to keep them looking good without excessive watering or grooming. Smart gardeners plant them in masses for the greatest effect and the easiest care.

The following plants are survivors, tough and well suited to our Napa Valley climate. With these carefree plants in your garden, you will have less work and worry and more time to relax and smell the flowers.

On the carefree list, the hardest working plants in the garden are perennials. They live for many years and can bloom for long periods without much care. Society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea), agapanthus, iris and daylily (Hemerocallis) are all especially easy to grow. Their foliage is spikelike and adds excellent punctuation to the garden. Some iris and society garlic have variegated foliage that can bring a cool note to hot gardens. Iris and daylily blossoms come in a wide range of colors, and a new re-blooming series of iris extends the season. None of these species requires heavy watering.

Most plants found on roadsides and growing out of cracks in cement are considered weeds, but Centranthus ruber (Jupiter’s beard) is no weed. It is a large Mediterranean wildflower that gives good value with virtually no care. The bushy clumps of red, light pink or bright white flowers will deliver a lot of color from late spring to the end of summer.

Penstemons and most salvias are sun-loving plants with little tolerance for wet feet or rich soils. Penstemons in particular need fast drainage, and some salvias, once established, can get by on a single soaking per month. Most like an occasional deep soaking. Successful penstemons include Apple Blossom, Midnight and Sour Grapes. Popular salvias include Indigo Spires and East Friesland. Another plus: butterflies love salvias and penstemons

Gaura lindheimeri is a drought-tolerant perennial whose flowers resemble little white butterflies flying in the wind. The blossoms form along the tip of long wands and wave with the slightest breeze for a light and ethereal effect. Seedlings make many new plants. The Siskiyou pink variety has pink flowers.

Annuals and bulbs are great for filling in the spaces between perennials. Easy spring-blooming bulbs that will be available soon at the nursery include daffodils, crocus and grape hyacinths.

Alliums are summer-blooming bulbs that should not be overlooked. In the same family as onion and garlic, they produce single stems with a round ball (sometimes resembling shooting stars) on top. Available in a range of heights and colors, their striking silhouettes shout, “Look at me!” 

All of the bulbs mentioned here fall into the “plant it and forget it” category. Don’t fertilize too much, don’t water too much, and don’t cut off the foliage while it is still green. While considering the “don’ts,” don’t plant tulips if you expect more than one season out of your bulbs. Some species of tulips might come back, but our Napa Valley winters are not typically cold enough to produce the grand tulip displays one sees in garden magazines. 

The annuals best suited to carefree gardens are the ones that survive the winter or that self seed. Sweet alyssum fills bare spots easily, reseeds, but not invasively, and often overwinters. Violas and pansies can both overwinter and reseed, but they will need a bit of shade during the hottest months to survive.

Carefree annuals, bulbs and perennials are similar in their needs. Water wisely, feed them occasionally and top the surrounding soil with mulch. An inch or two of mulch will protect soil from crusting, keep plant roots cool in summer and prevent weed seeds from germinating. The nutrients in the mulch will feed the soil, your plants and all the microorganisms so important to the establishment of a healthy and carefree garden.

Contact Master Gardeners at the UC Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa, 253-4221, or toll-free at 877-279-3065. E-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on their Web site www. master gardeners.org. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions?