Wednesday 22 April 2020

Seven ways to Create a Low-Maintenance Garden

garden with artifical grass
Image Source: Grass Direct Facebook
{This is a collaborative post}

Outside space is an absolute blessing. Most of us love to sit out as the sun goes down and enjoy a glass of something delicious (Baileys in my case), or read our book on a sun lounger, or perhaps watch the kids as they play happily in the playhouse. However, gardens can become a real chore and cause many headaches.

Not everyone is naturally green-fingered or has the time or inclination to spend hours in the garden keeping it looking nice, and let's be honest who wants to sit out if the space just looks like some wasteland? If gardening isn't your thing but you do want to enjoy the outdoors, then read on to see my tips for creating a low-maintenance garden that will look fabulous and leave you with all your free time to do the things you really love. 

1.  Go for artificial grass
I remember the first time I realised you could have artificial grass in your garden, it was a game-changer for me. I was at a party at a new friends house with all our two-year-olds and they were happily playing in the garden without picking up grass and dirt and putting it in their mouths. I remember saying to Lisa, how much I loved it and she said there was no going back once you'd had artificial grass. As the maintenance is easy with just a weekly hose down, you also don't ever have to worry about muddy footprints again and your grass stays green the whole year-round. It's a winner!

Artificial grass


2.  Limit your Planting Areas
Massive great borders full of plants might look stunning, but they are going to take a lot of looking after. So use something like a decorative rock or stone to border the edge of your garden and then place paving stones to create interest with different textures whilst creating smaller planting areas.

3. Limit the Number of Plants
Around 5 to 10 different species will keep your garden easy maintenance. Depending on the size of your garden, how about going for an Alpine border which is hardy and will withstand a cold winter. Also once laid, there will be minimal upkeep and if you install a protective weed membrane under the rocks then you should be set. The kind of plants to add in are heathers, succulents, and evergreens such as Armeria, Veronica prostrate, Saxifraga ‘Winifred Bevington’ and Lewisia longipetala ‘Little Plum’. 

Make sure to avoid climbers, annuals, vegetables and anything in seed form, to ensure the time you have to take caring for them is minimal. Also, anything that needs staking, like a delphinium will be a big-time suck too, so stay away from those.

4.  Introduce Pots of Flowers
If you like big bursts of colour in the summer, go for some potted plants. Either do your own if you fancy an afternoon task or go to that garden centre and buy a couple that has already been potted up for you. Hanging baskets are beautiful but they take a lot of watering when the weather is warm, so perhaps avoid those.

5.  Install a Watering System
If you want your garden to stay looking fresh all year round you need to make sure it is well-watered. This can be done by hand with a watering can, using a handheld hose or you can get a watering system installed. You can either have one installed professionally or go for an attachment to your hose to leak water across your beds.

6.  Buy hardy garden furniture.
I'm sure you don't want to have to paint or stain your garden furniture each year, so make sure you avoid wood. Something like rattan or cast aluminium will survive the weather of all seasons and still look good with just an occasional washdown.

7.  Use Garden Ornaments
You can add interest to your garden by using large pots, urns, candle holders and the like. However, steer clear of water features as they will require some maintenance unless you are willing to put in a little time so you can listen to the beautiful trickle of water as you relax.

Well landscaped garden
Image Source: Grass Direct Facebook

Good luck with creating your new garden space. Don't forget it might look a bit sparse at first as it takes time for your plants to settle and start to grow properly, but I'm sure you'll enjoy the space none-the-less.

Why not pin this post for later?

low maintenance garden pin





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