Low maintenance landscaping is the perfect solution for time-poor people who want a beautiful outdoor area with minimal upkeep required.
We all desire a beautiful garden, but often the effort required to design, create and maintain a lovely landscape (small or large) is too much. Home owners want to enjoy their gardens, not become slaves to them. However, if weather or social events take you away for several weekends, your outdoor space can quickly become a mess.
Before you begin remodeling and tearing up your garden make sure you have a design in mind to ensure the harmonious and efficient arrangement of plants.
Garden and Landscape Design
Once you’ve decided on the purpose for your residential landscaping, do plenty of research to understand the year-round climate within your garden including the type of soil, availability of land/water, and the sunlight it gets.
When you understand all of these vital factors, decide what type of landscape you want to design. Good design is an essential element in producing a low maintenance garden, and the design doesn’t necessarily require a lot of work, just knowledge.
By thoroughly understanding the type of setting where you are gardening, you will be able to choose plants that will thrive with a little work on your part so you can sit back and enjoy the beauty.
Low Maintenance Plants
Every landscape has different requirements, but easy care garden plants are the cornerstone of low maintenance landscaping. No plant is maintenance-free, however, by making some changes you can reduce your daily/weekly efforts.
The kinds of plants that don’t require special care are natives which are most suitable to your garden’s climate and growing conditions. A few extra tips include:
- Choose plants that look good all summer but don’t require deadheading.
- Consider bulbs that need dividing at longer intervals instead of every year.
- Choose perennials or shrubs that live many years.
- Choose plants that can take the heat and the cold (if they’re not natives).
- Don’t overcrowd your garden – the more plants you have, the more your garden will require treatment and attention.
- Group plants according to their requirements – those that require more/less sun and water should be planted together.
- Choose plants that are slow growers – they will need less pruning.
- Choose plants that spread widely – they cover space, requiring fewer plants.
Mulch and Fertilisers
Low maintenance gardening involves finding the best or easiest ways to reduce your time spent watering, pruning, or weeding – mulching is one of the most efficient ways to achieve this.
Mulching everywhere will help by
- Keeping the soil moist – water will evaporate less and roots will get ample moisture.
- Eliminating weeds around your garden beds
- Providing the plants with a number of nutrients they need – slow release fertilisers especially limit the need for frequent fertilisation
You can also cover the soil with pebbles and gravels which work as a mulch too and will make your garden more attractive.
Watering
An indispensable solution is an automatic irrigation system, which frees up time you might have spent watering your garden. The greenery is irrigated by sprinklers or drip irrigation lines, so you don’t have to wrestle with the hose.
Many Australian natives require less watering and, along with large shrubs, long living trees and fruit plants once established, get water from nature and require watering sparingly.
If you want a truly low care garden, avoid having a lawn altogether and instead, design a rock garden, patio, or something unique.
Low maintenance gardening should simplify your life and allow you more time to do the things you love including enjoying your garden.
Try some of these ideas and plants for low maintenance gardening or ask us about designing a low maintenance garden. Alternatively, enquire about our garden maintenance services and see how much free time you can regain in your life!
