Tips for a Low-Maintenance Garden

The National Garden Bureau recently asked their Facebook fans for some of their favourite tips for Creating a Low-Maintenance Garden:

Pick the Right Plants

• First off, let’s make certain you have selected the right plants for your area.  The more you try to test the boundaries of garden zones and climates, the more difficult of a time you’ll have in getting your plants to thrive.
• You might want to consider natives, which by their very name defines that they are hardy in your area and have already adapted to your climatic conditions.

Try Containers

• A well-planted mixed container is not only attractive, and easy to plant, but can require less maintenance since fewer weeds grow in fresh potting mix, especially if the plants are packed tightly in the container and drown out the weeds.  Container garden can certainly reward you with season-long colour and about the only maintenance in watering.
• Creating raised beds can reduce maintenance for a number of reasons but my favourite is because soil won’t get as compacted so there is less need for tilling or digging when you’re ready to plant.

Use the Right Tools

• A sharp spade cuts deeper and cleaner.  The right watering wand is easier to use and can reach where you need it to with little effort.  So use the right tool for the job.

Source: National Garden Bureau