IT is perfectly possible to have an attractive garden, even if it is plagued with slugs and snails. The following are fairly slug-proof in my garden, although there is always the odd investigative nibble.
Good hosta-substitutes (large-leaved plants, that grow near the ground) are bergenia, trachystemon, nasturtium and Arum "Pictum". Border perennials that are unpalatable to gastropods include hardy geraniums, toadflax, francoa, Lobelia tupa, aquilegia, eryngium, geum, paeony, evening primrose, Japanese anemone, Lychnis ckalcedonica and L. coronaria.
These tall and stately plants are good bets, although the lower foliage may suffer slug-damage: fox-gloves, Acanthus spinosus, verbascum, plume poppy (Macleaya), teasel and artichokes (despite acting as snail hide-outs during the day). Most herbs - but not basil - are mollusc-resistant, as are most ferns and ornamental grasses.
Seedlings of many plants are very vulnerable, so never sow directly into the ground - use seed trays instead. And if you want lettuces for your dinner, and not for the slugs, grow red-leaved varieties and cos.