There are several reasons why low-maintenance gardens have become popular in recent years, but the main one is time – or lack of it. Many people simply don’t have, or make, the time for gardening. Gardens for lots of people are a worry, or something on the ‘to do’ list, along with tidying the attic!
When creating a low-maintenance garden it is important to landscape with wildlife in mind. By using hard surfaces interspersed with aggregates and dense planting, a new environment can be created with a healthy balance between function and aesthetic.
Although lawns are a good sponge for rainwater, and a supply of worms and insects for birds, they require the most regular attention. Unless you are gardening on a large scale and have someone to do the mowing for you, it is worth getting rid of the lawn all together. As long as it is replaced with a similar surface area of planting, your garden should keep on supplying the same benefits to wildlife, all be it a slightly different range of insects.
Help banish the weeds...
By covering the ground around the plants with a weed-proof membrane you can alleviate another laborious part of garden maintenance – weeding! By adding decorative aggregates on top of this, you can create a water-slowing layer and an attractive background for planting.
There are many different aggregates from which to choose, each one relating to a style of planting. Gravels, pebbles and Cotswold chippings go best with traditional planting of perennials and shrubs, or contemporary planting of flowers and grasses. Slate and other dark-coloured aggregates look good with Japanese acers and hostas and other bold or evergreen planting schemes. Evergreen plants will give you less trouble than perennials as there will be no leaves to pick up or dead foliage to cut back in the autumn. Bark or mulch can also be used over a membrane but this is usually a technique reserved for commercial or large-scale projects.
To make a low-maintenance planting area, the ground level will have to be lowered by approximately 100mm(4in) to accommodate the new surface. Make sure the edges of the area are cut vertically; this will help prevent the unsightly membrane sticking out from under the aggregate.
Making things easier...
To make planting easier, it is worth digging over and raking out the area before putting down the membrane. Cooch grass, bindweed roots or docks should be removed as they can still find a way through or round the fabric. If you are starting with a very weedy plot, spray it off a couple of weeks before the excavation.
When the ground is prepared, cut the membrane to fit the shape of the new area. If you have to overlap strips of the fabric make sure you do this by at least 150mm (6in). Plant your chosen plants and shrubs though holes cut in the membrane, water them in, and spread the aggregate round the plants making sure the final level is nice and high to allow for some compaction.
Potential problems include waterlogging which can occur in poorly-drained ground. It is difficult to see how wet the soil is by looking at the aggregate, so clear a small inspection area every now and then to check the soil. Falling leaves can also be a problem in that they can be difficult to rake up and separate from an aggregate surface. If left, they will rot and slowly create a soil where weeds will grow again. The expense of a leaf blower may be justified in this case.