Low Maintenance Gardens
Presenter: Dean Boone
Episode: 22 (22nd September 2007)
Garden designers like Garden Guru Dean Boone are always asked “How can I achieve a low maintenance garden?” This week Dean revisited a garden he had designed a few years ago.
When designing any garden, you always need to think about creating something that is suited to the local climate, therefore all the plants have to be tough, drought resistance and require minimal care to keep it looking great in many situations.
Massed planting in any garden, large or small can draw the eye from one location to another. For low maintenance gardens this means you are repeating the same planting to give greater continuity and flow. It also means less maintenance because you have a smaller palette of plants to ultimately care for.
Hedges in the garden, both formal and informal, give a garden structure. In Dean’s garden design he used the tough and hardy Japanese Box mixed together with the lovely silver tones of walled germander. The combination looks great all year and this selection of plants can weather some pretty dry conditions.
A low maintenance garden does not mean no maintenance, there is no such thing. Gardens need mulching, an annual fertiliser and of course some light pruning after flowering. For hedges you should use top quality hedge shears for a clean, crisp edge and a formal finish.
Not all planting has to be formal or clipped, to look great. The garden uses lots and lots of architectural or strappy types of foliage like Agapanthus, Dianella and Iris in great big drifts and massed clumps, again this is to reduce maintenance to an absolute minimum.
The other important element of the garden has been the creation of a microclimate. The trees create shade and protection from winds and the lawns are all irrigated by grey water throughout the garden. This has created the perfect environment for plants to thrive in.
Designing a garden is more than just about making it look good. Your garden can also integrate all of these ideas so that it’s both low maintenance and stunning at the same time. The right plant in the right place makes all the difference and a little forethought goes a long way.
If you’re still looking for some help designing your garden, The Garden Gurus offers their own design service, just log onto the web site, click on your state and check out the Garden Services section. Your very own low maintenance garden is just around the corner.
Episode: 22 (22nd September 2007)
Garden designers like Garden Guru Dean Boone are always asked “How can I achieve a low maintenance garden?” This week Dean revisited a garden he had designed a few years ago.
When designing any garden, you always need to think about creating something that is suited to the local climate, therefore all the plants have to be tough, drought resistance and require minimal care to keep it looking great in many situations.
Massed planting in any garden, large or small can draw the eye from one location to another. For low maintenance gardens this means you are repeating the same planting to give greater continuity and flow. It also means less maintenance because you have a smaller palette of plants to ultimately care for.
Hedges in the garden, both formal and informal, give a garden structure. In Dean’s garden design he used the tough and hardy Japanese Box mixed together with the lovely silver tones of walled germander. The combination looks great all year and this selection of plants can weather some pretty dry conditions.
A low maintenance garden does not mean no maintenance, there is no such thing. Gardens need mulching, an annual fertiliser and of course some light pruning after flowering. For hedges you should use top quality hedge shears for a clean, crisp edge and a formal finish.
Not all planting has to be formal or clipped, to look great. The garden uses lots and lots of architectural or strappy types of foliage like Agapanthus, Dianella and Iris in great big drifts and massed clumps, again this is to reduce maintenance to an absolute minimum.
The other important element of the garden has been the creation of a microclimate. The trees create shade and protection from winds and the lawns are all irrigated by grey water throughout the garden. This has created the perfect environment for plants to thrive in.
Designing a garden is more than just about making it look good. Your garden can also integrate all of these ideas so that it’s both low maintenance and stunning at the same time. The right plant in the right place makes all the difference and a little forethought goes a long way.
If you’re still looking for some help designing your garden, The Garden Gurus offers their own design service, just log onto the web site, click on your state and check out the Garden Services section. Your very own low maintenance garden is just around the corner.
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