Most modern homeowners don’t have time to be slaving over a high-maintenance garden. With that in mind, you might be looking for some tips to help you design a garden that’s quick and easy to maintain. If so, you’re in the right place! Today we’re going to walk you through some of our for creating  a low-maintenance garden that you’ll love.

1. Keep plants and flowers to a minimum

For some people, having flower beds, veg patches and greenhouses that are teaming with different plants is part of the sheer pleasure of having a garden. For others, they’re an absolute nightmare and an extra responsibility that they could do without. If you find yourself on the latter end of the spectrum then we’d highly recommend steering clear of the seeds and shrubs aisle. There’s no doubt that having an array of plants with different needs will dramatically increase the amount of work your garden requires, so save yourself the hassle and keep plants and flowers to a minimum. 

2. Treat weeds early & aggressively

If you ask any gardener which task they find most tiresome, they’ll probably tell you it’s weed maintenance. Weeds have a way of finding their way into your lawn, patio, drainpipes (the list goes on). Treating all these weeds in all these different places can become a real pain, so if you want your garden to be low-maintenance, it’s important you treat them early and aggressively! Use a broad spectrum herbicide and make sure you tackle weeds at the root to prevent them coming back over the fast growing periods (spring/summer). If you do this successfully in early spring, you should find it much easier to keep weeds at bay all year round!

3. Choose low-maintenance garden features

Those of you that are currently designing your garden have the luxury of choosing features that are made to be low-maintenance. If mowing the lawn every few weeks doesn’t appeal to you, then you’re better off avoiding lawn/turf. Instead, you should look for outdoor tiles or decking that requires little to no maintenance. 

Natural stone and timber are both porous materials, which means they take on water. This can lead to cracking, fading, chipping and a whole host of other problems. To keep natural materials looking their best, you needs to sand, stain and seal them on a yearly basis. Not only is this costly, it can also take up a lot of time (especially if you have a large paved area or deck).

If you want to keep your garden maintenance to a minimum, you should choose composite decking and porcelain paving. Unlike natural materials, these garden features never need to be sanded, stained or sealed because they’re non-porous. All you need to do is give them a quick wipe over to remove surface debris and dirt. 

Favouring low-maintenance materials is a great way to make sure your garden task list doesn’t become too overwhelming. So, if you’re wanting to cut down your garden maintenance, avoid materials like natural stone and timber and stick to low-maintenance alternatives like porcelain paving and composite decking.  

Having a low-maintenance garden is totally achievable if you choose the right features and work smartly. With a few simple adjustments, you can create a garden that you’ll enjoy.