All of us want a beautiful garden, but we don't want to put so much effort into it if nothing fruits. The effort required to maintain gardens can be a lot.

For those who lack the time and effort traditional gardening techniques demand, the answer is low maintenance gardens. 

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The easy upkeep for low maintenance gardens is bolstered by reducing the frequency of watering, weeding, pruning, dividing, and deadheading. Read on to learn about different qualities of low maintenance gardens.

Learn the Qualities of a Low Maintenance Garden

Easy Care Garden Plants 

Instead of housing expensive exotic plants from across the world, most low maintenance gardens are filled with native plants that thrive better in their local environment. Because native plants receive the right amount of water or sunlight in their natural climate, they are less likely to die. 

The cornerstone of effortless gardening is to choose low or zero maintenance plants. All you have to do is plant some, like Santa Barbara Daisies, Phormiums, Perennials, Shrubs, and Succulents. They take minimal care, and let nature handle the rest. 

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These undemanding gardens often comprise of plants that flourish gracefully for several years but do not require deadheading or frequent dividing. Succulents, such as aloe and cacti, are good examples as they retain their own water in thick fleshy stems and do not require much additional watering. 

Bushes, such as Blue spirea and boxwood bushes do not need too much pruning or tending, and Hostas which multiply naturally are great choices too. 

Mulch: The Best Gardening Tip Ever! 

Almost always, low maintenance gardens feature a thick layer of mulch over the garden bed. This layer of shredded leaves, tree bark, etc. is ideal for gardeners who wish to reduce time spent weeding and watering plants.

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Mulch helps retain soil moisture by blocking sunlight to the soil bed and prevents weed seeds from sprouting by suppressing the weeds. Usually, gardeners mulch 1 - 1.5 inches away from the base of the garden plants, and add an even 2-inch layer.

Composted organic material is the best option for mulching as the organic matters release nutrients into the soil. 

You can buy bags of well-rotted compost, or dig from the bottom of your compost pile to make sure the mulch does not contain viable weed seeds. Also, dark and earthy compost offers a tidy finish to any garden border.  

Designed to Make Watering Plants Simple

Tired of wrestling with the hose? Install an automatic irrigation system - the showstopper for low maintenance gardens. The availability of flexible plastic pipework and sprinklers has eliminated the need for plants and lawns to be watered by hand. 

There are drip irrigation systems where gardeners can add a timer and not worry about watering the plants. Soaker hoses - rubber hoses with tiny perforations installed in them - are often placed below the mulch layer to maintain moist soil.

With these technological advances, you can be certain your flowers and plants are getting an apt amount of water even if you are not home. Many gardens reduce their water bill expense by connecting the irrigation system to a couple of rainwater barrels. 

Groundcovers and Grasses to Fill Spaces

Learn the Qualities of a Low Maintenance Garden

Low maintenance gardens rarely have any open spaces. For, fewer open spaces mean there are fewer opportunities for weeds to grow. 

Some gardeners choose ornamental grasses that clump but do not spread too wide. Even though these add variety to the garden, picking the right variety which does not spread too vigorously is essential. 

Sadly, most grasses result in patchy lawns due to lack of nutrients or sunlight. This is why most garden owners choose groundcovers over grasses. This results in a better-looking garden while also saving time required for mowing. 

Gardeners often plant honeysuckle ground covers to lure butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden, and evergreen perennial plant heuchera to add colors ranging from brown to green to silver. Other popular ground cover options, include Brass Buttons, Creeping Phlox, and Stone Crop. 

The Bottom Line

Low maintenance gardening is a great way to simplify life. Gardening is no longer daunting because your garden can strive on its own now. Try some of the aforementioned techniques and carefully choose low maintenance plants and see how much free time you can regain in your life.