Design a low-maintenance garden
Time is precious and we don’t always have as much as we would like for maintenance. These easy-care garden tips will help you cut down on time and effort spent in the garden.
Get the foundations right
- Group water-hungry plants together.
- Install irrigation - it will save time watering your plants.
- Build a wooden planter or raised bed for growing vegetables and herbs. they are great for establishing a pest-free vegetable garden and will save your back and knees from the strain of bending down in the garden.
Minimise pruning, trimming and mowing
- Choose an informal garden style that hides the weeds (like a cottage garden) and avoid formal hedges and topiary which need regular pruning.
- Avoid the chore of lawn mowing by swapping it for paving, decks, stepping stones or hardy plants.
Choose the right plants
- Choose plants suited to your soil and climate - they will thrive with less work.
- Drought, frost and wind hardy plants are good choices, as they need less watering and less protection from the elements.
- Plant perennial trees, bushes and shrubs over annual edibles. They may need occasional attention, but there will be less work involved in preparing garden beds for planting each season.
- Remember that potted plants require regular watering and feeding. So if your plants keep dying on you, a weekly reminder on your phone to water them might be a good idea!)
- Check out our easy care edibles mix - it is ideal for beginner gardeners who want to grow some healthy greens in their vegetable patch with minimal fuss.
Crowd out weeds
- Mulch and plant ground covers like creeping thyme and marjoram to crowd out weeds.
- Have most of your garden in mid-sized plants, or mass plant one type of plant suited to your garden conditions – you won’t notice the weeds as much. Rosemary is a great option for this.
