Create a Low Maintenance Green Space with Style
Regardless of what type of green space you may have, there is no reason to spend your summer drudging through your garden to do list. Utilizing a few or all of these techniques will lighten up the wheelbarrow load of garden chores while reducing ones stress and carbon footprint.
These techniques can be broken down into gardener style and level of expertise.
No Time, Brown Thumb Gardener
If you are an individual that has no time to garden or do yard work, do not despair. There are gardening techniques that can be used that will allow you to have a low maintenance yard and garden.
The first technique to use is to remove or do not plant a traditional lawn. Instead, plant a perennial meadow that is native to your area. The mix can include native grasses and flowers. Utilizing this approach will only require one mowing a year but before you do this do not forget to tell the neighbors and check your community bylaws.
Another approach to use is to garden my land style. In this approach the land dictates what types of plants can grow where, not the gardener. If you have a place that stays wet, do not try to change that but embrace it with plants that like wet feet, such as willows or allow it to become a natural wetland or bog.
Limited time, Light-Green Thumb Gardener
This type of gardener has some time to do yard work and is considered a beginning gardener. This gardener could use the above techniques and add additional ones according to their skill level.
An easy technique to use at this level is to add thick growing ground covers underneath trees and fences. Both of these environments present problems for gardeners. Trees many times are too shady and moist for the grass to grow. Also, fencerows can create a challenge as far as getting a mower underneath them to mow the grass.
To add color and seasonal changed to the landscape or garden space, consider using container gardens. But do not just throw something together because it looks pretty; instead consider your time and past gardening mistakes. Many beginning gardeners either water too much or not enough, to prevent this consider using a hydorgel such as Driwater sold by Outdora.
Also, when planting these container gardens, consider using annuals. The investment in time and money will be minimal and short-lived.
Spare Time, Dark Green Thumb Gardener
This type of gardener has the skill and extra time to dedicate to their garden space. But there are techniques that can be used to reduce your workload while creating a garden space that looks like you spent hours in developing.
As before, the techniques described above can be used and combined with the following techniques.
One technique to consider is to go beyond annuals by combining annuals and perennials in container gardens, window boxes or flower pouches. But to make water easier and carefree do not forget to add Driwater to the container.
If you want trees or shrubs in your landscape without the drudgery of pruning, consider planting dwarf or compact varieties. This is a very important technique to use when one is considering creating an orchard or planting shrubs around the fountain of your home.
Another time saving technique that adds a finishing touch to any landscape is the use of non-biodegradable mulch. This mulch never has to be replenished and provides a means of consistent moisture retention, which translates into less watering. Such mulches can be made from recycled tires or glass bottles.
Gardening no longer has to be dreaded but instead can be embraced and designed according to your skill level and time restraints. The techniques described above are just a few of the time saving approaches one can use. The trick to saving gardening time is by creating a green space that mixes and matches the techniques described above. Utilizing this approach, personalizes a garden space not only by color and plant choices but also by time restraints.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mindy McIntosh-Shetter has been an Agricultural Science educator, and is a horticulture and/or environmental blogger who earned a degree from Purdue University in Agriculture Education with a minor in biology, and natural resources. Presently she is finishing up her Masters in Environmental Education and Urban Planning for the University of Louisville while working on her own agriculture/environmental blog.
