Let’s face it life is busy.

Between work, kids, housework, and trying to maintain relationships, we really are time poor, which is why so many of us need our garden to be a little self-sufficient.

But let’s get one thing straight - there is NO garden, other than a plastic one, that requires no maintenance at all.

These people are maybe a little too busy!

Plants are living beings, they grow and change through the seasons, some are slow and steady, some are in a big hurry, some drop their leaves, some bear us fruit, others are wiry and hard, some are gentle and delicate. Hey plants are a lot like us!

And like us, plants need to be looked after, they need love, sun, food and water to flourish, this is essential to their existence.

Now, if we plant a plant in our garden, it hasn’t chosen to grow up there, we have put it in an environment where it needs more care than if it was in the wild, think of a Tiger in a zoo, we need to feed it and monitor its health to ensure its survival.

So to do we need to monitor our garden.

Thanks @jacobwestlake for this awesome photo!

If we identify the biggest threats to our home gardens, for example; watering issues, soil health, insects and lack of or too much sun, we can then look for solutions to make the garden function better on its own without too much human intervention.

So we’ve come up with a few tips to help you have a beautiful low (not NO) maintenance garden;

· Prepare your site well in the beginning. If you have a bare site weed it thoroughly before planting, even leave a few weeks in between weeding’s to ensure you have got all those pesky critters out! Always dig them out by the roots and dispose of them thoughtfully.
Mulch is our friend, it supresses weeds and keeps the roots cooler on those extreme days. It helps to retain moisture in the soil reducing watering times.
· If you love the look of a formal garden, choose plants that a slower growing and have a clumping habit this will help minimise trimming and pruning.
· Think about a watering system, it could be as simple as a drip feeder hose, turn the tap on set a timer and you’re done.
· Choose drought tolerant plants, if you do forget to water they are going to have a better chance at survival. But don’t assume because your plants are drought tolerant that they don’t like water, every plant needs water!
· Hate mowing? Replace lawn areas with Native lawn or a garden bed. patios and decking are also great solutions, or even better hire a local gardener you will be surprised what they can do in just an hour.

Okay, so it means putting in some time at the beginning, preparing your garden, having a bit of forethought and spreading some love, but isn’t that what its all about?

The joy, life and energy our gardens bring to us and having the ability (and luxury) to connect with nature, to be shaded from the elements and to be provided with food, isn’t it worth the effort, time and care?

Because without it …well….

Hope you found this article helpful, feedback is always welcome.

Happy Planting

The team @ Harvest

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No maintenance ???