Not a green thumb? Here are 5 ways to create a thriving low maintenance garden

While a lawn may appear to be a great way to take up a lot of garden space without complex planting, it’s often higher maintenance than you might think. A lawn requires weeding, regular mowing, and can let down the whole garden if it’s not properly maintained. Instead of a lawn, create a more spacious outdoor living area incorporating hardscaping such as concrete or tiles. This will mean you have more space to enjoy entertaining, and less upkeep.

Some of the lowest-maintenance garden plants in New Zealand are natives. Planting out the area around your house with a bush-scape of native trees and shrubs is a great way to create a low-maintenance garden on a budget, as well as encouraging native birds to visit. Ensure you don’t plant too close to the house to avoid house maintenance issues, and choose trees that won’t block your view when fully mature.

When it comes to the ground, you’ll want as little upkeep as possible, which means covering the earth with something you won’t have to tend to. For paths and garden beds, a creeper is a great way to introduce greenery and soften the landscape. It will also stop weeds from appearing. While your ground creepers establish, cover the soil with mulch and bark or wood chip, which will help reduce water loss and suppress weeds.

If you already have an existing outdoor entertaining area, consider how you might extend it to create more hardscaping and less green space. Incorporating a seating area with a fireplace or fire pit is a great way to use up the space. Adding a pool or spa is another fantastic way to get the most out of your outdoor area. However, when you increase hard surfaces, it’s important to soften them with planting around the edges. Incorporate perennial trees, native shrubs, flaxes, creepers and grasses to ensure you bring nature into the space without increasing your workload.

While flower gardens are beautiful, they are some of the highest maintenance gardens because they need to be re-sowed, pruned and fed throughout the year. Swap flowers for low-maintenance shrubs, ensuring the varieties you select will grow to cover the garden beds and not overwhelm them. If you can’t do without flowers, there are many different shrub varieties that flower, so you can get the best of both worlds.

Low-maintenance garden borders are a great way to frame an outdoor space. Stay away from your traditional hedges, and consider using native shrubs or grasses that don’t need regular trimming.