Many people love to garden, but there’s no denying that it can be time-consuming. Whether you’re simply too busy or you want to free up some time for other things, here’s an introduction to keeping all in the garden as easy as it is rosy.

The beds

A simple design can really help when it comes to making your garden low maintenance. Restricting beds to just the borders can help, and making these beds raised can reduce the effort required even further, as there is no lawn edging required. Soil and plants are also neatly confined within.

The plants

If low maintenance is your aim, then avoid bedding plants and perennials that require a lot of attention. Opt for slow-growing shrubs instead, which may only need pruning every couple of years.

The lawn

Tearing up your lawn to replace it with a hard surface may be tempting, but bear in mind that few are maintenance free. There’s weeding between paving slabs or treating the decking to consider, for a start. Realistic alternatives include AstroTurf, or letting the garden grow into something of a meadow. Wildflower meadow turf and seed mixes are becoming popular, so why waste too much time on mowing?

The furniture

Much of modern garden furniture is designed for minimal maintenance. Respected brands such as Lifestyle Garden furniture make their pieces from robust, weatherproof materials that require no treatments other than a wash down every so often.

Once you’ve achieved that low-maintenance look, you can get on and enjoy your garden in style – British weather permitting, of course.