Designing a Low Maintenance Garden

Although everyone enjoys the beauty of a lush garden not everyone has the time or the inclination for the upkeep of an expansive space. Creating the right design and selecting plants that require minimal attention is the key to having a beautiful garden with little preservation.

Evergreens are the backbone of every well planned design but for a low maintenance garden they are essential. By layering in different heights, leaf structures and colors, you can create an amazing visual display that requires minimal effort. Try planting a conical blue spruce next to sprawling yews or dwarf mugo pines for a well defined visual layer. Utilize an established tree in your space and underplant it with a shade tolerant japanese holly or juniper. When planned well, a mixing and layering of evergreens provides stunning year round interest in the garden that will last for many years.

Deciduous shrubs are another variety of easy care plants that are perfect for the low maintenance garden. Hydrangeas, rhododendrons and azaleas are all popular flowering shrubs that are admired for their beautiful flowers. Planted in mass, they make an amazing display when utilized in drifts in the landscape. The red twig ivory halo dogwood has beautiful variegated foliage all season and then bright red stems that look gorgeous all through the winter. Planting them in front of a white fence or along a foundation makes the branches pop even more vividly. Calathea, viburnum and abelia shrubs provide stunning fall color when other plants are waning after a long summer. There are endless options when it comes to deciduous shrubs for adding an easy but impactful element to your garden.

Even some perennials are fairly low maintenance and they will of course provide a true four seasons of interest in the garden. Catmint, sedum, geranium, hosta, coral bells and ferns are all garden workhorses that require minimal attention once established. Other than some needing a quick cut back in the fall, they will be good until they start their new growth again in the Spring. Plant them in smaller drifts, utilizing several if possible, for additional color and interest all season long.

A beautiful, low maintenance garden is absolutely possible with the right design and considerations. Even if you are restricted on the time you can spend on upkeep there are a n abundant number of vibrant plants to help you create your perfect space. Knowing you and the plants limitations is the key to finding the right balance between maintenance and beauty.