It might sound surprising to those for whom a weekend spent working on their vegetable garden is their idea of heaven, but some people… don’t like gardening!
They tend to like the results of gardening. It’s hard to deny the way our hearts lift when we see a beautiful garden, inhale the fragrance of the honeysuckles in the evening air, the bright blooms of a sunflower rising towards the skies. Oh yes; the results of gardening can be very pleasing indeed.
But the maintenance? That’s not so fun. Even for committed gardeners, an afternoon spent weeding is not the most exciting of activities. For those who are not so keen for their fingers to be green, garden maintenance and dealing with garden problems just feels like housework but outdoors.
Then there is the fact that many people find themselves strapped for time. They don’t mind gardening, and will embark on projects with plenty of enthusiasm, but they just don’t have the time to have the whole garden need maintaining.
So what are your options, when you still want your garden to feel like a garden – but without the requisite work?
Option 1 – Gravel and Raised Beds
If you want to be able to grow things but can’t give yourself over to a full bed maintenance, then this could be your best solution. Gravel will play the main base of your garden, from which you can construct raised beds for your growing endeavours.
You could even dabble with square foot gardening with this kind of setup. There are plenty of videos on YouTube.com to get you started, if you want to give this a go.
The main bed of gravel means that you don’t have to worry about maintaining anything but the beds themselves.
The one drawback is that the gravelled areas largely become unusable. They will struggle to host a set of chairs, for example. So if sitting out in the garden is important to you, then you might want to try option two.
Option 2 – A Large Patio
You can cover a huge amount of ground with a patio, meaning you reduce the size of the area that needs tending to on a regular basis. There’s plenty of inspiration for large, statement patios on the likes of FabulousDecors.com, which can get your mind whirring with ideas.
Again, for a growing section, you can use raised beds or even just stick to pots and planters.
The major benefit of this arrangement is that you can place a table and chairs on the patio without any concerns. It’s more comfortable than gravel, and while it may be more expensive, it’s worth it for the extra usage.
Option 3 – Don’t Make It, Fake It
If you want the look of the garden but just don’t have the time for much actual gardening, then why not fake it?
You might be more used to the idea of artificial grass being used on sports pitches, but it’s used to great effect in gardens too. You can even buy fake hedges and pot plants, to create the illusion of an Eden – but created from man-made materials.
To add to the effect, it’s worth making the effort to sprinkle some real plants amidst the faux ones. This adds an air of authenticity without giving you too much to tend to.
Great post! All three of the options you suggested are a perfect way to reduce the maintenance time on your garden, especially artificial grass! It’s becoming more and more popular in everyday gardens due to its many benefits including low maintenance!
Again, a brilliant post, I’ll be sharing on my social media accounts later on this week 🙂