Gardening can often take up a lot of time and effort. With more people leading busy lives, the idea of a low maintenance garden is ever more appealing. Most people don’t have gardeners, so here are a few ideas to help you achieve gardening perfection with a minimum of effort.
Starting your design
The first thing that you should do is be realistic. Work out a budget, and then have a look at your options. If you want to order your plants from the comfort of your own home, look at some of the options from the Spalding Bulb Company. You’ll be able to stick to your plan, and you’ll also get some useful ideas for your plant choices.
You don’t have to have a lawn, to create a garden
Maintaining and nurturing a lawn can be hard work. Some people avoid this problem by covering the ground with gravel or decking and filling the area with attractive pots. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has some excellent suggestions for gravelling over the grass section of a garden and filling the herbaceous borders with perennials, including lavender and wild grasses for effect and low maintenance.
Climbing plants look just as pretty as hedges
If you want some colour along your boundaries, and your garden is relatively small, then try planting jasmine or wisteria along your borders. Your garden will smell beautiful, and the effect will continue throughout the summer. A hedge often takes a lot of maintenance, and you may prefer sitting in your garden rather than working in it. Trailing roses are also great, but remember that most roses will need a lot of love and attention.
Pots are ideal for all gardeners
Not everyone has the luxury of their own patch of green. For city dwellers, their garden might consist of a few pots on a balcony or windowsill. Whether you use pots in your garden or on a city terrace, you’ll enjoy the beauty from geraniums, nasturtiums or even early spring buds. Ensure that your pots drain well and are ceramic rather than plastic. The Gardeners’ Club has some good suggestions for potting mixtures and pots in general.
Herbs are easy to manage
If you grow your own herbs you’ll have the pleasure of enjoying their wonderful taste and aroma, as well as their flowers towards the end of summer. Bees and butterflies also love these plants. Oregano, marjoram and chives are easy to grow, and generally take care of themselves.
Some other easy plant options
When you are selecting plants that are easy to grow and nurture, remember to source anything that won’t need to be propped up or require regular pruning. You can buy bulbs for any season of the year and these tend to be very rewarding. Exotic, coloured grasses can also look effective and can last for some time. Ground covering plants, including Campanula and lily of the valley can also look stunning. Shrubs that flower throughout the year are perfect if you don’t have much time, look out for Hypericum with its bright yellow flowers. Most importantly, leave yourself enough time to sit back, and enjoy your wonderful low maintenance garden.
