Shrubs are quite literally the backbone of a low-maintenance backyard. And easy-going shrubs that look after themselves in late summer are exactly what we all need when the weather's there to be appreciated. So pull up a recliner and let's go through a handful of my favorites. All will bring color, structure, a long season of interest and, crucially, zero demands at this time of year.

From pretty, late-flowering specimens to architectural shade lovers and glossy-foliaged evergreens that will look fabulous all year round, I've selected seven brilliant shrubs that will set your backyard care regime to autopilot. Many are perfect for containers too, whether that's on the patio, flanking the front door or creating focal points within your outdoor space.

Plant-and-forget shrubs that thrive on neglect will change the way you garden. To read more, Taylor's 50 Best Shrubs from Amazon is a reliable and informative book full of foolproof options.

1. Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternata)

One of my all-time favorite shrubs is Choisya ternata, or Mexican orange blossom. In mid spring it's awash with deliciously scented star-shaped white flowers. And sometimes you get a second flowering later in the year, without any special treatment, just because it's generous that way.

The foliage of choisya is an easy delight too – elegant palmate leaves that release a fresh, floral scent when brushed. And because it's an evergreen you can enjoy them all year round.

How to grow choisya? Well, it's happy in sun or shade (although best out of full sun), and it's one of the best shrubs for a container.

A couple placed either side of a semi-shaded doorway – these glossy white fiberstone planters from Wayfair would really set off choisya's spring flowers – will bring structure, perfume and interest through all 12 months of the year.

Choisya doesn't even really need pruning – it's not a fast grower, so maybe if it's getting too big for its space (it can reach around 8ft/2.5m, but after quite a few years). Choisya really is the perfect low-maintenance shrub.

2. Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica)

Despite the name, this upright evergreen is unrelated to bamboo. In fact, with its glossy, red, elongated leaves it looks more like a cross between 'Red Robin' and a mahonia, but more compact. Either way, it's a handsome plant, and a huge favorite with landscapers and garden designers, who are wise to its easygoing charms.

It needs a fair bit of sunlight to produce the fiery-colored foliage it's known for, so plant it in a west or south-facing spot, following the guidelines for how to plant all shrubs. It looks great all year round, producing delicate sprays of tiny white flowers in midsummer, the foliage taking on rich red/purple tones from spring into summer.

It's one of the best shrubs for fall berries too, producing green berries that turn bright red in fall, just as the foliage shifts once more to fiery red and bronze. And there's no real pruning requirements either.

Heavenly bamboo can reach around 6ft (2m), although there are plenty of cultivars to choose from (take a look at the nandina collection at Fast Growing Trees). They come in varying sizes, including dwarf Gulf Stream, part of the evergreen shrubs collection at My Perfect Plants, 'which grows to around 4ft (1.2m) and is ideal for patio containers.

3. Wiegela

An absolute beauty of a shrub, easy-to-grow weigela comes in many different forms, with large clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers in white, yellow, pale pink, raspberry or rich red. It begins to bloom in late spring, often with a second flush later in the season.

Depending on the species and cultivar, it'll grow to anything from 3-12ft (1-4m) tall, so there's one for any spot in the backyard, whether that's a small container or towards the back of a border. As always if planting in containers, it's a good idea to fork in some slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote, from Lowes.

If you're asking yourself how to grow wiegela, it's a native of eastern Asia, and tolerant of all kinds of soils (although it can't handle anything waterlogged), in either full sun or light shade. And yes, you can grow wiegela in pots too.

I particularly love the variegated versions (find all kinds in Nature Hills' Weigela collection), where each deep green leaf is outlined in cream – a really pretty pairing with its pale pink flowers.

Plant weigela and you'll also be helping out your local wildlife as the flowers are a huge magnet for bees and other pollinators.

4. Japanese aralia (Fatsia japonica)

Garden designer adore this shady stalwart, and for good reason. Fatsia is a magnificent evergreen shrub, with huge, glossy palmate, or hand-shaped, leaves that bring an undeniably exotic vibe. It's widely recognised as one of the best shrubs for shade, and also copes well with heavy soil.

Although fatsias are mainly grown for their dramatic foliage, in fall they can put on a surprisingly good show of creamy flowers (great for late-season pollinators), which are followed by black berries.

Some varieties will grow as tall as 13ft (4m), but fatsia is not a fast grower and you can prune it back easily in late spring if needed. And really that's all the maintenance it needs.

In a large urn it brings incredible presence and structure to a shady entrance or patio – perhaps this classic Lucca pot in Terracotta from Target. Or pair it in borders with shade-tolerant clump-forming bamboos and grasses for a lush, exotic feel.

Try the variegated cultivar 'Tsumugi-shibori' or 'Spider's Web' (from Plant Addicts), which looks like it's been dusted with sugar. It lights up a shady border with style.

5. Abelia

If you're after an easy-to-care-for late-summer flowering shrub that's happy in moist soils, colorful all year round, evergreen, scented and loved by pollinators, abelia is the one.

I think abelia is hugely underrated. It has all of these things and more. Glossy leaves, great clusters of funnel-shaped flowers in pretty shades of pink, and heaps of different varieties to choose from, many of which are tried and tested cultivars.

Try long-flowering pale pink x , which will fill your yard with sweet perfume from June to October, or super-colorful Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' from Plant Addicts, with its dramatic color-shifting foliage.

Here's how to grow abelia. Depending on the variety, abelias tend to grow to around 8ft (2m) and prefer a sunny, slightly sheltered spot (although it tolerates shade fairly well) away from cold winds, in well-drained soil (so dig in some soil conditioner such as Worm Castings from Home Depot) if yours is heavy clay. You can give it a little trim to keep its shape in fall, but apart from that, let it be.

6. Sweet box (Sarcococca confusa)

Tough but absolutely beautiful, sweet box is a dense, arching evergreen shrub that flowers in late winter, its deep green stems decked with delicate star-shaped beads and heady with the most intense perfume that carries on the breeze.

Sarcococca is another of the best shrubs for shade, so grow it towards the back of a north- or east-facing border (it copes magnificently with dry shade once established) or in containers somewhere you'll appreciate that lovely winter scent.

Sweet box will grow to around 8ft (2m) tall and needs little to no pruning, just a little reshaping and removing of anything dead or damaged in early spring, after flowering, although cultivars like Sweet & Lo from Nature Hills are much more compact.

This really is one of the most useful shrubs I know, and I rely on its glossy dark green structure for the areas of deepest shade in my yard.

7. Chaste tree (Vitex agnus castus)

This large deciduous shrub is relatively new to me. But it's high on my list of plants to grow, after seeing it mentioned by the gardeners at legendary Great Dixter House & Gardens in Sussex, UK. Here they wax lyrical about its easygoing drought-tolerant beauty in late summer.

At Great Dixter, they grow this Mediterranean native in full sun in sharp, well-drained soil, pruning it back hard in early spring. The result is a glorious show of lavender-blue buddleia-like flowers that are at their peak from August into fall.

Like Shoal Creek chaste tree from Fast Growing Trees, all have foliage that is beautifully aromatic too. A real show-stopper of a shrub that copes extremely well with drought, simple to look after, and perfect if you're after inspiration on how to create a Mediterranean garden. It'll reach an eventual height of 8ft (2m).

It's easy to get caught up in all the jobs there are to do in the yard. But a garden is for enjoyment and relaxation, and foolproof shrubs like these will make it that much simpler to take some time to relish the color, foliage and wildlife your outdoor space brings.

I hope you've been inspired to embrace the easy wins and plant a few low-maintenance shrubs – I promise, it's the perfect antidote to a busy life.

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