With spring arriving, you might be looking out at your garden in anticipation of all the work that you’re going to have to do over the following year. It’s a simple fact of life: if you have it, you have to take care of it. Or else it can become an overgrown, unhealthy mess. There is another option, however. What if you designed your garden so that it didn’t actually require as much work? Here, we’re going to look at a few steps, changes, tips, and investments that can make the garden much easier to care for, making your life a little easier in the process.
Eating Up Lawn Space With Hardscaping
For a lot of people, the frequent lawncare the garden needs is one of the most annoying aspects of the spring and summer seasons. However, with the right hardscaping elements, be it decking, patios, gravel zones, or paved pathways, you can instantly reduce how much space you actually have to care for. This means less mowing, watering, and weeding. Of course, these hardscape areas can have their own appeal, as well, as a stunning deck can instantly improve the appearance of the home, and add some usable outdoor space for eating, entertaining, or simply relaxing, while stepping stone paths make it easier to move through your garden without stepping on the grass, compacting the soil and affecting your lawn’s health.
Choose Plants That Can Thrive Without Your Help
If you want to bring a little color, life, and visual variety to your garden, then the right plant types are going to play a big role in shaping its aesthetic. However, the more out-there you go with your choices, the more time you have to spend taking care of them. Opting for hardy perennials, ornamental grasses, or native species that are already designed for the climate and soil conditions can see those plants naturally thriving without too much help. While they’re not going to be entirely labor-free, they’re going to require less watering, pruning, and feeding, especially when compared to those more delicate annuals, and they are also less likely to have pest or disease problems.
Upgrade To Efficient, Time-Saving Tools
It’s not just the garden itself that can be made easier, but the tools that you use to care for it, as well. If you’re still using old gas power mowers that require refueling and maintaining more often, for instance, switching to a cordless battery lawn mower can make cutting your grass a lot simpler. Look at tools like battery-powered trimmers and lightweight hedgecutters, using efficient modern tools that not just save time, but make taking care of the garden feel a lot less physically demanding, as well. Having easy access to the right tools can make routine maintenance much quicker, which in turn makes it easier to keep up with when you might otherwise feel like skipping it.
Let Mulch Do Some Of The Work For You
If you find yourself constantly having to water patches of the garden because the ground dries out too quickly, or pulling weeds, then you should consider adding a layer of mulch to the beds that are giving you the most trouble. Organic mulch, such as bark chips or compost, tends to work best, suppressing weed growth by blocking sunlight from reaching the base of the soil, while also helping it retain water. Mulch also improves soil quality over time, regulating its temperature and breaking down to provide new organic matter, which, in turn, allows for healthier plant growth. Apply a two-to-three-inch layer around plants, keeping it slightly away from stems to prevent rot, and refresh it roughly once or twice a year.
Get Smart With Your Irrigation
When you only water by hand, not only are you spending a lot more time than you need to, but you might also be wasting water through inefficient methods. With smart irrigation systems, such as drip irrigation, soaker hoses, and automated sprinklers, you can make sure that your plants are getting the consistent hydration they need without daily work, even saving water in the process. If your systems are hooked up to smart sensors, they can adjust watering schedules automatically based on things like rainfall and temperature, which can prevent overwatering. Not only do these systems help save you from extra work, but they make sure that your plants are given the consistent watering care they need, eliminating human error, which can easily stray towards too much or too little.
What About Artificial Grass?
If you really don’t want to have to care for your lawn at all, but still want that fresh green patch, then the most comprehensive solution is to use artificial grass as a practical alternative. Modern synthetic turf does look a lot more realistic than fake lawns used to, and stays green the entire year without mowing, fertilizing, or watering. It can be expensive to install, so it’s typically best for small urban gardens, but it can also be a great solution for any shaded areas where grass can grow patchily, or areas of frequent foot traffic where the soil gets compacted easily.
Swap The Beds Out For Container Gardens
If you have a large garden bed, then you need to anticipate the work that comes with it, including constant weeding, edging, and soil maintenance. Container gardening can offer a much more effortless alternative, as pots and planters can greatly limit weed growth, improve the drainage of the soil, and make it easier to adjust the soil quality, given it’s in a much more controlled setting. Of course, they also make for a highly flexible plant setting, allowing you to move your plants wherever you see it, be it for aesthetic purposes or to make sure that they get the light and fresh air that they need. By concentrating your planting into manageable zones, you simplify maintenance while still enjoying color, texture, and variety throughout the year.
Whatever garden you design, you have to be sure you know what care goes into it. Finding the right balance between a stable routine and an easy lifestyle is ideal.
