A low-maintenance garden featuring Maryland Grey Wood Effect Tiles from Direct Tile Warehouse
A low-maintenance garden is high on the wish list of most homeowners. Unless you have a real passion for gardening and want to spend all your spare time tending to your garden, the likelihood is you will want your garden to be as easy to care for as possible. This is certainly the case for me and not for the reasons you might think. I need a low-maintenance garden because my husband owns a garden maintenance company. That means that after working outside in other people’s gardens for 8 hours a day, five days a week, the last thing he wants to do is spend his free time working on our garden.
Over the years, he has also shared with me a number of tips that can make a garden easier to care for if you want a low-maintenance garden without the hassle. Today I will share those tips with you.
Keep It Clear Of Clutter
G4 Garden Room by Green Retreats
If you’ve read my other garden content recently you will see that this point usually comes first in every post that focuses on making the most of your garden. That’s because this is one of the simplest things that you can do but that will have a huge impact. You also can’t do much else without first doing this step. No matter how many upgrades you make to your garden, you still won’t be able to enjoy it if it’s cluttered.
It’s a good idea to figure out how you are going to keep your garden clear of clutter. You may wish to make a rule in the household that you don’t use any part of the garden as a dumping ground. And you might want to go around and clear it of any rubbish once a week or so. However you do it, this is an important aspect of creating a low-maintenance garden.
Consider Alternatives To Grass
1800W Artificial Grass Brush from VonHaus
Usually, the lawn is the one part of the garden that can be particularly time-consuming to look after – or which can at least be important for you to spend a lot of time on. Regular grass cutting is the only way to keep your lawn from becoming overgrown and making your garden difficult to use. So if you definitely want a lawn in your garden, anything you can do to keep it as easy to look after as possible is certainly going to be helpful.
If the regular upkeep of the lawn is too much work for a low-maintenance garden, you may want to consider using an alternative to grass that is going to be a lot easier to look after. An alternative is synthetic turf which provide a consistent green, lush look all year-round. But you should be aware that these synthetic materials have downsides. They are not cheap and they can get hot in sunny, hot conditions. They aren’t bio-degradable so they will have an environmental impact. They also have a negative effect on the natural eco-system in your garden which relies on real grass. Also, to keep them looking their best you will probably want to use an artificial grass brush, which may take just as much effort as mowing a lawn. So weigh up the pros and cons before making your decision.
Keep it Clean
Mac Allister Corded Pressure washers from B&Q
Once the clutter is gone, make sure you keep your garden clean. Clear up fallen leaves regularly, make sure you keep your drains clear of leaves as this can cause drainage problems if you don’t keep on top of this. Also if you have paths, a patio or decking make sure you jet wash them regularly to prevent algae and fungi from building up and making the surfaces slippery, particularly in winter.
If you have chosen to replace grass with any kind of gravel in your garden, it is important to also keep this gravel clean to prevent it from discolouring and becoming an eyesore. Make sure you weed regularly and wash down the stones with water.
Keep It Simple
In general, to create a low-maintenance garden you should keep the design of the garden simple. The more you have going on, the harder it will be to look after. It is tempting to get carried away, especially if you like browsing Pinterest for garden inspiration. But you really have to think long-term. It’s not just about the amount of work that goes into creating the garden in the first place. It’s the on-going maintenance that is required to keep it looking its best.
Work On It Every Week
Hand Leaf Grabs and Garden Tip Bags from Agriframes
Many of the gardens that my husband works in require weekly maintenance. A little and often is what he recommends to his clients and it not only keeps the garden looking its best, but it makes the job much easier for him and his team. If you are feeling overwhelmed by how much there is to do, simply make a start and stay consistent every week. If even this is too much work for you, consider hiring a garden maintenance company who can do the work for you. This might be a particularly attractive option if you have a large garden. The ultimate low-maintainance garden is one that you pay someone else to look after.
Plant Perennials
Spiral Plant Support from Agriframes
Perennial plants are a great option for a low-maintenance garden. Unlike annual plants that need replanting every year, perennials come back year after year. That means you can plant them once and leave them to it. Perennials mostly flower in spring, summer or autumn, although there are a few that bloom in winter.
Some will die back in winter and regrow in spring. Others will live all year. Some do need to be dug up in winter and replanted in spring so if this is an additional step you could do without make sure you check what your perennial plants require in terms of care. There are perennials for all situations so it is just a case of assessing your garden and working out which plants are suitable for your garden.
So that’s it. Those are my top tips for a low-maintenance garden. Have you got any tips that you can share? If so leave them in the comments below.