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 design choices. Consider replacing your lawn with hardscaping like decks or patios to expand outdoor living space and reduce upkeep.
Opt for easy-care plants by choosing native species and hardy shrubs over high-maintenance flowers. Using ground cover plants or mulch will also help suppress weeds and retain moisture. These simple strategies allow you to spend less time on chores and more time enjoying your beautiful 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
5. Swap flowers for shrubs
This landscape design that surrounds a holiday home at Lake Rotoiti incorporates low maintenance garden borders. Image: Simon Devitt
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