For most people who own property, the garden is one of the areas that require the most work and attention. If it is not mowing then it is raking, or pruning or planting or, the worst of them all, weeding. It is seemingly a never-ending list of hard work and hassle. It is true that many people love gardening. They love to potter and plant, but even for those people there are certain chores that are more enjoyable than others. With that in mind, how can you develop a garden that looks good, but which is light in the maintenance department? Here are a few simple ideas.
1. Say goodbye to mowing
While a well-manicured lawn can undoubtedly look good, there is a lot of maintenance that goes into it. Mowing, weeding, and fertilizer is just three of the elements that go into maintaining a stylish lawn. But you can get the same result if you lay some artificial grass Melbourne has some world-class suppliers and installers who can help. It looks great and once laid it is almost completely maintenance-free. It is the gift of time on weekends and the once-off capital outlay to get it sorted will soon be offset by the cash you save from not having to water (or pay the kid from down the road to mow).
2. Trees are winners
Every garden should boast at least one tree. A tree is an investment in the future, and it is an investment in your garden. This is because trees provide shade and shelter to all that lives below them. They provide homes for animals and they produce mulch that protects the soil, and which turns into compost. The nice thing with trees is that the longer they live for the easier they are to maintain.
They will need to be watered regularly when first planted; they need to be nurtured. Water them less often with deep soaks rather than daily light sprinklings. This will encourage their roots to grow down rather than to stay on the surface. Done right there will quickly come a day when the roots reach the water-table and when you can cease watering. Thereafter, it will be the tree looking after you, no longer you, looking after the tree.
3. Don’t be a control freak
An important lesson to learn when gardening is that you cannot be a control freak. A garden is a natural and you simply cannot control it. You can shape it and encourage it in certain directions, but it remains nature and if you try too hard to control it you will be working day and night. Rather play to nature’s strengths and let it do its own thing – within reason. Sure, you don’t want a complete jungle in your yard, but you also don’t want something sterile and controlled.
4. Think local
One of the keys to a successful and thriving garden is to recognize that planting local, indigenous vegetation is the key to success. That is because those plants are adapted to grow and survive in local conditions. And while you can bring in plants from other countries or climates, you need to recognize that they will either struggle and require lots of attention and help. Otherwise, they will thrive and grow like weeds in the absence of enemies or predators that would ordinarily control them in their natural ecosystem.
Because that is an important thing to recognize, a garden is an ecosystem. A microcosm, sure, but an ecosystem nevertheless. And if you can get the balance right between plants and insects, weather and birds, then you will have a garden that thrives and where you can have fun propagating and shaping things, without having to hassle over boring maintenance.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
