Feature article

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

A low-maintenance garden lets you toil less and enjoy your outdoor space more. Here are five easy low-upkeep ideas.

20 May 2024

AI summary

Create a thriving, low-maintenance garden with a few clever choices. Replace a high-upkeep lawn with hardscaping like concrete or tiles to expand your outdoor living space.

Planting hardy native plants and using ground cover like creepers or mulch will reduce weeds and watering needs.

For colour without the work, swap traditional flower beds for low-maintenance shrubs, many of which also flower. These tips help you spend less time toiling and more time enjoying your garden.

1. Ditch the lawn

In this alfresco area, hardscaping allows for a beautiful low maintenance space. Image: Simon Devitt

2. Go native

This house, designed by Jerram Tocker Barron Architects embraces the natural landscape of native bush rather than creating a garden. Image: Jason Mann

3. Ground cover

This Westmere landscape design by Strachan Group Landscape Architects incorporates vast areas of ground cover, alleviating maintenance requirements. Image: David Straight

4. Extend outdoor entertaining areas

The landscaping around this house, designed by Jerram Tocker Barron Architects, embraces a mix of hardscaping softened with lush planting around the edges. Image: Virginia Woolf