Creating a low-maintenance garden: 5 tips that will save you time and effort

As much as you love relaxing in a perfectly maintained garden, keeping it in a pristine state can be a dreadful and time-consuming job. Fortunately, there are a few techniques you can use to create a low-maintenance garden. These 5 tips will save you both time and effort, so you can spend more time enjoying your outdoor space and less time weeding.  

Everyone with a flourishing garden knows that it takes more than a little TLC to keep the flora in great condition. Next to regularly mowing your lawn, you have to water your plants and the grass, spread fertiliser, remove weeds and moss, apply grass seed to bare spots … There’s always something to be done in every season.

If you dislike gardening, don’t have time to put in all the work or are pained by all the kneeling and bending over, these tips for a less-demanding garden setup come in handy.

1. Go for artificial grass

A lawn is without a doubt the most labour-intensive part of any garden. Eliminate the need for constant mowing, weeding and whatnot by replacing your natural grass with artificial grass. No one will even be able to tell the difference. Believe it or not, artificial grass quality has improved so much over the past years that your lawn will never have looked lusher.  

Before you roll up your sleeves and try laying your artificial grass yourself, make sure to avoid these common installation mistakes! Better yet, go for the safer solution and rely on a professional installer to do the job for you. Either way, artificial grass requires almost no maintenance at all – if it’s installed properly.

2. Extend your patio

Another way to create a low-maintenance outdoor space is by extending your patio or terrace with extra stone tiles or wooden flooring. In doing so, you’ll create more room where you can entertain guests, place sunbeds or set up a grilling area.

More functional outdoor living space means less grass and other plants to take care for. That’s what I call a win-win.

3. Minimise the number of plants

To truly take the work out of your garden upkeep, you could simply remove all plants. Low-maintenance gardener or not, this approach probably sounds too extreme.

If you want to add just a little plant life to your low-maintenance garden, stick with just a few plant types – maybe two is already enough – and consider planting them near your garden tap to keep work to a minimum.

4. Select low-maintenance plants

Make sure to choose plants that are easy to grow. Perennials are a great choice if you’re looking for reliable plants that come back year after year without you having to lift a finger.

A quick Google search will help you make a list to take to the garden store, or ask one of the garden experts over there to point you to low-maintenance perennials. Lavender, for example, offers a delightful splash of colour, only needs watering once a week and keeps insects away.

5. Replace needy garden features

Every garden is different. To find low-maintenance solutions that best fit yours, take a stroll through your garden and make a list of the garden features that take up the majority of your gardening time.

Think of a way to replace them. Is your lawn your sworn enemy? Ditch it and go for artificial grass instead. Are you tired of weeding your vegetable patch? Try growing your lettuce and radishes in pots. These smart swaps will make a huge difference for your garden maintenance schedule.

Happy (as little as possible) gardening!