Designing an attractive and colourful garden, which is easy to maintain at an affordable cost, is what most people dream about. All it takes is some advance planning and learning about the right plants and trees to suit your soil and light conditions. (Your local nursery is generally a good place to start)
In order to design your low-maintenance, low-cost garden, follow these easy planning steps before making any changes so you will save time and money in the long run.
- You may already have existing plants and trees that are easy to maintain which you can leave in your garden. Write a list of all the plants and trees you will need.
- Sketch out your garden so that you can visualise exactly what you would like to see when it's finished.
- What areas of the garden are visible and need constant attention?
- Find out the type of soil you have and whether it drains effectively
- Which parts of the garden are affected by the sun, rain and wind during the four seasons?
- What is the typical weather pattern for your area?
- Is the garden on a flat surface or slope?
- Determine current costs, time and effort required and highlight the areas which are costly or difficult to maintain
- Then determine what you would like to change in order to get the most from your garden and plan how you will make these changes (all at once or a section at a time)
- Now you are ready to start making the changes
- Select plants that won't be problematic and suit the climatic conditions in your area
- Minimise lawn by replacing it with gravel or bricks
- Before planting any plants, it's a good idea to prepare the soil
- Mulching is a great way to regulate the moisture of the soil, conceal weeds and save water
- Avoid over-fertilising and over-watering your garden and lawn as they involve more work to maintain.
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