LOW MAINTENANCE GARDEN DESIGN
Free quotes for the design & installation of hassle-free gardens
PROFESSIONAL LOW MAINTENANCE GARDEN DESIGN & INSTALLATION
We design and install traditional and contemporary low maintenance gardens in and around Carlisle, Wigton, Brampton, the North Lakes, the Eden Valley and along the Solway Coast, as well as parts of south-west Scotland and east-Northumbria. Other projects further into the Lake District, Scotland and Northumbria are welcomed and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
We provide free quotes with no obligation for all low maintenance garden design and landscaping projects.
WHAT IS A LOW MAINTENANCE GARDEN?
Having a beautiful is all well and good, but committing a significant amount of time to maintaining and curating it can be both initimidating and unrealistic. Similarly, committing to the expense of hiring a professional gardener like me to do the hard work for you is also a problem for some. None of this means a beautiful garden is impossible though. I know from experience that striking the right balance between the aesthetics of a garden and effort involved in maintaining it is the key to creating an outdoor space that is right for the homeowner, their tastes and lifestyle.
Low, easy or (dare I say) zero maintenance gardening is notion many people would like to embrace, either through necessity or preference. Old age, disabilities, lack of ability, lack of desire, work and family commitments and sheer laziness are all common reasons for needing a low maintenance garden. In truth, no garden will ever be zero maintenance, but most gardening duties which carry a heavy burden can be minimised without compromising hugely in the visual appeal of a garden.
TACTICS FOR HASSLE FREE GARDEN DESIGN
A low maintenance garden does not need to be bland or uninspiring, unwelcoming or shameful. It simply means that some careful planning at the design and planning stage of a makeover is crucial.
Here are some simple examples of the steps which can be taken to reduce the maintenance required in a garden, or to create a garden which does just that in a single makeover project. The best place to start a thought process in the early stages is to consider how much input you and your ideas can make to the design of the garden and which the features and functions that are most important to you and your lifestyle.
Some design decisions and low maintenance solutions may not be so obvious right now, but understanding the possibilities at this stage is a great place to start.
Simple planting
The fewer plants in a garden, the less time needs to be spent maintaining them, clearly. Taken to an extreme, plants could be removed from the equation altogether and replaced with, say, gravel - but this is far from ideal as we believe all gardens need some form of foliage to look in any way complete.
Instead of installing traditional flower beds and borders, look to use instead.
Minimalism
Sometimes white walls, gravel, a few shrubs and some ultra-cool seating can look every bit as eye-catching as swathes of foliage and soil.
Wild areas
Not all of nature's greenery needs to be trimmed, strimmed and sculpted. The excesses of foliage as it grows and thickens can be embraced and used to create natural looking areas ion a garden which requires very little in the way of maintenance.
Water features
A simple and sleek water feature, once installed and running smoothly, becomes a more or less self-regulating and self-maintaining focal point of a low maintenance garden.
Artificial grass
For most people, the easist way to reduce garden maintenance is by replacing the lawn.
Hardscaping
It make sense that by increasing as many natural, growing elements of a garden as possible with inanimate objects, the less maintenance a garden will require. Borders and lawns can be replaced with paving, decking, gravel or many other alternatives - but doing this may not create the style of garden you have in mind.
It's worth bearing in mind that even hardscaped areas of gardens will require some form of periodic maintenance, whether it be pressure washing, repairs or sealing.
Replace hedges
Hedges can look very attractive, if well maintained. Which is the problem. They need regular trimming, and this can either be time-consuming or an extra expense for a professional gardener to do it on your behalf. Replacing a hedge with fencing or solid walls is a great way to remove this obligation.
INSPIRING IDEAS FOR LOW MAINTENANCE GARDENS
So we've already acknowledged that it's not really possible to create an eye-catching garden which requires absolutely no maintenance at all, but there are many techniques, designs and solutions at our disposal which will reduce the effort required to keep things looking ship-shape to a bare minimum.
Here are some beautiful low-care, hassle-free garden ideas which should provide real inspiration to take the first steps towards planning your own.
MORE GARDEN DESIGNS
Gardens with patio centre pieces
Lounge & Dining Gardens
Gardens for outdoor living
Decked Gardens
Gardens with prominent decking