10 ways to have a great-looking, low maintenance garden

1. Ditch the lawn

It might seem surprising advice, but if your garden is small and you don’t have children, ditch the lawn. Big borders and a reasonably-sized paved, gravelled or decked area will actually be less work than keeping a small area of grass looking good, and you won’t have to allocate precious shed space to a lawnmower. If you choose paving, permeable options are available.

Just because you have a garden, you don’t have to have a lawn – there are lots of alternatives such as this low-maintenance decking

2. Right plant, right place

Plants like this lavender thrive in free-draining soil, but would sulk in a waterlogged area

3. Go large with pots

Most of these plants are in generous containers and planters, which need less watering than smaller patio pots (Lunch Break Garden, designed by Inspired Earth Design. RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2022)

As a general rule of thumb, big pots are easier to look after than small ones. The smaller the pot, the quicker it dries out and the more watering it will need. Group plants in large pots or use raised planters instead if you have little or no garden soil – such as in many urban gardens.

4. Keep it simple

Helleborous x nigercors 'Ice Breaker' planted with bronze sedge, Carex comans, contrast well together. Planting fewer different varieties in larger numbers gives greater impact

Deciduous refers to plants (mainly trees and shrubs) that lose their leaves seasonally, usually during autumn. This is a natural process triggered by the season's shorter days and lower temperatures and allows plants to conserve energy during the winter months.

deciduous

5. Choose long-lasting combinations

Different foliage textures and colours come into their own when the leaves of deciduous plants have disappeared in the winter, as these conifers, pines and heathers show

Choose plants with complementing textures and colours for year-round effect - round glossy leaves next to finely-textured grasses, for example - that way you won’t be needing to put in seasonal

Bedding plants are usually colourful half-hardy, short-lived or annual plants, grown for displays in beds or containers. They may be changed seasonally, with spring, summer and winter bedding displays each using different plants of appropriate hardiness and flowering times.

6. Search out award-winning plants

Reliable plants make gardening easier and less time consuming, and the AGM label is a trustworthy guide when buying new plants

Look out for the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) label in garden centres and online. It’s an independent certification from the RHS that the plant is a good variety that’s likely to do well in ordinary garden conditions. The scheme covers everything from trees and shrubs to fruits, flowers and vegetables.

7. Make your lawn easier to cut

Simple lawn shapes with a low level edge are easier to maintain

If you do have a lawn, install a permanent edge to it, such as a run of bricks or paving stones, or lay small-sized gravel at a lower level than the lawn. This means you won’t have to spend time trimming the edges every time you cut the grass. Smooth out any difficult angles and awkward corners (either by extending the grass or enlarging your borders) to make a shape that’s easier to cut.

8. Extend your garden upwards with self-clinging climbers

Growing flowering climbers helps to make the most of your outdoor space

Climbers are the perfect way to extend your growing space by making the most of walls, fences or even trees. Self-clinging climbers such as ivy, Virginia creeper and climbing hydrangea attach themselves onto surfaces (rather than needing wires or trellis to grow up). Paint or stain the surface before planting for a low-maintenance, high impact look.

9. Use mulches for less watering and weeding

Covering bare soil with gravel or bark, called mulching, makes a real difference to the number of weeds that will seed themselves

‘Mulching’ simply means using another material, such as

Bark is the outermost layer of woody plants (trees, shrubs and woody climbers). It is several cells thick and provides protection against physical damage, disease and environmental stresses. Bark comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and these can help gardeners when identifying plants. The fissures and crevices of bark on older plants also creates valuable habitat for many garden creatures as well as lichens and small plants.

10. Embrace a bit of wildness

Finally, remember your garden doesn’t have to be ultra-neat and tidy to be enjoyed. A more relaxed approach will benefit you and wildlife, as well

Learning to love wildness and imperfection can help you enjoy your low-maintenance garden, and this can be helped by designing your space accordingly. Here, cracks between the uneven paving stones have been colonised by low-growing plants, and the seating area is surrounded by exuberant planting. A weed or two or a fallen leaf won’t spoil the scene like they would if the garden was made of formal paving and clipped topiary. Embracing the quirks of the natural world can bring great satisfaction.