How to Create a Low Maintenance Garden That Still Looks Beautiful

With the fast pace of modern life and a million and one things all competing for your attention, your to-do list is probably longer than your arm. Somewhere on that ever-growing to-do list is probably ‘make over the garden.’ However, a lack of time may be putting you off getting started, or you may be stuck for ideas on how to create the garden of your dreams.

If you are someone that is forever busy and has very little free time, the chances are that you want to create a garden that’s easy to maintain. Of course, you don’t want to compromise on the look of your garden to make it low maintenance, which is often the point at which most people get stuck.

If you long for a garden that’s easy to look after, but the term low-maintenance garden makes you think of wall to wall concrete and little else, then it’s time to think again. Here are some tips to help you create a garden that you can enjoy with minimal time spent maintaining it.

Keep Weeds in Check

Weeds are the bane of a gardeners’ life, and it is a constant battle to keep them under control. Weeds seem to pop up everywhere and seemingly appear overnight, typically just when you thought you had them under control.

If you don’t have either the time or the inclination to weed your flower beds regularly, then don’t worry, there are ways to get around this. Garden membrane is the ideal solution for keeping your flower beds weed-free. This fabric can be laid on your flower bed as a way of keeping weeds from breaking through. Although laying the garden membrane will take a little work initially, it should save you a lot of weeding time in the future.

You will need to prepare the flower bed ready for the weed-control membrane to be placed on it. This will involve removing any existing weeds, and also getting rid of any sharp stones that could potentially tear it. Once the ground is prepared, you need to lay the membrane and then secure it in place with special hooks to secure it to the ground. All you then need to do is cover it as you wish, with something such as wood chippings, slate chippings or topsoil.

Low Maintenance Lawns

Your next step towards creating an easy to maintain garden is to sort out your lawn. Overgrown grass is a constant reminder that you need to get your gardening gloves on and sort out your outside space. Seeing your garden growing out of control can be a constant source of guilt and make you feel like simply paving it all for ease. However, an alternative solution is to get an artificial lawn. Artificial lawns not only look great, but of course, no mowing is necessary, meaning that you get all of the benefits of grass, but none of the hassle.

Artificial lawns do require a little maintenance now and again but aren’t as labor intensive as having grass that needs to be mown each weekend over the summer months.

Aside from being easy to take care of, artificial grass is also ideal for anyone that suffers from hayfever from cut grass too.

Give Your Fences a Makeover

Your next step towards creating low maintenance outside space is another job that takes a little time initially but will save you lots of time in the future. It’s time to turn your attention to the woodwork in your garden. Decking, sheds, and fences can also start to deteriorate over time, the impact of exposure to sunlight and harsh weather conditions will take their toll on your garden wood, and decrease its lifespan.

To keep the wood in your garden looking great for longer, you may choose to treat it with either wood paint, wood stain, or wood preservative. Treating your garden wood has lots of benefits, the main ones being protecting it against rot, mould, and fungus. As well as offering protection from common problems, treating the wood will also keep it looking good for longer, provide a water-resistant coating to the wood, and help to prolong its useful life.

Painting your shed and fences can create a real feature in your garden too, as there are so many different colours available nowadays. Don’t forget to ensure that the wood treatment you choose is suitable for use on the surface that you intend to paint. It is also worth bearing in mind that some treatments offer more extended protection for your wood than others, but the majority offer at least five years of treatment for your wood.

Once your wood treatment is applied your garden will be left looking refreshed and well-maintained, and you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing that it’s a job that won’t need to be repeated for many years.

Add Some Colour

Whether it is low maintenance or high maintenance, no garden is complete without some beautiful blooms to brighten it up with some stunning natural colour.

Lots of planting and low maintenance aren’t two terms that go together, but it is still possible to add plenty of flowers to your garden with minimum effort. The key to achieving this is to buy some pots. Planting up pots is a lot easier and less time consuming to do than planting rows and rows of bulbs in your flower beds. Containers are not only easier to plant, but easier to take care of too, as they take less time to water.

From classic terracotta to quirkier designs in bright colours, there are so many different types of planters to choose from to make your garden a real expression of your personality and taste. Pots can look really effective when positioned either symmetrically, such as either side of your door for a tidy and ordered look, or for a more organic and creative feel; you could group different colours and sizes of pots for a more dramatic effect.