Suggestions for outside summer pot plants which need minimal deadheading and watering !

Not particularly that variety, but I have grown impatiens with success. I admit they are not my favourite, but they certainly provide colour and last until frost.

Some varieties of trailing verbena can take drying out, so maybe a combination?

They do put on a constant show of flowers and are capable to doing well in the shade....an idea if your efforts are for UK summer pots?! You sound like a wonderful Fairy Godmother for those who tend to neglect their pots and plants. In lots of heat and daily sunshine, the pot plants would probably need watering every day, and in very hot weather probably twice. If this is not happening, you could get over this, maybe, by putting some water retaining gel beads in the pots when planting up and when you do a drive-by watering, maybe every other time mix up some Miracle Gro feed in the water. Total magic for plants, they double in size and vigour very quickly, they also soon revive with a drink of that if they are looking neglected. (And it goes a long way and is not expensive). Have a look at maybe, Verbena, Callibrachoa (Million Bells) Perovskia (Russian Sage) Lavenders, Astilbe, Lobelia, Marigolds, Nemesia, Vinca (not the trailing one) Pelargoniums/Geraniums and certainly Impatiens, both the New Guinea and the smaller varieties and Salvia Farinacea "Alba" and "Victoria" - white and purple. A large number of these don't need lots of dead-heading! Hope your efforts are appreciated

Yes I was going to say Impatiens CanadianGran Not many summer bedding plants can take a lot of neglect, but these can.

Of course pots are a pain because of the need to water.
I try not to use terracotta pots as they loose moisture, or plant into a plastic pot then put inside a prettier terracotta one.

Add water retaining gel, which might help.

A cheap irrigation system is to use an empty plastic water bottle. Cut the bottom of the bottle off and take the cap off. Stick the neck of the bottle into the soil and the top up the bottle with water and feed. A large size basket or tub would only need the bottle filling up every other day if you used a 1 litre bottle.

I would say don't do them any more!

Otherwise, pelargoniums don't mind being dry although they do need deadheading which is easy enough.
My nemesia seem to have survived the winter too and are flowering again despite being under an open porch and rather neglected.

Get them some artificial plants, or maybe don't bother. Seems little point in planting up for them to be neglected. I have done I same for my DS, bought them a beautiful ready planted arrangement for the front door only for it to spend the summer suffering. I learned my lesson!

Since I bought a cyclamen plant last Autumn I have not stopped being impressed by its persistent flowering through bad weather and the winter months. It is still blending with the blue crocuses in flower right now. The dead heading is minimal as the flowers die inconspicuously.

At the side of a lane nearby there is a clump of naturalised cyclamen that flowers each spring among the short grass.

After my cyclamen stopped flowering in the pots I transplanted them around the garden and they are like little jewels, flowering in little places everywhere now.

For me begonias are the easiest pot plants to have as they tolerate being dry and pouring rain doesn't spoil them.
The colours are vibrant and they last well into autumn

Callistemon, tell me, do cyclamens grow and flower okay naturalised in the shade? I noticed the original clump at the side of the lane has seeded a few feet away and single flowers are growing here and there.

I have some which seem to have seeded themselves into gravel next to the house, Alexa and they don't get much sun; they seem to be a 'wild' type, pale pink rather than the deeper colours or white of the cultivated ones.
They disappear and reappear every year but have been there for many years, given to me by a workmate who died far too young so I always think of her when they flower. I'm sure they were planted in the ground nearby, not in the gravel but they seem to like it there for some reason.

Many thanks for all these great suggestions; my head is reeling with information !
I am wholly to blame for the situation as I press my love of plants upon them even though they confess to liking the look of them but not the 'fiddling' . Could be even more dire this year as they have a six month old baby to nurture.
I'm going to write a plan of action, plants, feed and moisture gel and when needs must I'll double up on my plant patrol.

Could you arrange the containers closely and set up a watering system? All they would have to do then is turn on a tap - or you could even add a timer?

It might be worth it.

Hydrangeas in a large pot make a statement plant and flower well all summer, requiring no dead heading. A thorough drenching once a week, and the occasional feed is all they need. Some varieties are smaller and ideal for pots.

I have sunpatiens on order again this year, they are beautiful and make a great big mound of flowers but they do need tlc and watering

I would second begonias, they keep flowering and can tolerate neglect. One non stop in a decent pot. I have them on order too. Last year I was given a pot of fleabane and was also moving so it was sorely neglected but did not stop flowering. I bought some more last autumn, it was good in a pot

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Some of my pot grown Hydrangeas

Another for Begonias here, and Guinea Impatiens; need very little attention for a glorious display. Also fuschias - lots of varieties and a long flowering season. And if you’re lucky they’ll flower again the following year.

Oh I was just going to say fuschias. You beat me to it?

Hi.
Can you lovely people recommend some flowering shrubs for pots please.
My patio gets full sun all day
so need to be hardy. Shielding alone as many of us are and sitting on my patio is keeping me sane so would love to make it pretty. Thank you

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My favourite shrubs for pots are Fuschias. many of which are hardy. They flower until the frosts. I also have a Runawy Bride Hydrangea, which was Chelsea flower of the year a couple of years ago. Not only does it flower at the end of each stem, but also at each leaf joint (Google image). This year I have counted over 100 sets of buds on mine (second pic), which should open within a few weeks. Hydrangeas like plenty of water though.

Another vote for fuchsias here! There are plenty of hardy fuchsias which will survive year after year - and they are easy to take cuttings from!

Fuchsias, osteospurmums, geraniums all can cope with a bit of neglect. Geraniums seem to like dry conditions and they flower well in sunny climates. We get them every year and, luckily, they’ve all survived the winter and are blooming already.