27 Tips for Reducing Garden Maintenance

A garden is a wonderful place to relax and take a break from your busy life.

Still, a garden takes time, too. Time for maintenance, to be precise…

For many gardening enthusiasts, this isn't a problem at all.

But of course, there are also many people who don't have enough time to keep up with everything properly. Even though they'd love to…

A maintenance-free garden is an illusion

Still, there are certainly ways to reduce the amount of yard work.

For example, there are tips on to avoid maintenance, or tips on less time spent on maintenance to have lost.

27 Tips for Reducing Garden Maintenance

1. Go for a simple planting plan.
2. Choose plants that are suited to the conditions in your garden. Take into account their requirements regarding location, sunlight, soil, and drainage.
3. Choose plants that go well together (with similar preferences).
4. Keep in mind the mature size of the plants and how quickly they can grow.
5. Slow-growing evergreen shrubs require very little maintenance.
6. Choose plants that are highly hardy. This way, you’ll avoid having to take extra precautions during the winter.
7. Choose plant species and cultivars that are not susceptible to disease or are less susceptible (resistant).
8. Avoid tasks that are very time-consuming, or at least try to limit them.
9. A lawn requires a lot of time to maintain, especially in the spring and summer. This includes mowing, fertilizing, liming, dethatching, trimming the edges, etc.
10. A pond requires a lot of time to maintain, especially during the summer. For example, you have to set it up, keep the water clear, top off the water level, and remove leaves.
11. Would you still like to have water in your garden? Set up a water feature or a mini pond. This is much easier to maintain than a pond. If necessary, the water is easy to change.
12. Island borders require a lot of time to maintain. They are labor-intensive, need to be kept neat from multiple sides, and keeping the edging neat takes a lot of time.
13. Certain pruning styles require a lot of time to maintain. To achieve the desired shape, regular pruning is necessary. But they also require extra care.
14. Neat hedges require a lot of time to maintain. Especially with hedge plants that grow relatively quickly, it’s necessary to prune them at least 2–3 times a year. In addition, they need to be fertilized and watered more frequently during dry periods.
15. Avoid fast-growing hedge plants, such as conifers, privet, ivy, or cherry laurel. Would you still like to have a hedge in your garden? If so, choose slow-growing hedge plants. That will save you a lot of pruning work.
16. Fruit and fruit trees require a lot of time to maintain. Fruit requires regular fertilization, extra water during dry periods, pruning, protection if necessary, and harvesting.
17. Plant as little as possible in pots and containers. Because containers and pots have limited capacity, it takes a relatively long time to maintain the soil, nutrients, and water levels.
18. Choose a garden style that requires less maintenance, such as a gravel garden.
19. Choose plants that can withstand drought well, so you won't have to water them extra.
20. Lay down weed barrier fabric. It allows water to pass through but prevents many weeds from growing.
21. Cover the soil with a layer of organic mulch. A thick layer helps prevent weeds. You can use, for example, leaf compost, wood chips, or cocoa husks. An added benefit is that this also improves the soil structure.
22. Cover flower beds with a layer of (fine) decorative gravel or crushed stone. This has the same weed-suppressing effect as a layer of organic mulch, but it does not decompose.
23. Use groundcover plants. Make sure there are no bare patches of soil left, so weeds don't stand a chance.
24. It’s better to choose large tiles rather than small tiles, stones, or pavers. Because there are far fewer cracks and joints, there’s less chance of weeds growing through.
25. With a pressure washer, you can clean your patio in no time. Keep in mind, however, that this isn’t suitable for all materials, such as wood or tiles that are somewhat porous. You should also be careful not to wash out the grout lines.
26. Would you like to use wood in your garden? Then choose a type of wood that’s very durable even when left untreated. Consider Douglas fir, for example. This type of wood lasts a very long time and requires no treatment.
27. Cover your patio furniture in the winter, for example with a special protective cover. Or store it in the shed. This will help you avoid a lot of maintenance.