We all love spending time with our kids in the garden, especially in the summer when the weather finally turns warmer. But keeping on top of a garden when you’ve got kids running all over the place can be a bit of a challenge. Often the garden is left neglected and looking a little worse for wear.
In an ideal world, the garden would be low maintenance, functional and beautiful. But is that possible? Check out some of these great shortcuts for making your garden look its best all year round with minimal effort.
Put Mulch In All Your Beds
Regular soil might look nice. But if you want to keep your beds weed free, it’s a disaster. Mulch, on the other hand, is very effective. Not only does it look natural, but it also prevents new weeds from sprouting up while allowing your regular shrubs with deep roots to carry on growing normally. If you’ve got a neglected flower bed, rip out the flowers, plant some shrubs or crab apple trees and then cover the rest of the soil with mulch. You’ll be amazed at how little upkeep it requires.
Set Up A Sprinkler On A Timer
Watering your garden every morning in the summer is a chore that you could do without. As such, it’s a good idea to use a sprinkler on a timer. Set the sprinkler to go off in the early hours of the morning so that the water has time to seep down into the soil and reach the roots of the plants before the sun comes up and evaporates it.
When In Doubt, Add Paving
The great thing about paving is that it can be used for almost anything: paths, patios and sports areas. What’s more, it barely requires any maintenance, yet still looks professional.
Paving centres often have examples of how you can use paving to best effect in your garden. There are all sorts of different paving types to choose from, and once it’s installed, it barely needs any maintenance, other than the odd bit of cleaning.
Make Use Of Companion Planting
Another reason why gardens become time-sinks is because people plant the wrong plants together. Like people, plants have their favourite companions. And so for them to be at their best and require the least maintenance possible, they should be planted together. Herbs are great companion plants because many of them act as natural insect repellents, preventing things like caterpillars from chewing their way through all the leaves on your shrubs. Other plants are great because they help to return nutrients to the soil. Sites like Farmer’s Almanac have further details on which plants to plant together.
Start Off Small
Of course, many people still get a thrill out of gardening. It’s a relaxing activity that takes you away from the hustle and bustle of life and lets you focus on what really matters: nature. If you don’t have a lot of spare time, start off small. Build a small herb garden with common herbs like cilantro and rosemary, and go from there.
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