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 beautiful, low-maintenance garden by focusing on smart design choices that reduce upkeep and maximise your outdoor living space.

Key strategies include:

- Replacing high-maintenance lawns with hardscaping like decks or patios.

- Planting hardy native plants and shrubs instead of flowers.

- Using ground cover and mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

These simple changes create an easy-care garden you can enjoy year-round, attracting native birds and giving you more time to relax.

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