Most of us love the idea of a tidy, relaxing, beautiful garden – the kind of spot where you can enjoy your morning coffee or a sit down at the end of a long day (and any time in between, come to that). But the truth is, keeping a garden looking good all year round isn’t always easy or realistic – after all, life gets busy and spending every weekend mowing and weeding may not be possible or what you want to do.
The good news is, there are ways to have a beautiful outdoor space without constantly having to look after it. So, with that in mind, keep reading for a few low-maintenance landscaping tips.
Start with what you actually need
Think about how you and your family use your garden – is it somewhere the kids run around? A place to entertain friends? Or maybe you just want a peaceful space to unwind – the point is, once you’ve worked out what you want, you’ll also be able to work out what you need and that will lead to a neat, tidy, relaxing garden space.
Of course, keeping things simple doesn’t mean your garden has to look plain – far from it! It just means you need to choose plants and materials that don’t need a lot of attention; so things like evergreen shrubs, perennials, slow-growing plants and anything that’s naturally suited to your location and climate are all ideal and great options. In the end, if you do that, you’ll spend less time watering and pruning and more time enjoying the garden all year round.
Rethink the lawn
If there’s one thing that’s going to take loads of time and effort in your garden, it’s your lawn. Mowing, edging, feeding, watering… it all adds up, and it’s a lot of hard work. But what if you opted for artificial grass instead? It could be the ideal choice because modern versions really do look natural, and it’ll give you that lovely fresh, green look but without lots of upkeep – what could be better? You won’t have to worry about dry patches, mud or trying to keep up with the weeds and grass growth… and instead you’ll always have something perfect. Plus, it’s great if you have children or pets.
If you combine your artificial grass with gravel paths or a bit of decking perhaps even a paved area, you’ll have suddenly cut your maintenance time right down, but things will still look fantastic.
A bit of structure helps
Zoning your garden into different areas, like a corner for sitting, a few raised beds or a paved section, for example, can make the whole space feel a lot more organised and a lot easier to manage. Plus, it’ll help to stop things from getting out of hard, like weeds and other self-seeders growing where you don’t want them.
And, if you’re not keen on a full-on garden makeover, just by adding a few big planters or pots you’ll still add plenty of garden greenery without making too much of an effort. You can move them around, change them with the seasons and they’re way easier to care for than a whole flowerbed or border.