Choosing plants
There is a huge range of plants and flowers you can use
that require little maintenance throughout the year
including hardy evergreens, flowers such as lavender and
crocus, and perennials. Climbers such as Ivy and Climbing
Hydrangeas take up little space on the ground, but can
add interest to walls and fences, and require very little
watering to become established.
Herbs are also a great low maintenance addition to the
garden and can be easily grown in containers to save
space, with the added benefit that you can use them in
your cooking too.
Fuchsia, Mexican Orange Blossom and Gaillardia are
all great choices for adding pops of colour throughout
the garden and require very little looking after once
established.
How to deal with lawns
Lawns can be the most labour intensive parts
of many gardens, but there are some things you
can do to create a low maintenance lawn. If you
do not need your whole lawn think about letting
some of it grow keeping a small area as a formal
area; this will cut down the amount of cutting
you have to do, as well as provide habitat for
wildlife and insects.
For those who don’t want the hassle of a lawn,
then there are alternatives. Artificial grass
has come a long way in recent years and now
looks and feels like the real thing just with no
maintenance needed. Artificial grass is also
available in a range of different colours and is
permeable meaning that rain drains through
and doesn’t pool.
Those who don’t want grass at all can choose
to use gravel, paving, decking or even bark to
create a fantastic looking garden without the
worry of the upkeep.
Issue 34 2018 Landscape & Urban Design
43