Most homeowners who own gardens, will want their outdoor space to look tidy, inviting and well looked after. However, if you work nine to five, five days a week and you spend your weekends socializing, your garden may be unintentionally neglected because of this. Not to worry, you are not alone as this is an issue many working people have. This article will help to give some top tips and hints on how to make your garden the best it can with minimal effort.
Reconsider having a natural grassed lawn
Most homeowners in the UK have gardens which have grassed lawns. When we picture a garden, we usually picture green lawns within our imaginations. Therefore, if you want a traditional looking garden then a green lawn is essential. However, natural grass requires maintenance and upkeep and not every homeowner has the time to look after their gardens or the surplus income to employ a gardener. Luckily, the use of artificial grass solves this dilemma. Artificial grass is not only looks green and natural, it also requires very little upkeep unlike natural grass, so this is something definitely to consider whilst trying to transform your garden into a relatively low maintenance one.
Avoid high maintenance plants
This is probably one of the first things that springs into mind whilst creating a low maintenance garden. Some plants are high maintenance and require lots of TLC, this is why you need to look at the plants which you already have in your garden and to evaluate how much effort is needed to look after them and whether they will be missed if they were removed from your garden. Furthermore, if you are looking to purchase low maintenance plants, here are a few examples of low maintenance plants which can be added to your outdoor space: Lavender, Geraniums, Hydrangeas and Iris. Therefore, you can have a low maintenance garden and you can still include beautiful plants within your garden design.
Have a tarmacked or shingled drive way
Both tarmac and shingle drive ways are low maintenance, as bricked or paved driveways often have weeds grow in between the jointing. Therefore, having a tarmacked or shingled drive way is easier in this sense as there is no jointing, so therefore there is little opportunity for weeds to grow through. Once a drive way has been shingled or tarmacked, it can be left for years before any maintenance or touch ups are required.
Avoid painting your fences
Once you start painting your fences, you will have to keep painting your fences to keep the fences paint looking fresh and neat, because over time the paint weathers and it can make the fences look very worn and tired looking. So, if you have brand new fences, there is no need to paint them, just embrace its natural wooden colour and then there will be zero maintenance required. However, if the way in which your natural colored fences looks bothers you, then you could always consider having your fences tarnished as this will give a nice slight hint to your fences.
Add a pond to your garden
Ponds are low maintenance and a nice feature to add to your garden. Little upkeep is required whilst owning a pond and you will also attract beautiful wildlife creatures whilst doing this. Ponds are perfect if you want a low maintenance garden, but you don’t want it to look bland or boring.
Install a watering system
A quick and easy garden hack is to install a watering system within your garden, this is usually called a sprinkler and they water the garden at push of a button, opposed to having to go out with a hose or watering can yourself. Sprinklers are usually in-expensive and they save so much time! It is a no brainier really.
Purchase hardwood furniture
Hardwood outdoor furniture is the best option whilst purchasing outdoor furniture that is made to last. This is because the hardwood is ultra-durable, and the weathering outdoor conditions will not have such a big impact on the furniture, as other material outdoor furniture does. Softwood is not a good option, because it is not durable, and it will not last as long as hardwood furniture, so it is a good idea to avoid softwood. Furthermore, metal furniture is also something that is a good idea to avoid. This is because metal often rusts when it has been left outside in harsh weather conditions. Therefore, hardwood furniture is the best option in this case.
