Create A Low Maintenance Garden

I talk to lots of people about their gardens every day, and the words ‘Low Maintenance’ crop up A LOT!  We live in a very busy, hectic world – everyone has a million things going on in their lives and so when it comes to spending time outside, they generally want to be relaxing rather than working.

To some, gardening truly is a method of relaxation and I too thoroughly enjoy a day planting out on site.  It gets me away from emails and phone calls and even allows me time away from the drawing board.  Sparking plenty of new ideas through inspirational hands-on time!

But, for many this is not achievable due to not having the time or because they simply don’t enjoy hands on gardening.  So, what can we do to get the garden without hours of maintenance.  Here are a few suggestions;

• Plant selection is a big part of garden design, and this is your chance to choose wisely.  Replacing perennials with shrubs can reduce the time required in the upkeep of your borders.
• Not only do perennials need a fair amount of dead heading and pruning throughout the seasons, but the tender varieties need further attention.  Some require lifting and bringing in, to over winter or being wrapped to protect from the elements.  Annuals need to be disposed of and replaced each year.  Therefore, try to select hardy plants that can remain outside all year long, preferably shrubs.
• Using the wrong plant in the wrong place can create gaps in the border.  Unsightly dead or suffering plants look terrible, take time and additional money to put right.  Try to research the plants you are buying and ensure they suit the conditions determined by your garden location.
• Larger plants will create a more instant look, but you will have to really look after them whilst they become established in the garden.  Constant watering for the first few weeks to months and throughout any hot weather.
• Large hedges can create a beautiful backdrop to your garden space.  We all rush out to buy a fast-growing hedging plant so that we can block out the neighbours and create our own sanctuary.  If you can be patient, choose a slower growing hedging plant and this will create less maintenance in the long run.  Taxus or Ilex are good choices!
• Fruit trees can offer a range of benefits within the garden, but if you are not going to be able to harvest the fruit then they will quickly become a burden.  Fruit that falls to the ground and is not collected can rot and entice wasps (and even squirrels, drunk from eating the fermenting fruit!)
• Topiary, box balls or espalier planting.  Yes they look stunning when first planted, but you will need to keep them in shape if you want them to continue looking at their best for all to see.  Avoid time consuming box balls and select a plant that grows to a limited size and shape, for example Pittosporum Tom Thumb, with the added bonus of a purply coloured foliage.
• Wildflower lawns – These can be a beautiful feature to include in your garden.  Not only do they encourage wildlife and add lots of colour and textural interest to a scheme, but they are fairly low maintenance.   Wildflower lawns can be left and mown or strimmed once/twice a year (or when you feel it is ready for a haircut!).  If you already have a lawn, why not try and leave it a while and see how you like the look.  Maybe just cut less frequently?  Adding wildflower plug plants can enhance the existing lawn and creating the colour impact.
• If you like a manicured lawn, then make sure you use an edging material.  Sometimes setts or cobbles are used but alternatively metal edging can be used which is more discrete.  Either way edging helps you keep your lawn within the confines of THE LAWN.  You can cut your edges more easily with edging sheers which means that there is less chance of the lawn spreading into the borders.  Many people don’t attempt to cut the edges and this can cause further issues down the line, with more maintenance of the planted borders.
• Using weed membrane and a decorative bark mulch (or even gravel) can greatly supress weeds.  Although the mulch may need to be topped up occasionally, you should get a few seasons in before this time comes.  Seedlings are less likely to take amongst the mulching material, and if they do will pull out much more easily.  Long term, the borders will require less water to thrive, as the mulch will retain moisture and also heat.
• Try the ‘No Dig’ method!  If you soil already has a good soil structure, you could approach things differently, by layering organic, weed suppressing mulches such as bark, garden compost, rotten manure, grass-clippings and even cardboard.  Also try to avoid walking on these areas so as not to compact the soil too much.
• Avoid pots – so many clients tell me they put things in pots and can’t understand why they have not thrived.  Just because they stand outside, does not mean they can be left to it.  Pots need more attention and constant watering.  The roots are not in the ground and quite often the foliage covers the surface, so rainwater can’t penetrate the compost.
• In terms of features, try to avoid a high maintenance pond.  Pumps and filter are needed to clean the water and keep the air circulating and they do require some input from us.  Fishponds are even more time consuming, and shallow water pools need a lot of topping up throughout the season.  If you would really like a water feature why not consider a natural pond or a bog garden, which generally fend for themselves.