How to keep a tidy garden when you don’t have much time

Gardening can be one of life’s greatest pleasures, and yet when you have so much else going on, it can turn into a chore. When things get busy, your garden is probably the thing that gets let go, but this can only result in more work and more weeds (where do they all come from?!).

With some clever strategies and shortcuts, you don’t need endless hours to keep your garden in great shape.

We’ve lived in our house almost five years now, and we’ve spent a lot of time turning our garden into a low-maintenance oasis. It was extremely overgrown and getting on top of it has taken a long time, but we want it to be a place we can enjoy without spending hours a day on it.

 

Below, you can find some of the useful tips I’ve learned along the way and make your gardening easier.

 

Prioritise smart plant choices

An important aspect to creating a low-maintenance garden begins with selecting plants carefully. Choose hardy perennials, native species and shrubs that thrive without constant attention or watering. Perennials are plants that come back year after year, so these are easier to tend than annuals, which only flower for one year and then need removing and/or replacing.

Lavender, ornamental grasses and succulents are great additions that offer character while needing less care than other plants. When possible, avoid plants that are prone to pests or need constant deadheading as these will require constant upkeep of high maintenance levels.

I’d also advise planting a mixture of large shrubs that will cover a big amount of ground and prevent weeds from coming up thanks to the shade they offer and ground-cover plants. The latter grow low to the ground and spread outwards to prevent weeds. We have ajugas and geraniums for this reason and love how good they are at suppressing weeds. Plus the ajugas look beautiful when they flower, and the bees love them.

 

Embrace electric lawn mowers

Electric lawn mowers make an excellent addition to a low-maintenance garden, being easier, quieter and more environmentally-friendly than their fuel counterparts.

Eliminating oil changes, fuel storage or complex maintenance routines allows electric mowers to save you both time and effort when maintaining your lawn. Many models offer features like adjustable cutting heights or mulching capabilities that simplify lawn care even further. Cordless models allow greater mobility so you can easily take on lawn care tasks while simultaneously decreasing carbon emissions.

This has been a gamechanger for us, as our lawn is so large and we’d be constantly tripping over a cord. With a cordless lawn mower, we can do the whole area in one go super fast.

 

Mulch is your best friend

Mulch can be an invaluable asset to those managing an already hectic lifestyle.

A thick layer of organic mulch not only suppresses weeds but also retains moisture in the soil, cutting down on frequent watering needs. Over time it breaks down, enriching your garden naturally. Bark chips, straw, or shredded leaves are popular choices that keep soil healthy while simultaneously shortening your to-do lists.

We buy a few bags of bark little and often from B&Q, and put it in our borders to keep the weeds away. It also makes any weeds that do grow easy to pull out, because they’re rooted into the bark and not the soil.

Stones can work in the same way, so we stoned this area of our rock garden:

 

Use high quality garden tools

Quality gardening tools can make all the difference when it comes to gardening. A lightweight but sturdy pruner, an ergonomic long-handled weeding tool and an effective watering system with a timer are all invaluable assets.

We’ve definitely invested in tools recently to help us pull weeds out of the grass, an electric strimmer that perfectly shapes our shrubs and extendable loppers for chopping large branches.

The right tools only makes the job easier.

 

Just do a bit of gardening each day

When you think of the task of ‘gardening’ as a whole, it can feel overwhelming. You look at the project as one big one instead of breaking it down into manageable chunks.

Dedicating only 10-15 minutes each day to your garden will keep it from becoming an overwhelming jungle. Pulling some weeds, trimming a wayward branch or collecting fallen leaves are all tasks you can complete quickly in small time slots. Think of this as a routine maintenance session rather than marathon gardening sessions.

 

Learn the art of strategic neglect

Sometimes doing less can actually be more productive. Leaves that have fallen to the ground around a plant’s base can act as a natural mulch and renourish the soil as they break down.

Let some areas of your garden go wild so they attract pollinators like bees and butterflies while cutting back on the amount of work you have to do. This strategy of neglect allows nature to work for you rather than against you.

You can also buy plants that don’t need much upkeep and are happy to do their own thing.

 

Don’t forget the hardscaping

Hardscaping elements such as patios, gravel pathways and raised beds can help reduce the amount of grass or dense planting areas that require constant upkeep in your garden. While I wouldn’t advise paving an entire garden (goodbye biodiversity), you can definitely use hardscaping to add texture and visual interest while creating more usable space for relaxation and entertaining. The ideal solution for lazy gardeners.

 

Gardening should be enjoyable rather than stressful. By selecting low maintenance plants, using mulch efficiently, and mastering strategic neglect in its entirety, a beautiful outdoor space is possible with plenty of time left over for admiration and relaxation.

We’re slowly getting on top of our space, focusing on a section at a time to make it a lovely space for us to relax and for the kids to play in. It’s definitely not been a short-term project, but one we’re breaking up into sections and managing a bit at a time.