After spending long hours at work, we all deserve to have a place where we can relax, unwind, and get rid of all the stresses we’ve accumulated throughout the day. For many people, having a garden is the perfect solution to this dilemma. If there’s available space in your property, it definitely pays to have a garden that not only brings us closer to nature but also allows us to express our creativity.
However, some people think that owning a garden comes with a number of responsibilities, especially in terms of maintenance. While it’s true that gardens typically require a bit of work in order to keep them in great condition, it doesn’t always have to be time-consuming. There are simple yet effective changes you can do to your overall garden design to make it appealing without investing too much time and effort. Here are some great ideas on how to create a low-maintenance garden.
Look for lawn alternatives
One quick way to lessen the time you’ll have to spend maintaining your garden is by replacing your lawn with alternatives such as decking, paving, or aggregate. With these options, you’ll surely save a lot of time every month because you no longer have to mow and rake your lawn. With all the extra time, you’ll be freer to focus on your flower borders or vegetable patch, whichever you’ve chosen to create.
This, however, does not mean that all these options are 100 percent maintenance-free. Garden decking, for example, still needs a bit of cleaning and annual treatment, whereas paving requires occasional deep cleaning to keep it looking fabulous. Even aggregate isn’t free from weeding every now and then. However, if the focus of your garden is planting, you won’t have to worry about having to spray weed killers way too often.
But, if you truly want the look of a lawn in your garden but don’t want to deal with all the work involved in moving, look for artificial grasses that aren’t only soft to the touch but also very realistic-looking.
Keep the green lawn but switch things up a bit
Here’s another good news for you: you can definitely include grass in your landscape even if you want to have a low maintenance garden. After all, if you have children and pets, having a turf is surely something you will all enjoy as a great soft play surface.
So, here’s how you can keep the law but lessen the overall amount of upkeep: lose the border planting. To keep things still visually appealing, use colored aggregate as a top layer for the borders. For low maintenance fillers, plum slate or pastel decorative stones are excellent options for added interest in your garden.
Choose plants that require minimal upkeep
Some of the best options when it comes to low maintenance garden plants are grasses, conifers, periwinkle, ferns, daffodils, and some select varieties of shrub. Not only do these plants require minimal upkeep, but they’re also great at adding colors, textures, and height to your garden without all the unnecessary work. If you have trees that have grown too much and created imbalance to your overall garden design, don’t hesitate to get tree removal services.
Remember to prep the soil properly prior to planting and provide new plants with the right amount of water.
