The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today announced that Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, the former Prime Minister of Canada, will be a headline speaker at its 26th Global Summit taking place between 7–9 October 2026 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, joining more than 1000 delegates from over 100 countries and over 200 leading Travel & Tourism CEOs, senior executives and government leaders.
Fall brings a fresh wave of reasons to visit the nation’s capital, including a weekend of celebrations for a key anniversary, major attraction openings, plus sports and cultural events that can only happen in Washington, DC.
Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, has spearheaded discussions with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to explore new avenues of development cooperation, with a focus on strengthening tourism training, education and health infrastructure across the island. Discussions included post Hurricane Melissa reconstruction under the Minister’s Tourism 3.0 strategic reimagining of the sector.
Gardening experts have revealed five autumn plants that thrive on neglect for a low-maintenance seasonal garden filled with colour and texture.
If you’re a bit of a lazy gardener, or simply too busy to spend hours tending delicate plants, a low-maintenance garden idea (that works) is like gold dust. Luckily for you, these plant recommendations are all tough and easy to care for – you can pretty much leave them to do their thing.
If you want a beautiful autumn garden without the stress of cultivating one, here are the five plants that thrive on neglect that gardeners recommend.
1. Sedums
First on the list are sedums, a colourful perennial that thrives on neglect. Available in an array of colours, not only do these plants require minimal care, but they are also excellent for attracting bees and butterflies to your garden.
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‘If you’re the sort of gardener who occasionally forgets to water or simply doesn’t have hours to spend outside, sedum is a brilliant choice. Its thick, fleshy leaves store water, so it copes surprisingly well during dry spells, and it doesn’t need rich soil or regular feeding to perform well,’ says Luke Newnes, gardening expert for Hillarys.
‘Planting it now gives the roots a chance to settle into still-warm soil before winter, and next year you’ll be rewarded with masses of late-season flowers that pollinators absolutely love.’
If you want flowers from August through autumn, Japanese Anemones are an excellent choice. These long-flowering blooms are ideal for filling in sparse borders and bringing much-needed colour to autumn gardens once established.
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‘Japanese anemones quietly get on with the job year after year. Once established, they’ll return reliably every autumn with very little input, gradually forming larger clumps that produce elegant blooms just as many other plants are fading,’ says Charlotte McGrattan, hardy nursery stock buyer at Hillier Garden Centres.
‘They need very little watering once fully established, are generally trouble-free and don’t require regular feeding or pruning, making them perfect for gardeners who prefer a more hands-off approach.’
Who doesn’t love a geranium to brighten a garden, patio or even balcony? Offering vibrant colour and pretty blooms, growing geraniums should be on every low-maintenance gardener’s to-do list.
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‘I’d recommend hardy geraniums to almost anyone looking for a low-effort garden. They’re incredibly forgiving, happy in a range of conditions and form dense mounds of foliage that help suppress weeds naturally. Once they’re settled in, they’re largely self-sufficient and don’t need constant watering or feeding. Plant them in autumn, and they’ll spend the cooler months establishing strong roots, which means less work and better growth next spring,’ says Luke.
Heuchera is one of the best ground cover plants for suppressing weeds, as well as adding colour to your garden – so there’s plenty of reasons for planting heuchera, low-maintenance aside.
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‘Heucheras are one of the easiest plants to grow, with vibrant foliage that provides colour long after their summer flowers have faded. While spent flower stems can be removed for a tidier appearance, they’re far less demanding than many flowering perennials, typically needing little more than the occasional tidy-up of old leaves,’ says Charlotte.
‘They thrive in partial or dappled shade whilst some cultivars can cope well with full sun. Once fully established, many heucheras continue performing without frequent watering or feeding.’
Bergenia is a shade-loving perennial, making it a great choice for gardens that don’t get a lot of sunshine. It’s also incredibly hardy, making it a pretty much foolproof choice for beginner gardeners.
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‘Bergenia is one of the toughest garden plants you can buy and often looks after itself once it’s in the ground. It copes well with shade, can handle periods of drought and keeps its attractive evergreen leaves throughout the year, so there’s always something to look at in the garden,’ says Luke.
‘For busy people who want reliable colour and structure without lots of maintenance, it’s hard to beat. Planting now allows roots to establish before winter, helping it to settle in quickly.’
