For some of us, it’s our pride and joy. For others, it’s something that we would rather avoid.
Today is all about the garden and ultimately, how to make it evergreen. In other words, how do we reduce the amount of maintenance that’s required, whilst still making it look reasonably acceptable?
Today’s post will look at some key points that will make this happen, specifically honing in on:
- Your planting choices
- Alternatives to the traditional lawn
- Tapping into technology
So, let’s start with planting choices. As we all know, not all plants are equal. Some are designed for the summer, whereas others are designed to survive in the colder months. For the purposes of a maintenance-free garden, it should go without saying that you need something that fits the evergreen category. Some common examples include Euonymus, Holly and Photinia – but there are other options too. There are countless choices, and we have included a bigger list at the bottom of this article.
Something that we know consumes a lot of maintenance time are lawns. Sure, if you have the time, you can make them into a real focal point of your garden. They can make your yard resemble a Wimbledon tennis court, but on the flip side they can also spell catastrophe if you can’t dedicate the time to maintain them. It means that you need suitable alternatives. The “old classic”, so to speak, was decking. Nowadays, you really can go further than that though, whether it’s artificial grass or even a tapestry lawn. There are a whole host of options which mean that you don’t have to get your lawnmower out every weekend.
Finally, let’s talk about tech. Tech and gardens is a topic that isn’t often spoken about but trust us, it matters a great deal and can make a world of difference. It used to be that we wouldn’t recommend having a garden full of plants if you didn’t have the time to water them, but now times are definitely changing. Automatic sprinkler systems have developed immensely; these can be triggered based on soil conditions or even the temperature. If we then return to the topic of mowing, there are even lawnmowers that will come out at a set time, cut your lawn, and then go back to their “house” when they are finished. This market is huge – but can help you develop a maintenance-free garden easily.
Put simply, you need to think outside the box when it comes to planning your next garden. We can now stretch significantly beyond decking and the other stereotypical options – technology has helped shape this area considerably.
Resources
Take a look at the following resources which have helped us put together today’s article:
1) Country Living have put together a list of twenty evergreen shrubs. If you tap into these ideas, you’ll find the amount of time you spend maintaining your garden drops significantly.
2) Avas Flowers has plenty of evergreen ideas as well. Much of the Avas Flowers collection focuses on the floral arrangements, but there is also an Avas Flowers page dedicated to plants as well.
3) The Guardian has an excellent resource for those of you looking for an alternative to lawns. This goes beyond the realms of fake grass (although this is also covered), but it talks about some really modern alternatives such as tapestry lawns (who knew that was a thing?).
4) There’s a really good piece on smart garden technology in this article by Ideal Home. It covers lawnmowers, sprinkler systems and smart lighting for decoration.