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Save Up On Your Garden Maintenance Costs

By: Chris Moore


Read More About Landscaping

Contrary to popular belief, owning a garden that is beautiful and well maintained does not have to take up all of your spare time. With a few handy hints and ideas it is possible to save your time and still maintain a landscape that looks healthy, lush and prospering.

Research is the key to having a low maintenance garden. Acquire a through knowledge on which plants will need minimal care and plan your garden out accordingly first. Remember to take into consideration the size of your garden, the climate, and how much time you are prepared to give to the garden.

To start with, keep the shape of your lawn as simple as possible as this will cut down on the time taken to mow it. Alternatively, another time saving option would be to substitute grass for clover. Clover has many advantages such as attracting beneficial insects to your garden, it doesn't need to be fertilized, it's drought tolerant and also free of weeds. Therefore clover is a better option if you are looking for a low maintenance ground cover for your landscape.

Drought resilient perennials are colorful, bright flowers which make any garden look beautiful while at the same time needing very little maintenance. Once perennials have been planted, they virtually look after themselves, and also multiply as the years go by ensuring your garden is always filled with color.

Consider a rock garden. Rocks add a lot of color to your garden and need no taking care of. A rock garden, when combined with drought resilient plants will provide a look of a well designed garden that will need minimum maintenance.

If you cannot afford to spend time watering your plants regularly consider going in for an automatic irrigation system. This is the easiest way to look after your garden, for not only does automatic irrigation system conserve water, it also targets the roots of the plants to obtain the best results.

Try to reduce the number of potted plants. Potted plants tend to need more care and can prove to be quite high maintenance so choose your potted plants wisely, opting for more drought resilient plants. Ensure that the pots are free draining, by seeing to it that they are filled with equal amounts of grit, sand and compost, as this would make them less likely to freeze during winter.

Use bark chips or mulch to prevent the growth of weeds. Another option would be to plant ground cover shrubs as they take prevents weeds from getting water and nutrients and keep your garden effectively weed free.

To avoid shearing and pruning consider choosing dwarf or slow growing plants for your garden. Tall shrubs need constant pruning and trimming and may block the view from you window if left unattended.

To deal with weeds consider using a ground cover that will thrive in your climate and grow quickly. Ensure that all weeds have been removed first though, so that the ground cover will not have competition for water or nutrients and will be able to flourish quickly, thereby effectively preventing the growth of weeds. In shady areas, try ground covers such as pachysandra, barrenwort, or wild ginger. In sunny areas, try creeping junipers, daylilies or ground-cover roses.

If you find yourself pressed for time and unable to take care of your garden, but still long for something that looks like it leapt out of a magazine cover, then the best option is to hire a landscaper to take care of all the hard work and leave you free to enjoy the garden and it's beauty.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Landscapes WA are Perth landscape gardeners providing expert landscaping services for West Australia homes.

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