Creating a Low-Maintenance Garden: Tips and Tricks

A beautiful garden is a worthy addition to any property. A well-designed garden provides food and shelter for local wildlife and supports the local ecosystem. Spending some time in a garden every day is a great way to control your blood pressure, reduce stress, and get your creative juices flowing.

Does a low-maintenance beautiful garden that you would love to spend time in sound too good to be true? Trust us when we say it’s totally achievable.

Follow these tips to create a low-maintenance garden.

Use Plants Well-Suited to Local Growing Conditions

The right plants for your garden have adapted to the local climate. They are more disease-resistant than non-native plants and also need far less water than others. If the soil in your garden drains poorly, do not try to grow citrus in it. Do not plant rhododendrons in a dry, exposed area.

If you have too much on your plate and cannot prune regularly, avoid growing climbing roses, creeping figs, or wisteria in your garden, as they can quickly become unmanageable without proper upkeep. Instead, opt for plants that naturally thrive in your local or similar climate zones and require minimal maintenance to flourish.

Ditch the Lawn or Reduce Its Size

A lush, verdant lawn looks stunning but requires extensive maintenance and may impact the local ecosystem. Reduce the number of grassy areas to maintain so you spend less time performing tedious gardening chores such as mowing, fertilizing, weeding, and reseeding, and more time enjoying your garden.

If you do not want to get rid of your lawn, consider reducing its size so it’s easier to maintain. Instead of trying to redesign your lawn yourself to decrease its size, reach out to a landscaping maintenance company in Santa Rosa for help. An experienced landscape contractor can help you reduce the size of your lawn without negatively impacting its aesthetics and utility.

Spread Mulch on Beds

Mulch regularly to simplify garden maintenance. Mulching effectively inhibits the growth of weeds and reduces water loss. At the end of its lifecycle, mulch decomposes to enhance soil texture. The right mulch for your garden can instantly improve its appearance, turning your property into the jewel of your neighborhood.

Apply a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch around your plants. Utilize pebble or stone mulches for your potted plants. Plant ground covers within the mulch to prevent birds from disturbing it and ensure it stays in place during flooding events.

You can allow 5% of the area to remain un-mulched to allow for ground nesting pollinators.

Use Larger Plant Pots

It is generally easier to care for larger pots than smaller ones. Smaller pots tend to dry out more quickly and may require more frequent watering. If you have limited or no garden soil available, consider grouping plants in larger pots or utilizing raised planters instead of small plant pots.

Gardenworks is a trusted landscaping maintenance company in Santa Rosa. Our expertise enables us to turn our customers’ vision into reality. To request a quote, call 707-857-2050.