Image - Wikimedia / Daderot
Who does not dream of being able to have a piece of land, even if it is small, to be able to enjoy their garden without maintenance? The truth is that, regardless of the meters available, if you like green, you will want to have some other plant. But is it possible to have a lush garden that takes care of itself without anyone helping it?
Let's find out. Let us know if it can or not, and if it can, what do we have to take into account to achieve our particular paradise.
Choose plants resistant to your climate
There are those who do not like to spend time in the garden, and there are those who simply cannot, so answering the question of whether or not you can have gardens without maintenance, the answer is yes. You just have to look for the most suitable plants, which will be those resistant to the climatic conditions of our area, and also those that do not need to be pruned very often; In other words, we will have to keep an eye on the native plants. These are prepared to grow in the soil that we have in the garden and, in addition, they will withstand the pests that may affect them without problems. And the best thing is that they do not need us to pay them.
Alternatively look for plants that live in similar climates to ours. For this, we will not have to do a study, but it will be enough to see the plants that are planted in the gardens, streets or parks of our town or city. Or, if you prefer, you can also do a search on this blog. In it we talk about wind resistant plants, those that endure cold and frost, Of the tropical, Y de those that are not harmed by the drought.
Group them according to your needs
Image - Wikimedia / Hugo.arg
To save water and make them all grow up healthy, there is nothing like grouping them according to your needs. For example, cacti are sunny plants that want little water, so they combine quite well with succulent plants, or even those of Mediterranean origin; instead, the Ferns They are shady and want more frequent waterings, so that they can be combined with the tapes, dieffenbachia o begonias, Among others.
Lawn, yes or no?
Another issue that we must address is that of the lawn. Green rugs are spectacular, whether artificial or natural, but they need a lot of maintenance. Especially if they are natural, the water consumption is quite high, so we do not recommend planting it in places where there is little or no rain.
If you live in a dry climate, it is preferable that you opt for placing gravel, ground cover plants, or mulching. This way, you won't have to spend so much time on it and it will look very pretty too 🙂.
Decide which irrigation system to install
Even if you are going to create a maintenance-free garden, you should keep in mind that during the first year and until the plants are well established they will require some water. In general, in two years, maximum three, they should all be used to the climate of the area, but even so, it does not hurt to have an irrigation system installed in case conditions change. And it is that, due to global warming, it would not be strange that where it rains little it rains even less in the near future, or that on the contrary, where the rains are very frequent now they were less and less.
As this cannot be known to be true, you have to be cautious and anticipate what could happen. Starting from it, You should know that while hose or watering can be fast but consume a lot of water, drip irrigation has many advantages., among which are the following:
- Allows you to save water
- The roots take better advantage of it, since the earth has more facility to absorb it
- Watering time can be programmed with a programmer
Create tall hedges
Image - Flickr / Garden tourist
Tall hedges are ideal for a maintenance-free garden, as provide privacy but also cut wind and reduce noise a bit. The only thing is that you have to choose the species well, and plant them leaving a minimum separation between them. It is common to see, for example, young cypress or yew trees planted very, very close together, and that over the years some will die: the weakest. In this way, a nice effect is achieved that will not last long, and money is lost in the process.
That is why, first of all, you have to know how much space across the width the plant will occupy once it is adult, and based on that, plant another next to it, leaving a separation that will be between 30 centimeters to 1 meter, depending on the species.
Enjoy your maintenance-free garden!