Everyone wants a beautiful garden in which they can relax and be at one with their own little piece of the great outdoors. The trouble is that very few of us have the time and effort spare to commit to maintaining one. Mowing the lawn, weeding, planting and all of the usual activities necessary for a beautiful garden may be fun and easy over the summer months but when the leaves fall from the trees and the rain clouds come out in force, many of us prefer the creature comforts of the great indoors.

The quandary, then, is how can we put together a garden that is not only beautiful all year round but requires an absolute bare minimum of maintenance. Believe it or not, it can be done. Here’s how…

Lose the lawn

A lush green lawn is a beautiful addition to any garden, but it also requires regular maintenance. If you’re not prepared for mowing, clipping and weeding on a weekly basis then it may be time to consider the alternatives. Fortunately they can be both beautiful and affordable. Paving your garden gives you absolute control over the look of your garden and with the huge variety of colors, shapes and materials on offer, there’s huge scope for customization allowing you to tailor the look of your garden to your own personal tastes. Of course, even the most robust weed control membrane may be breached every once in awhile so it’s important to be vigilant and patrol your garden with a bottle of weed killer handy every now and then.

For those who want the low maintenance benefits of paving while still enjoying the ability to plant, gravel lends a Mediterranean style to your garden while allowing you to plant drought resistant plants like lavender. This way you can give your garden some beautiful, colorful flourishes that provide nectar and pollen for visiting insects while also preventing weeds.

However, if you want the appearance of turf, as well as providing a soft, safe surface for your children to play on, a synthetic turf such as Multiturf may offer you the best of both worlds. Synthetic turfs look and feel much like regular grass yet require no mowing or other maintenance. For those who want a neat, lush lawn all year round, synthetic turf is the way to go.

The perfect plants

A lawn free garden will require some plants to prevent it from looking and feeling sterile and lifeless. But since we’re looking for low maintenance options, it’s vitally important to choose the right plants. Fortunately, there are many beautiful and hardy perennials that will add color and vibrancy to your garden yet expect almost nothing in return. Evergreen shrubs like holly, lavender and daphne are famously reliable though if you’re looking for a little more range of color we recommend the ‘Jules Verne’ peony, the Japanese barberry and ribbon grass.

With a little imagination, a beautiful yet relatively maintenance free garden is not a pipe dream but an affordable and attainable goal.

There are plenty of ways to make a garden look stunning, without adding anything unnatural to it. If you want to keep your garden organic and beautiful at the same time we’ve got some great ideas for you to try. You can forget about adding a water feature or stone sculpture. Don’t bother with the stone path or the new lights. With our ideas your garden is going to look fantastic without any of this nonsense. So, where should you start?

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Make Sure The Grass Shines

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The best part of a beautiful, natural garden, is green lush grass. But we think you’re probably aware that not everyone gets this in their garden naturally. Either due to weather or other elements the grass in your garden might be looking a little worse for wear. Not to worry though because we’ve got the solution you need. The first thing that you should do is cut the grass nice and short. Preferably, you should cut it as short as possible. That way, it’s going to make your garden look bigger and more open. Once you’ve done this, you should sprinkle down some grass greener. Doing this, you should see some startling results in a couple of weeks. It’s the perfect solution if you’re grass has been scorched by the sun or marked by a pet. If you’re having trouble getting your grass to look healthy, speak to a landscaper. Landscaping professionals know exactly what to do to make difficult grass grow.

Add A Variety Of Flowers

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Next, we suggest you buy a whole variety of different flowers for your garden. You can choose different species and colours. Put them around the garden, framing the grass if you like. Or, simply add clusters of flowers around the garden by digging up the soil in areas and planting the seeds. If you do this, in no time at all your garden will start to look colourful and vibrant. Once the flowers start to grow you might need to think about protecting them. Particularly if you live in an area with a hot climate. That’s why you might also want to consider planting some trees to provide shade. Screener trees are perfect for your garden if you have an eyesore near your home. Or, if you just want some privacy from the neighbours.

Getting Rid Of Weeds

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Once your grass is beautiful and your flowers are colourful, you have to clean up the garden a little more. Pull out all the weeds and other nuisances around the yard. Make sure that you lay down some weed killer to make sure that they don’t grow back again. You need to do this regularly because weeds are quite resilient, as suggested by the name.

Natural Water Feature

While we don’t encourage you to add an artificial water feature to your garden, you can add one that’s a little more natural. You can do this by digging a pond in your yard, if you have the space. This will look truly stunning and could be the perfect centre piece of your space. Add some fish and you will have even brought real life to your new garden.

It can be difficult to establish a presentable garden that is both decorative and low maintenance. Some people hire professional gardeners or landscapers to create their garden and then pay to have it groomed or maintained periodically. Your garden doesn’t necessarily have to be an award winning masterpiece, more so a presentable feature your home has to offer. Here are some tips to creating a low maintenance garden.

Establish the garden to preferred size and shape

Depending on the size of your garden will also determine how much maintenance it will require. A larger garden will incorporate more plants, flowers and weeds, therefore require much more effort to maintain. Once you have determined the size and shape of your up and coming garden, you can then begin preparation.

Construct your garden with necessities to survive from establishment

To establish this low maintenance garden will involve creating it in a friendly environment. This includes exposure to sunlight and rain as plants require these natural resources to blossom and survive. Insert plants into small pots with soil as they will absorb more water from rain and bury the pots into the garden surroundings until hidden. Use mixed fertilizer and compost to generate nutritious soil for your plants and flowers. This will provide them a healthier lifestyle and longer life span and will naturally be exposed to sun and rain water, increasing their chances of survival with minimal maintenance.

Use stones or bark to surround plants

To avoid excess weeds and unwanted pests, use stones or bark opposed to excess soil to surround your plants. As your plants will be living and growing in the soil invested in the pots, this is all they require. By filling excess space with stones or bark, this will prevent growth of weeds and be less attractive to insects or other pests. It will also provide a unique presence as most gardens today are an abundance of dirt.

Choose larger plants or flowers to minimize maintenance

It may be worthwhile to choose larger plants of flowers to decorate your garden. Choose an arrangement of larger opposed to a variety of smaller plants as this will again minimize maintenance. Think about how much more effort it will take to water or weed 20 smaller plants, opposed to 6 or 7 larger ones.

Decorate your garden with fixtures and gnomes

To finalize your low maintenance garden and make it look presentable to the eye, you can now finish it off by decorating it with presentable fixtures such as garden gnomes or other novelty items. Not only do these items fill the remaining empty space in the garden but they are attractive and present some character to your garden. Finally, distribute rocks or decorative pebbles around the edges of the garden to secure it. There are numerous options for the perimeter of gardens so choose the best option that suits your new gardens charm.

By following these simple steps you will have created your garden from scratch to minimize the maintenance required to keep your plants alive and healthy. With your unique touch provides a garden that is appealing and incorporates charisma suited to your distinctive personality.

Author Bio
Shane is one of the leading Landscape Gardeners on the Gold Coast, Australia. He works with many of the leading home builders the Gold Coast has to offer to produce exquisite home designs with amazing low maintenance gardens.

Landscaping is a great way to increase the appeal and beauty of your home. Many homeowners are taking advantage of opportunities to boost the value of their homes by using smart designs to recreate their property.  But is a beautiful yard a fair exchange for the toll it can take on the environment? By choosing Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, you can use green landscaping ideas that give you great results without the negative impact.

Cost-Effective Materials

When you are looking to conserve, choosing the right materials can be a big step in the right direction. Especially if you live in places where high temperature and a dry climate make water conservation a priority, choosing landscaping materials that cut back on your summer demand can help you go green. Stone, sand, and wood chips can be a great alternative to grass that requires frequent watering. In addition to the financial savings, these materials can help create a unique look that really makes an impression.

Plants and Irrigation

Although opting “no” on grass has already been mentioned, you can take additional steps to reduce water consumption. Selecting plants that require less water can make maintaining your flower garden or nature path less of a burden on you and the environment. Incorporating effective irrigation as a part of the scenery can be a great way to achieve two goals at the same time.

Lighting

When you think about going green, you might not know how to accomplish your goal when you need outdoor lighting. It may come as a surprise to you that LEDs can help you keep energy consumption low while providing great results. Choosing LED landscape lighting from Outdoor Lighting Perspectives can actually add to the appeal of your property by making it accessible both day and night. Once the deck is installed, the pool has been filled, or the serenity garden has been completed, you cannot fully enjoy the benefits if you can’t see the results. Outdoor lighting Perspectives can offer professional lighting results for your deck, pathway, and more by offering options that don’t cause harm or stress to the environment.

Planning Ahead

As you create the design for your landscaping project, you should take a moment to consider ways to reduce unnecessary waste. Investing in the help of professionals to install plumbing, wiring, or other features that will contribute to the final results before you get close to the end can help you avoid having to go over the same areas twice.

Your landscaping project doesn’t have to hit the environment hard. With materials that help you conserve water, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives to reduce energy required for outdoor lighting, and an effective strategy to make it all come together you can expect to get the results that you want without the excess environmental costs that you don’t.

Sources:

• “Green Landscaping: Eco-Friendly Ideas”, Lecia Monsen, www.landscaping-software-review.toptenreviews.com
• “Landscaping Lighting Lets You Linger Longer”, www.outdoorlightingperspectives.com