Guide to Creating a Low-Maintenance Garden

There are many reasons that we might be looking into the idea of a low maintenance garden. This could be the busy nature of most of our lifestyles, work and family life these days often leave little room for domestic tasks and if gardening is not your hobby, you'll most likely want to minimize this. Other reasons for looking to keep the garden maintenance light could be because you are no longer up to doing the work, for many elderly or disabled people the garden can become too much over time. But no matter what the reason you are looking to create a low maintenance garden we have prepared this easy to understand guide to some of the gardening hacks you can put in place to make your garden as little effort as possible.

Use a Weed Membrane Fabric

This first thing that we are going to mention is not a specific feature of your garden it's something you should not even be aware of on a day to day basis. This item is a weed control fabric or weed membrane, and it's something that should be used underneath any feature of surface in your garden to stop weeds penetrating through. It’s important to realize when choosing a weed barrier to be aware that they are not all the same. There are woven and non-woven versions, and the superior of the two are the non-woven types as there are no strands that can be pulled apart making gaps. Also be aware that they have a guarantee, and some are 2 years and the toughest industrial grades can be over 50 years. Be sure to know how to install this for maximum effect.

Patio, Paths & Concrete

A paved or concreted area is the easiest, and sometimes one of the least costly ways of making a garden area low-maintenance. It requires little more than an occasional hosing down and brushing off to keep clean and tidy. These areas are long-lasting and tend to need little maintenance other than the occasional clearing of moss from the pointing in-between the paving. As we said, this can be a cheap option, but it doesn’t have to be. There is a wide variety of styles of paving and these come from very basic budget slabs up to premium quality ones.

Decorative Features That Require Little Upkeep

If we do install a large area of slabs or paving, no matter how nice they are, it can look a little bare and basic. So why not add some decorative features that will brighten that area up? A classic idea is garden statues, which can be as traditional as small garden gnomes right up to elaborate bespoke pieces. Portable wood burners give a very stylish heat on a summers eve, or to go in the other direction how about these outdoor wall fountains.

Artificial Grass

If you like the natural look of a nice grass area but are not to be bothered with the time and hassle of mowing a lawn then artificial grass is the perfect solution. It is not the cheapest solution, but
artificial grass wholesalers provide long-lasting options and so will provide value for money in that regard, and you won't be paying for weed killers or other treatments to keep it in order.

Play Areas

A play area is always a good idea, and with how much work kids are then the lower maintenance this is the better, as they are certainly high maintenance. Age-appropriate is the key here, slides and paddling pools are great for toddlers but for older kids (and very big kids) maybe something like a basketball hoop.

Planting Boxes

It is always nice to have plants in a garden and although low maintenance is great for making life easy it can be a little sterile. One way of ensuring that we keep some green is to have plants but keep them confined to planting boxes. These can be fixed in one area of the garden or even portable if they are not too heavy, we have even seen indoor growing boxes.

Consider a Gardener

Having taken a careful look and delicately considered all the above options, you might finally still reject the ideas and want a full and traditional garden, but you still can't handle the effort of the upkeep. The solution here is clear, and not always that expensive, hire a garden maintenance professional to take care of the garden for you. A good gardener can always offer help and advice on what should be planted and at what time of the year.




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