We all love our outdoor spaces and the idea of a beautiful garden. But the reality of busy family life, work, and all the other things you have to cram into your week doesn’t leave much time for maintaining your flower beds, hedges, and lawn. So, what can you do to reduce the workload and leave you time to actually enjoy your garden?
*Collaborative post
1. Leave the lawn behind
The chore that takes up so much time in the summer months is the one most people would love to let go of – mowing the lawn. But what’s a garden without grass? Well, an artificial grass lawn doesn’t need to be mowed and still looks great.
Costs vary depending on the size of the lawn, the layout, and infill. The latter is a granular material that’s brushed into the grass during installation. It keeps the blades upright, provides cushioning, and helps to weigh the synthetic turf down. To find out how much it will cost to install in your garden, use an artificial grass cost calculator for an accurate estimate based on the size of your lawn and the type of grass you’re looking for.
2. Mulch for moisture
Another time-consuming but necessary garden task is keeping your plants hydrated. Laying down mulch is a great way of retaining moisture in the soil and slowing evaporation, particularly in hot weather.
Place gravel, wood chips, or pieces of slate around the base of your flowers, shrubs, and trees. These types of mulch also serve as weed suppressants and add to the visual interest in the garden. However, you can also use organic mulch like straw, leaf mould, or grass clippings, which will break down and enrich the soil.
3. Embrace the wild
While a neatly clipped lawn is nice to look at, it doesn’t provide the same benefits as an unmown area to local wildlife. To reduce the amount of maintenance in the garden and boost nearby flora and fauna, designate part of your outdoor space as a wild zone.
This could simply be a corner of your front garden, the entirety of your back garden, or you could turn part of your outdoor space into a natural microhabitat for small animals, insects, and birds. Kids will love this more natural area and will learn a lot about local wildlife!
4. Plant perennials
To reduce the amount of work in your flower beds, consider replacing your annual plants with hardy perennials. Not only will you spend less time replanting every year, but you’ll also save money by not having to buy replacements.
Hardy perennials are also more drought-resistant due to their deep root systems, so there’s less time spent watering them. And those deep roots are great for fostering soil microbes, preventing soil erosion, and improving aeration.
5. Create a shrubbery
Even if you replace your annuals with perennials, they’ll never be as low-maintenance as shrubs. So, if you are really short for time but still want an eye-catching display in the garden, consider some hydrangea, escallonia, camelia, or azalea.
With deep roots and basic needs, you can have a thriving garden that doesn’t need constant seasonal management. Shrubs require less watering, pruning, and little or no deadheading to keep them looking good.
6. Raise some beds
Raised beds are very popular and can be less work than planting directly in the ground – as long as you design and plan them right. While there’s less weeding, bending down, and improved drainage in many cases, getting raised beds to be truly low-maintenance requires forward planning.
Using galvanised steel rather than wood will reduce the need to replace your raised beds after 5 – 10 years. Installing a drip irrigation system significantly reduces how much you need to water them, and finally, covering the soil with mulch, such as straw, locks in that moisture.
7. Invest in watering systems
Speaking of irrigation systems, apart from time spent mowing, one of the most time-consuming tasks in the garden is keeping your plants watered. By investing in a good-quality irrigation system that fits with the type of planting you have, you can cut the amount of time you spend with your hose or watering can considerably.
Irrigation systems are also highly efficient, prevent waste, and may lower your water bill. They are also exempt from hosepipe bans as they apply the water to the roots of your plants with minimal evaporation.