Garden maintenance can take up a large amount of your time, as there are often so many factors that require attention. Having an ecological nightmare of a garden can make you or your guests disinterested in spending any time there. That’s why it’s important to create a garden that is beautiful and you can be proud of. This makes low-maintenance gardens the perfect solution.
Completing more initial work to get your garden in the ideal low-maintenance state will be more beneficial than having space that will need regular maintenance. There are no limits as to what you can do with your garden as there are no rules, so you can design it in whatever way you want. It’s important to understand all of your options before starting a garden renovation project.
This guide will explore how you can create a beautiful garden with low maintenance landscaping that will keep you from having to pay constant attention to your outdoor space in the future. Continue reading to find out more.
Low-Maintenance Landscaping Ideas
Beginners or those with little experience in designing a garden may not be aware of how to landscape, so finding low-maintenance solutions is very important. Let’s explore some of these low-maintenance ideas:
Reduce Lawn Size
One of the more time-consuming garden maintenance tasks is mowing the lawn. Especially if your garden is large, you could spend hours at a time trimming the grass in your garden which can use up valuable time that could be used elsewhere. Cutting down on the amount of lawn you have in your garden can be the perfect low-maintenance solution.
Artificial ponds, paving slabs, greenhouses, stone paths and conservatories can all be implemented in an attempt to reduce lawn size. Some of these can take time to install, but it will save you time down the road as you won’t have to spend as much time mowing your lawn. You could also opt for artificial grass instead of real grass, as this requires less maintenance and will not need mowing.
More Shrubbery
Flowers are always a great addition to any garden, as they add an influx of colour and biodiversity that can make your outdoor space come to life. However, flowers require a lot of maintenance to keep them looking in a healthy condition. They need to be watered, trimmed, cleaned, protected and replaced regularly, which can be time-consuming. This is why implementing more shrubbery instead of flowers might be the perfect solution.
Shrubs can still add the colour needed to make your garden look more beautiful without the extra maintenance that’s involved with flowers. Low-maintenance shrubs require little fertilisation and have more resistance to pests, diseases and adverse weather. If they do begin to overgrow, they are much easier to trim than flowers as there are plenty of simple chainsaw solutions that make for a quick fix.
Simple or Fake Plants
Other than flowers and shrubbery, there are plenty of plants that can be used throughout your garden to make it more appealing. If you want to use more plants in your garden, there are some low-maintenance options to choose from such as echinacea, fuchsias and marigolds. These will add colour to your outdoor space without requiring constant attention.
You can also choose to have fake flowers in your garden that require zero maintenance, as good quality fake flowers can look real and give your garden much-needed colour. Having artificial flowers can also have similar health benefits to real flowers, as they can improve our focus, increase productivity and reduce stress.
Gravel Paths
Large gardens will have a lot of surface to cover, so having ways to split up the space can be very beneficial in creating a low-maintenance landscape. Gravel paths are perfect for seasonal landscaping, as not only do they split up the space but they allow for great access to different points of the garden without having to tread on the lawn. Plant hire can help you significantly with creating a gravel path.
Gravel is both affordable and incredibly low-maintenance when compared to grassy walkways. There are also many types of gravel path designs that you can use to spruce up your garden. Having a direct vision of what kind of gravel path you want is important before you commence with your garden renovation project.
Auto-irrigation Systems
To prevent you from taking up too much time with watering your plants, you can set up an auto-irrigation system. These are very easy to implement and can help you save hours of maintenance time. One of the easiest to install is a system of porous hoses that slowly seep out water. To do this, you lay the hose across the surface of the soil or compost near the base of the plants and attach the end of the hose to a timer.
Not all auto-irrigation systems have timers, so you may need to purchase them separately. You should also check that you don’t have a hose pipe ban in your area before buying a system.
