Gardening Shortcuts That Take The Pressure Off

 

Throughout the lockdown, gardens have never looked so good! Unless you’re a full time carer, homeschooling or a key worker then there has been plenty of time to get our gardens looking good.

But with schools re-opening and parents going back to work, it’s time to figure out how to continue keeping a decent garden, with reduced time available.

What you need is a win-win situation. You want a setup where you can put in, say, half an hour a day, but get results that make it look like you’re spending two or three hours pottering about.

In this post, we’re going to take a look at some quick shortcuts that take the pressure off. These leave you with a fabulous-looking garden while simultaneously respecting your time.

Create A Handy Garden Tools Station

Fiddling about in your shed looking for the garden tool you need is a massive time waster. If you’ve ever spent ages looking for that lost item, you’ll know a lack of organisation prevents you from ever actually getting out there and doing work!

Pro gardeners, therefore, keep a tub of their most-used items in a convenient place. Included are things like shears, spades, rakes, boots, hose lines, and watering cans. Think about the items you use the most and keep them handy.

Replace Your Lawn

Lawns are notoriously tricky to look after. They require hours of your time every day to get right. And, unless you have clay soil like we do, in dry weather, they can quickly deteriorate into a dry, brown mess.

Fortunately, you don’t actually have to use real grass to get that lush green lawn effect you’re hankering after. Artificial turf you can order online today never dries out and turns brown. Instead, it remains the same colour as you bought it, season after season. Plus it saves you time because you don’t have to worry about watering or weeding.

Use Containers

 

If you have gone with the option of artificial grass, you’ll need to make sure you’re providing plenty of flowers and plants for pollinating insects. While planting beds might seem like a great idea, it is a time-consuming process to get everything growing ideally, as it should. You need to get the soil right and will probably spend a lot of time weeding and / or watering.

Growing plants in containers, however, saves you a lot of time. You can create a simple watering routine, and it makes weeding easier.

To create an effective display, choose pots of differing sizes and heights, and mix things up. Be sure to plant plenty of native wildflowers for bees and butterflies too.

Copy What Works In Your Neighbour’s Garden

If your neighbour has a fabulous garden, then learn from it! Chances are they’ve found a winning combination that works for your local soil-type a climate, so there’s no point re-inventing the wheel. Check out the plants that are thriving and then copy them. And if you start asking about plants, you might just get a few free offcuts or seeds!

Make Heavy Use Of Evergreens

Evergreens are a fantastic type of plant to have in your garden for two reasons. First, they make your garden colorful all year round. And, second, they barely require any maintenance – just an annual prune.

Try using evergreens in your front garden to line the boundary of your property. Don’t be afraid to create something beautiful.