If you are looking for ways to create a low maintenance garden, there are some key things to consider.
Firstly, when thinking about how to design a garden, it’s important to imagine how much time you can put into gardening.
Do you have a young family? Are you about to retire, and is your mobility not as it used to be? Perhaps you are renting a holiday home, or looking after some one less able?
Gardening takes time, and no matter the season, there’s always some maintenance to do.
Whether that’s pruning, cutting, watering, planting, sweeping or deadheading, gardening takes work.
How To Create A Low Maintenance Garden
I have what I consider a low-maintenance garden.
I didn’t design it like that, it was already there when we moved. But, I am thanking my lucky stars that the previous owners were time-poor just as we are because they left us an absolute gem!
Here I share some ways to cut the time spent tending to grass and flowers if you are looking for low maintenance garden ideas.
1. Look Into Laying Artificial Grass
There’s no hiding from the fact that lawns are time-consuming.
Artificial grass is a game changer for those wanting to cut their time spent maintaining a garden.
The pros of investing in artificial grass
- It’s the lowest maintenance option for turf that stays fluffy and green all year round.
- Brilliant for kids due to the soft landing, and no mud-stained clothes.
- No harmful chemicals needed to grow, weed and maintain.
- You can buy all sorts of qualities of artificial grass, and it looks and feels really real.
- More space in the shed / garage due to lack of equipment needed
Cons are:
- No cut grass smell.
- It’s a hefty outlay to cover a sizable garden.
If you’re looking for a low maintenance garden, it maybe time to rethink cheap artificial grass due to the amazing quality turf you can buy now.
Not only can you buy artificial grass that looks real, but it feels real too.
I suggest you get some grass samples sent to you so you can have a look at the different styles you can get hold of.
2. Save Flowers For The Vase, And Go For Evergreen Shrubs
My garden is all sorts of green, with different shapes, heights and scents.
We have red leaves, bright, mid and dark greens all intermingling, and kept in check by deep railway-sleeper-lined borders.
In two years we have had a gardener in once to vastly trim everything back, and we’ve done a few minor trims of some of the faster growing plants.
We enjoy watching all the plants thrive and grow back new branches and leaves.
Another tip is to choose plants that don’t drop their leaves!
I would love some flowers in my garden as I absolutely love them. But, with three young children and three businesses to run, flowers can be bought cheaply from the supermarket!
3. Future-Proof Your Wood With Paint
Rotting and stained wood is not great for garden aesthetics, so investing some time up front to paint all the wood in your garden is not at all wasted.
Not only does painting wood such as climbing frames, fences and sheds make wood last longer, it can also really neaten and brighten a garden.
I can’t decide which colour to paint our fences and climbing frame.
I do tend to love a monochrome grey, but I think a traditional dark stain would look really sharp against some of the beautiful bright greens we have in our garden.
current trending wood colours are pea green, mint green and darkest brown.
The greens will really stand out and give a new lease of life to your garden, whilst the dark brown, almost black will create a beautiful backdrop for colours and textures.
Recently, homeowners have been using concrete garden walls instead of wooden fences, because unlike wood they don’t warp or rot and require very little maintenance.
One of the benefits of a concrete wall is the wide variety of design options. You can add pattern and texture, incorporate custom artwork, different colours, or even use concrete tiles. There are lots of different types of concrete which can last for many years without trouble.
4. Ditch The Decking And Invest In A Stone Patio
If you’re at a stage of chosing your patio area for seating and even for your kids to scoot and bike on, it’s worth considering the low-maintence option of stone tiles.
There are a gazillion options to suit every budget, as well as to suit every orientation and design.
We have a dark grey patio that covers about a third of our garden.
Our kids love to scoot and bike up on down the patio. We have a seating area, an outdoor grill and pizza oven, and a hot tub on our patio. It’s lined with railway sleepers, and we jet wash it every blue moon.
The only thing about having an expanse of patio is that things like suncream and spilt wine can stain it, so it’s worth considering the best colours, finishes and textures for an ultra-low-maintenance patio.
A wooden deck is beautiful, and they do have their place in low-maintenance garden. But, if you have the choice, a stone patio lasts longer and is harder-wearing which will mean that you don’t have to replace it as often, if at all.
5. Plan Potted Plants Wisely
To keep the maintence of bushes, shrubs and trees low, consider planting them in large pots so they can only grow to the size of the pot.
If a plant is in a bed, they can grow and grow and grow, which will cause you to have to keep cutting them back and neatening them up.
Having plants in posts not only looks beautiful (because you can mix and match post designs or keep them all uniform), but it really helps when you can move them around the garden depending on light conditions.
Besides, you can also easily take potted plants with you if you move which makes them a brilliant investment.
You’re Now Ready To Create A Low Maintenance Garden… Go!
I’ve talked you through my 5 easy steps of creating a low-maintenance garden which included painting wood, laying a stone patio, investing in artificial grass, and planting evergreen plants in pots.
If you are looking to vastly cut your time spent maintaining your garden I really suggest looking into some of these tactics. Here’s to you spending more time in your garden sipping cocktails, and less time snipping branches.
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