A beautiful year-round garden. Photo by Marta Bibi on Unsplash
When you think of a year-round garden, you’re thinking of a garden with a lot of life, right? You’re thinking of a garden with vibrancy; there’s always something happening, it’s striking, it’s beautiful, and overall, there’s just a lot happening. Even in the winter months, it looks pristine; it’s colourful, and, full of life.
Now, when you think of a low-maintenance garden, what immediately comes to your mind? Grass? Maybe some shrubs? A couple of pots of flowers? That’s probably what most people think of. But that technically doesn’t need to be what a low-maintenance garden is.
So, how can you have both? Colour and life all year round in a garden that doesn’t require much time, effort or money? I’m here to tell you that it is definitely possible! So let’s find out how!
Understand Your Garden’s Needs
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So, the first step towards a low-maintenance garden is understanding your garden’s unique characteristics. It’s best to observe how much sunlight your garden gets, identify the type of soil you have, and note the natural drainage patterns.
To create a low-maintenance, year-round garden you need to understand what you have to work with and how to get the best out of those conditions to allow your garden to thrive without too much input from you.
Choose the Right Plants
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This knowledge of your garden will guide you in choosing the correct plants for your garden’s specific conditions. The more aligned your plants are with their environment, the less effort you’ll need to invest in their upkeep.
When it comes to choosing plants, you should consider how much effort you can spare. If you choose to plant trees, for example, you must decide which type of trees. Will you choose evergreens or deciduous trees? And if you choose deciduous trees, are you willing to rake up the leaves weekly in the autumn/winter months? If not, are you willing to invest in battery leaf blower to get the job done? Every choice you make will result in a certain degree of work, so make sure you know what you are comfortable with before you decide.
But it’s not just about trees either. You’ll also want to know what plants are gorgeous but require little care. It’ll be in your best interest to opt for native plants that thrive in your local climate with minimal care. These plants have adapted to your region’s weather and soil, making them naturally resilient.
For year-round beauty, consider a mix of evergreens, perennials, and ornamental grasses. These plants offer structure and interest regardless of the season.
Embrace Perennials
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Perennials are a low-maintenance gardener’s best friend. Unlike annuals, which need replanting every year, perennials return year after year, saving you time and effort. Choose perennials with different blooming times to ensure continuous colour throughout the seasons. So you might want to plant lavender, sedum, and echinacea, which are not only hardy but also provide beautiful blooms that attract pollinators.
Plant Evergreens
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Let’s not forget the evergreens. Evergreens are the backbone of a beautiful year-round garden. These plants retain their foliage all year, providing structure and greenery even in the bleakest winter months.
You might consider adding evergreens like boxwood, yew, or holly to your garden. They require minimal pruning and care, yet offer a lush, green backdrop that enhances the beauty of your other plants.
Choose Ornamental Grasses for Texture and Movement
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If you’ve ever been to show gardens, there might be a high chance you’ve seen these plants before. Ornamental grasses add a unique texture and graceful movement to your garden. They are incredibly hardy, require little maintenance, and look beautiful throughout the year.
Varieties like Miscanthus, Pennisetum, and Stipa can add height, colour, and interest, especially in the winter when their dried stalks stand out against a frosty backdrop.
Automate Your Watering
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All plants need water, particularly in the spring/summer months and watering can be one of the most time-consuming tasks in the garden. So, you might want to consider installing an automated irrigation system to take the hassle out of keeping your plants hydrated.
Drip irrigation systems are particularly efficient, delivering water directly to the plant roots and minimising wastage. With a timer, you can set it and forget it, ensuring your plants get the right amount of water without any effort on your part.
Use Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives
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Traditional lawns require regular mowing, watering, and fertilising, making them quite high maintenance. So, it’s a good idea to consider alternatives like ground covers, wildflower meadows, or clover lawns that require less work to keep them in good condition.
Ground covers such as creeping thyme or sedum are drought-tolerant, spread quickly, and need minimal care. Plus, they’re so colourful compared to regular grass! You might want to look into wildflower meadows, which reduce maintenance and provide a habitat for pollinators, adding ecological value to your garden.
Plant Containers
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Don’t want to mow grass? No problem! Containers are a fantastic way to add colour and interest to your garden with minimal effort. They allow you to control soil conditions and move plants around to suit the seasons.
You can use containers to showcase seasonal plants or to add pops of colour where needed. Be sure to choose low-maintenance plants like succulents, herbs, or dwarf shrubs for your containers. The key is to use containers that are large enough to reduce the frequency of watering.
Welcome Wildlife
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To ensure you have a beautiful year-round garden that is full of life, don’t forget to provide food and habitats to encourage wildlife into your garden. Wildlife is not only great to watch, but by creating optimum conditions for welcoming wildlife into your garden you can help to protect species that are in decline due to loss of habitat, pesticides or climate change.
You can create a haven for wildlife by installing bird feeders, birdbaths, and nesting boxes to attract birds. You should also look into bees and butterflies that are not only beautiful to watch but also essential for pollination. Planting a variety of nectar-rich flowers can keep them coming back, contributing to your garden’s health and vibrancy.