How To Create A Low Maintenance Garden
A low maintenance garden is highly attractive for modern homeowners, because it gives you the benefits of a beautiful outdoor space without the work required.
When you have to juggle constant tasks and family needs, taking care of a garden is likely the last thing you want to do. This is where low maintenance garden design comes in, and there are various ways you can implement this into your landscape.
As a premier landscaping company, Green Acorn Garden Design has helped many clients create their dream outdoor space – no matter their requirements. In this post, we are relying on our years of experience and professional skills to share some of the best low maintenance garden ideas to help you create a stunningly easy outdoor space.
What Is A Low Maintenance Garden?
A low maintenance garden is self-explanatory, but it is important to note that low maintenance does not mean no work needs to be done. There is always going to be some gardening required to keep your outdoor space healthy and attractive throughout the year, but a low maintenance garden is significantly easier to care for than traditional spaces.
Low maintenance gardens are centred on smart garden design, sustainable materials, and hardy plants to reduce the amount of work needed to care for it.
Plants and landscapes change with the seasons, meaning your garden will need some care as the year goes on. However, by incorporating low-maintenance garden ideas, you can reduce this to-do list and ensure your landscape is always in an attractive state, no matter the weather.
Low maintenance garden ideas centre on reducing the most time-consuming tasks, such as lawn mowing, weeding, and fertilising, so you can enjoy the outdoors without the effort.
Easy Care Planting Ideas
One of the biggest chores when managing a garden is planting. Plants need year-round care to ensure they survive the weather changes, and this can take up a lot of your time.
However, by carefully considering your planting options and relying on hardy perennials, evergreen shrubs and drought-resistant plants, you can create a low-maintenance garden. Some of the best plants to consider for your low-maintenance garden include:
- Evergreens: Boxwood, lavender, and pittosporum for year-round structure and greenery
- Drought-Tolerant Plants: Sedum, ornamental grasses, and rosemary offer texture and scent without ongoing watering or fertilising
- Low-Care Perennials: Echinacea, geraniums, and salvia will return to your garden every spring
As well as considering the kind of plants to add to your low-maintenance garden, you also want to consider their placement. It is a good idea to group plants based on their watering needs, as this can make things easier for you to manage. Keep plants that need frequent watering in the same area of the garden, or even in the same flower bed or planter, so you can reduce the time needed for this task.
Likewise, using organic fertilisers and mulch is a great time-saver. All plants can benefit from the additional nutrients and hydration offered by mulch, ensuring they grow healthy without additional work. Add a layer or mulch, such as compost or wood chips, to your flower beds to provide plants with better soil temperature and moisture, as well as essential nutrients throughout the season.
Lawn Replacements: Make Your Life Easier
Your lawn is the centre of your garden design, but it requires a lot of work to keep it this way. For most people, the lawn is the biggest time-suck of landscaping, preventing them from being able to truly enjoy their outdoor space.
To create a low maintenance garden, consider reducing or even replacing the lawn completely. By removing the organic grass from your landscape, you are also removing the need for constant lawn mowing, fertilisation, aerating and watering. Not only are these time-consuming tasks, but they can be expensive to maintain over the year, as your lawn needs a lot of care to keep it lush and green.
There are various options for lawn replacements to help you create a low-maintenance haven, no matter your garden design. Consider the following to save time and money:
- Artificial Grass: Ideal for those who still want the lush green appeal of grass without the work and commitment. Artificial lawn is a safe surface for children and pets and is easily cleaned using a brush or vacuum cleaner.
- Decorative Patios: Using a luxurious paving material such as porcelain or bespoke block paving stones, you can replace even the largest turfs with a stunning new surface. Hardscaping is much easier to care for than organic lawn, and also creates a functional area in the garden that can be used for dining, entertaining or relaxing.
If you do not want to completely remove the lawn from your garden, you may want to consider reducing the space. This can also help create a low-maintenance garden, but it does not mean you have to go without.
Using natural stepping stones, a curved pathway or even redefined borders can reduce the lawn space in your garden without compromising the appeal and functionality of the landscape.
Hard-Wearing Materials To Consider
The materials used across your garden design can also determine whether you are creating a low maintenance landscape. You want to ensure that your garden will withstand the test of time and continue to look attractive throughout the seasons.
This is where hard-wearing and long-lasting materials come in and should be considered across all hardscaping. From fencing to patio installation, the materials you choose determine how much work is needed outdoors.
Save yourself time and money by considering the following low-maintenance garden ideas:
- Weather-Resistant Hardscaping: Choose options such as composite decking and resin-bound patios to ensure your garden withstands the tests of time and can be used in all weather conditions. These are hardy materials that can resist all forms of weather, including snow and ice.
- Invest Now, Save Later: Hard-wearing materials such as resin paving and driveways may be more expensive initially, but they will provide long-term savings. By reducing the need for repairs and maintenance, your garden will be cheaper to manage than those made using more affordable but weaker materials in the initial stages.
- Raised Beds: Raised flower beds offer better soil control and management, meaning less work is required to care for your plants throughout the year. Create raised flower beds using metal, wood or composite so you have a long-lasting focal point in the garden, and be sure to invest in a weed membrane to prevent weed development.
Smart Gardening Tools: Automated Landscaping
Smart technology is a valuable tool for modern homeowners as it makes many of our chores easier to manage. The same technology is now available for our gardens and can play a huge role in developing a low maintenance garden.
By considering smart technology and automated landscaping tools, you can rest assured your garden is getting the care it needs without your input. Some of the best smart landscaping tools include:
- Solar Powered Lights: These are incredibly popular and do not have to break the bank. Solar-powered lights rely on natural sunlight for energy and will automatically turn on when it gets dark, ensuring your garden is illuminated without your interference. No batteries or wires are needed, making these an ideal low-maintenance solution
- Automated Irrigiation Systems: Allow technology to do the work for you with automated irrigation systems, which can be programmed to water your garden on a schedule that suits you
Conclusion
A low maintenance garden is highly attractive for many homeowners because it can save time and money. It is possible to enjoy the outdoors and have a beautiful garden design without having to break the bank – or your back! – in the process.
With these low maintenance garden ideas, you can create a hassle-free haven that remains attractive and functional all year long. Save yourself the stress and ensure you have more time to enjoy the beautiful outdoors!
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