The most often asked question I get in developing a brief to design a garden is ‘I need the garden to be low maintenance’. There are a few choices you can make to reduce the workload but other than green concrete, nothing is no maintenance.
A lovely client recently said to me ‘you have such a gorgeous low maintenance garden - how can I do the same’.
I need to set the record straight. My garden is not low maintenance.
Gardens by nature are not low maintenance - like anything worth having, they are high maintenance. But also, anything worth having is usually hard work.
I spend a lot of time in my garden - it’s my place - it gives me joy -its where I go to feel at peace, relax and smell the roses (or pick them).
But, it is not low maintenance - by choice.
All gardens require a lot of extra work during establishment. Plants require more water, more weeding and regular attention while they are young and newly planted.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking plants and gardens are set and forget - that is a myth.
However, if you spend some extra time when the garden is young, it will start to look after itself.
There are a few strategies that cab make your life easier & minimise your workload:
Rock edges - although lovely to look at initially, they are really hard to maintain, weeds grow easily and rampantly in the crevices.
Edges of any kind that sit above ground level - if you can’t straddle your garden edge with a mower - you will have to come back with the whippersnipper to finish the job, it’s unlikely it will get done every time, meaning you have a mess some of the time.
Mulch, mulch, mulch - this reduces weeds, helps keep the moisture in the soil and improves the health of the soil.
Potter - most days even if only for 10 minutes and pull a few weeds, before they take over. Big weeds are hard to pull out, set seed and look awful.
Prep soil and beds - this just makes planting so much easier. Garden beds, pre- dug, adding manure and mulching - get you ahead of the game. When you are ready to plant, the beds will have moisture in them, air and hopefully light.
Choose your plants wisely - please don’t get excited about planting all your favourite plants - the bones (main plants) of your garden should be reliable, trustworthy and tough. These guys provide the growing structures (bones), wind breaks and protection for your garden. The more reliable your plants are the better they grow and the faster your results. They also provide a micro-climate for more fragile plants that you can grow in the future.
Lisa Walmsley - Dip app science,
Horticulture, Landscape design
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