Maintenance Free Garden

Gardening can be difficult at times, some plants are so fragile it seems like they need constant care and attention to stay alive and some tasks can be very physically demanding. So to dispel the myth that the only way to keep your garden lush and green is through hard labour, here are some of the best plants you can trust to get your garden looking great, that require little to no maintenance in the long term.

Bay Tree:

The Bay tree although technically a herb is particularly hardy, as they can survive outdoors in temperatures as low as -5°C in the open and even lower if planted in a sheltered area. You can often buy them potted from garden centres and they not only make your garden look more exotic, but yield fresh bay leaves that are a surefire way to make your home cooking even more delicious.

Hanging Baskets:

Available from any local garden centre in a wide range of colours and sizes, hanging baskets are simply fixed to a wall mount and instantly brighten up any garden in an instant. Although many hanging baskets will come with a bracket to attach to a wall or fence of your choice, it is very likely you already have at least one attached to your home.

The most amount of work you will have to do to maintain hanging baskets is to water them during dry periods. Depending on your local climate and the level of rainfall, even this may not be required.

Wildflowers:

The clue is in the name on this one, ‘wild’ meaning that normally these flowers can cope well enough on their own and so will surely manage to do so in your garden! Although wildflower is an umbrella term, there are countless species with a wide variety of looks that cater for all preferences and styles to fit your garden. If you prefer a longer lawn, you can even get wildflower turf online delivered right to your door from several UK turf suppliers. This turf is usually species rich and has a nice variety of flowers and will only need mowing every few weeks.

Root Veg:

Root vegetables such as potatoes & carrots are among the easiest and lowest maintenance vegetables you can grow at home. Before you start planting, just make sure you dig a small trench and leave plenty of room for each seed to grow. If you have nice, fertile soil and plenty of rainfall, you can’t really go wrong on this one.

Water Feature:

Fish free ponds or water features are often self regulating, they by nature won’t need much outside interference. Just ensure that any ponds are deep enough, shallow ponds can occasionally need to be 'topped' up during dryer periods.

Before you go adding fish, be aware any living things will require pump & filter maintenance. Fish free ponds require zero maintenance and are less prone to any problems from weed or algae.

Shrubs:

Rather than opting for flower beds or borders around your garden, why not plant shrubs? These simple plants require extremely low maintenance and deal well with low sunlight areas of the garden. The only maintenance shrubs generally require is a simple trim once a year.