Everyone wants to have their own outdoor space of privacy and comfort , a lush garden full of scents, furnished with a hammock, a table and chairs, a small gazebo and many other small elements that enrich your floral place . Despite this, not everyone is born with a green thumb and, often, even those who manage to make their own garden sprout and grow do not have the time necessary to dedicate themselves to taking care of the greenery of their home.
To respond to these two situations, today we’ll talk to you about how to create a garden that requires little maintenance, in order to obtain an outdoor relaxation area without too much effort. In fact, the garden represents a huge added value for every home, regardless of its size and shape.
What solution can we resort to? To a low maintenance garden , which implies minimal commitment from many points of view, including the economic one.
How to create a garden without commitment
The first and fundamental step to create any type of outdoor environment, including a splendid low-maintenance garden, is to design every detail with industry experts , who can recommend furnishings, lighting, decorative elements and plants suitable for the climate of your area.
In this first phase it is good to prepare an operational scheme to follow, to have a defined and clear plan.
So how to start designing a low maintenance garden?
The first thing to do is take measurements of the external space to be enriched and decorated, to investigate hours of light, exposure to the sun, shaded areas and strategic points for positioning plants and furniture.
Secondly, it is necessary to identify the types of plants and crops to include in your outdoor space: you need to investigate their needs, characteristics, maintenance, favorable climate and aesthetic performance.
In fact, there are plants that are particularly suitable for this type of garden, while others are absolutely to be avoided, although beautiful and captivating: if the objective is to have a garden that is easy to maintain and economically advantageous, one must not give in to the aesthetic temptations of plants which, alas, They really require a lot of attention.
The first important choice for a low-maintenance outdoor space concerns the lawn: turf must absolutely be avoided if you intend to dedicate little time to taking care of your greenery, as it needs to be looked after regularly and frequently. The best solution is therefore a garden without grass . If you don’t want to completely give up the lawn, you can choose small portions of land to dedicate to it, alternating them with walkways, paving, gravel and pebble paths or flowerbeds.
Precisely the preparation of a gravel path and some other portions of the garden in which it is the protagonist can prove to be the best solution for a low-cost and low-effort outdoor space, but with a great effect. Gravel, in fact, thanks to the variety of sizes, shapes and colours, naturally enriches any external environment in which it is positioned. This type of stone, in fact, often turns out to be a perfect ally and a delightful compromise between a grassy surface and the earth, considered by many to be unsightly.
A good choice is to mulch the ground . Mulching is a technique used in gardening to reduce garden maintenance and improve soil quality. This is an operation that consists of covering the ground with an organic material , such as straw, compost, moss, wood bark or soil.
It has several advantages, including the reduction of weeds, the conservation of humidity, the protection of the soil, which remains porous and aerated, and provides organic nutrients, improving the fertility of the space. To obtain satisfactory results, you must first choose which organic material to use based on the needs of the garden and local availability, in order to select the most resistant and long-lasting compost, and then prepare the soil by removing weeds and leveling the soil. Finally, mulch is applied in a uniform layer 5-10 cm thick, avoiding covering low plants and newly planted seeds.
One of the most frequent alternatives is also to opt for a space full of flower beds and small, medium and large pots in which to insert tree and floral types, but also vegetables and spices.
This specific option is very common on paved and tiled terraces and balconies . However, you should know that plants not grown in the ground require more maintenance than others, requiring greater commitment and more frequent care.
As regards plants, however, the choice must fall on evergreen and native ones. Evergreen plants are naturally more long-lasting than others, and lose a small amount of leaves and residues, which therefore do not need to be collected frequently. The native ones , on the other hand, are already predisposed to grow in their place of origin, proving more resistant and durable.
Among the most beautiful and functional plants for a low-maintenance garden are: Juniper, dwarf Mugo, Erica and Rosemary, Fotinia, Tino Viburnum, Privet and Nandina domestica.
Garden for those with little time: here’s how to do it
For those who have little time available but still want to enjoy the beauty of a garden , there are some helpful tips for creating a low-maintenance garden.
First of all, choosing the right plants is essential to reduce the work of taking care of your garden. It is important to choose plants that require little attention and are suitable for the climate of your area. For example, lavender, rosemary, sage and thyme are aromatic plants that require little work and can also be used in the kitchen.
Additionally, choosing perennials rather than annuals can reduce the work of caring for your outdoor space . Perennial plants such as ivy, boxwood and broom come back thriving every year, without needing to be planted again. This way you avoid having to grow them from the beginning every year, saving time and money.
To reduce the time needed to care for the garden, it is also important to choose the right type of soil. Soil with good drainage reduces the need to water the garden and prevents the appearance of plant diseases . Additionally, you can add a covering of straw or wood bark over the soil to maintain moisture and prevent weed growth.
Additionally, using automatic watering systems can help reduce the time it takes to water your plants. Irrigation systems such as drippers or micro-sprinklers can be installed in the garden, and programmed to water the plants regularly without needing to be physically present.
Finally, choosing low-maintenance garden furniture can help reduce the work needed to maintain your green space. For example, use materials such as stone or gravel instead of grass for lawn areas, or choose weatherproof garden furniture such as treated wood or metal furniture.
Low maintenance plants
Choosing low-maintenance garden plants can be beneficial for many reasons. First of all, reducing the work of taking care of your garden can mean saving time and money. Additionally, low-maintenance plants can be an eco-friendly and sustainable choice , as they require less water and chemicals than plants that require intensive care.
Here are some examples of low maintenance garden plants :
- Lavender – this aromatic plant requires little work and is drought tolerant, making it ideal for dry, sunny gardens;
- Yucca – this hardy perennial plant is drought-resistant and requires little care work. Additionally, it produces white or pink flowers that add a pop of color to the garden;
- Ivy – ivy is a climbing plant that grows quickly and requires little care work. It is ideal for covering walls, fences and pergolas;
- Agave – this succulent plant is drought tolerant and requires little attention. Its spiny, waxy leaves also make it an ideal choice for dry and Mediterranean gardens;
- Rosemary – rosemary is an aromatic plant that requires little attention. It is drought resistant and can also be used in the kitchen;
- Boxwood – boxwood is a perennial plant that requires little care work. It is ideal for creating borders and has small, green leaves that retain their color all year round;
- Broom – this plant produces yellow or white flowers and requires little care work. It is ideal for rock or Mediterranean gardens.
Ground cover plants are plants that grow on the ground, forming a green carpet on the soil surface. These plants are widely used in gardening to cover the soil evenly and create a dense and resistant plant cover. Ground cover plants have some common characteristics. Among these, the small and compact leaves, which allow them to cover the ground evenly, the rapid growth, which allows them to quickly cover large surfaces, the resistance to trampling and bad weather, which makes them ideal for covering areas passageways or surfaces subject to intensive use. Finally, they propagate quickly and produce beautiful decorative flowers, which can embellish the garden with their colors and shapes. Among the most common ground cover plants are, for example, rosemary, thyme, mint, ivy, periwinkle, ground cover cornflower, bellflower and ground cover strawberry tree. These plants can be used to create durable and decorative plant mats, ideal for covering flowerbeds, slopes, walls and roadsides.
Low maintenance garden decorations
Decorating a low-maintenance garden may seem difficult, but there are actually many options available for creating a green space that requires little care and maintenance effort. Here are some tips for furnishing and decorating your lush outdoor space :
- Furniture made of resistant materials : when choosing garden furniture, it is important to opt for weather-resistant materials, such as treated wood or iron. In this way, the furniture will last longer and require less maintenance work;
- Stone or Gravel Paving : A stone or gravel paving is an excellent choice for low-maintenance gardens. Both are durable and require little maintenance effort, such as occasional cleaning;
- Solar-Powered Lighting : Solar-powered lighting is a great choice for low-maintenance gardens. Not only does it require no electricity, and is therefore more economical, but its components are also weatherproof and require little maintenance effort;
- Low-Maintenance Water Features : If you want to add a water feature to your garden, you can choose a low-maintenance option, such as a wall fountain.
How to make a garden with little money?
Who wouldn’t want a beautiful, colorful and always tidy garden with minimal effort? There is no such thing as a maintenance-free garden, but the intelligent choice of ad hoc plants, combined with a few small tricks, reduces the amount of pruning, work and irrigation. Now that you know many ideas about a grass-free garden and an outdoor space with DIY maintenance, you can breathe a sigh of relief and start thinking about your new garden with little effort.