Who wants to spend their weekends working on their garden?
Everyone dreams of having the best-looking garden on the block. But regular watering, trimming, weeding, and general maintenance can take up a lot of time you’d rather spend doing something else.
Don’t worry….
It doesn’t have to be this way. You can have a low maintenance garden that’ll make all your neighbours jealous. With clever design and the right features, any outdoor space can look good and be easy to manage.
What you’ll learn:
- Why Low Maintenance Gardens Are Becoming More Popular
- Top 10 Must-Have Features For A Low Maintenance Garden
- Motion Sensor Light Installation
- Use Native Plants In Your Garden
- Add A Gravel Garden
- Install Automated Irrigation
- Create Drought Resistant Gardens
- Add Mulch To Your Garden Beds
- Smart Garden Design Tips
Ready to learn how to keep your garden beautiful with minimal effort? Let’s get started.
Why People Are Loving Low Maintenance Gardens
Believe it or not, low maintenance gardens are becoming more popular by the day.
After all who wouldn’t want an attractive backyard that doesn’t make them broke or send them indoors? The National Gardening Association states that now 80% of households across America participate in some type of gardening.
But nowadays….
Nobody wants to spend upwards of 70 hours per year caring for their garden like past generations did. That’s where low maintenance gardening really shines.
By carefully selecting attractive features that require little to no upkeep, your yard can thrive without spending your whole paycheck or weekends on maintenance.
Low maintenance gardens combine beautiful plants, weather resistant materials, and clever tech to keep your outdoor space looking fantastic without much effort.
Let’s dive into some of the best features you can add to your backyard to achieve that goal.
10 Must-Have Features For A Low Maintenance Garden
When designing a low maintenance garden, every feature should be intentional.
Your space shouldn’t have anything that you’ll have to spend time cleaning or maintaining. Choose your garden additions carefully and make sure they serve more than just one purpose.
Installing Motion Sensor Lights
Motion sensor lights are a fantastic addition to any garden. Not only will you save time by not having to remember to turn your lights on at night, but they also provide some welcome security benefits.
Lighting activates whenever someone or something enters your property. That means your outdoor space will always be lit when necessary without wasting energy.
When planning to install outdoor lighting, make sure to include some motion sensors. They are ideal for lighting up pathways, making your garden look beautiful at night, and providing much needed security.
Benefits of Motion Sensor Lights:
- Set it and forget it – once installed you won’t have to remember to turn them off
- Saves you money on energy costs
- Deters thieves and provides peace of mind
- Highlights areas of your garden at night
Modern LED motion sensor light systems are nearly maintenance free and can last you for years.
Choose Native Plants
Native plants are another great way to reduce maintenance in your yard.
Not only do they attract native wildlife but they can also reduce your water usage by up to 80%. When a plant’s adapted to your climate you won’t have to spend time babying them to help them along.
Some popular low maintenance native plants include:
- Ornamental grasses
- Flowering shrubs
- Ground cover
- Hardy Perennials
Do your research and try to only use plants native to your area.
Add A Gravel Garden Or Other Hardscaping Elements
The struggle of watering, weeding, and maintaining your garden is real. Not only is it time consuming but it can be frustrating.
That’s why gravel gardens are taking off.
No soil means less weeds. Less watering. And overall less maintenance than traditional gardens.
Some popular hardscaping features include:
- Gravel walkways
- Stone borders
- Paved patio’s
- Raised garden beds
By adding these features to your landscape you won’t have to spend as much time caring for your garden.
Install An Automated Irrigation System
Hand watering your garden takes forever.
Thankfully technology has come a long way and now there are many different types of irrigation systems you can install. From timers to moisture sensors. Let the tech do all the hard work for you.
Benefits of using irrigation:
- You can go on vacation guilt-free
- Water bills may be less than if you used a sprinkler system
- Plants receive the optimal amount of water
Imagine having a garden that waters itself. It may sound too good to be true but by using irrigation and drought tolerant plants, you can make it happen!
Group Similar Plants Together
Something as simple as where you place your plants can determine how much maintenance you’ll have down the road.
By grouping plants that require similar levels of sun and water together, you won’t have to micro manage each plant.
Quick placement tips:
- Make sure to plant in areas that will receive the correct amount of sunlight
- Create watering zones. This will help you avoid over watering some plants while underwatering others.
- Leave enough space for the plants to grow to maturity. Crowded gardens require more trimming and pruning.
Add Mulch To Your Garden Beds
Adding mulch to your garden beds is one of the best ways to reduce weeds.
A good layer of mulch will also help retain moisture and feed your plants as it breaks down. Mulch is like giving your garden a gift that keeps on giving.
There are many types of mulch out there. Wood chips, bark, and compost are all good options.
No matter what type you choose, make sure you lay it on nice and thick. If it’s too thin, new weeds will find their way to the sunlight.
A general rule when mulching is to lay down 3-4 inches on your garden beds.
Replace Lawns With Alternatives
Lawns take a lot of upkeep. Watering, mowing, weeding…..you name it.
Lawns also tend to look ugly when you first install them. It can take months for them to actually look like grass.
Instead of installing a new lawn, look into alternatives such as:
- Dusty Miller
- Ornamental Grasses
- Knock Out Roses
- Clover
Not only will these alternative lawns save you time, but they also won’t require watering every single day.
Install Rock Gardens
Nothing is worse than spending your weekends pulling weeds. If there’s one thing we hate about gardening, it’s pulling weeds.
Install some rock gardens to limit the growth of weeds.
Rock gardens aren’t just for rocks either. You can fill them with succulents or other plants that don’t require large amounts of watering.
Wrapping It Up
You don’t have to live and breathe your garden for it to look great.
As long as you plan ahead and add the right features you can have a low maintenance yard that’ll make all of your neighbours jealous.
Here’s a quick recap:
- Install motion detecting lights. You’ll save money and time by doing this
- Choose plants that are native to your area
- Limit watering by adding rock gardens and gravel
- Install automated irrigation
- Group plants with similar sunlight/watering needs
- Add mulch to your garden beds
- Ditch your lawn for alternatives
- Sunlight – Be sure to plan your garden according to how much sunlight you’ll receive. There’s nothing worse than planting something that prefers full sun into an area that only receives shaded light.
Start small by adding 1–2 new features to your garden. Once you become comfortable, you can add more until you’ve reached your low maintenance dream garden.
