Just looking out at the snow and pondering – is snow the ultimate in low maintenance gardening? When deep enough it has a mesmerising effect, transforming every garden as it lays its milk white cloth over every bough and blade. Not only does the snow create a wondeful tranquil scene it has the added benefit of covering up all those garden jobs that haven’t been done! Fantastic and it’s all free – even better! I have a whole range of birds visiting my garden as I write, making a swift line to the bird feeder.
Birds make a swift line to the bird feeder in cold weather
As they drop seeds to the ground other dainty feathered friends join in leaving their fairy like prints in the soft snow. Magical stuff! Sadly unless we purchase a snow making machine this coverall will be gone a squickly as it arrived – then what?
When planning your garden consider how much time you have available to look after it. There are many things that can be done to reduce the amount of time you need to spend looking after it.
Some things, like lawns may look great but need constant attention to appear at their best so unless you are prepared to spend time and money on it this may not be something you should be looking for. That said there are a number of specialist lawn companies that can offer very good value for money in creating great looking lawns.
Plants all have differing levels of maintenance requirement too, try choosing plants that require little or no regular maintenance to look great, these will tend to be slow growing shrubs which can be planted and left to get on with their own thing, there is a huge range to choose from and often garden centres will advise on suitable plants for your garden. The trick is to choose plants that will thrive in the conditions that you have in your garden. Things like the soil pH, aspect, shelter, shade and sunlight all have a bearing on suitability. Roses are a notable exception in this category and often benefit from regular attention.
Generally perennials, plants that come up each year and then die back after flowering, are more labour intensive. They frequently require staking and maintaning throughout the season. The pay off is that they can offer a striking display of colour to the border adding seasonal interest.
Annuals are probably the most labour intensive of the lot as they require planting out each year then clearing away once their flashy display is over.
Understanding what each plant’s needs are is a key to establishing the level of time required to keep your garden looking in peak condition. When choosing plants spare a thought for how much time you have available then there won’t be any nasty surprises later!
Enjoy the snow and its wonderful effect on your garden, make the snowman, see how he creates a focal point. What you would like your garden to be? How can you change it so that it is?
What will you use as a focal point when the snowman has gone?
If you would like to seek professional advice you can contact me via email tim@timmatchamgardendesign.co.uk or via my website or phone 01225 812840 or mobile 07792 707334 – you can also contact me on skype: tim.matcham
Tags: benefit · garden design · gardening · low maintenance · snowNo Comments
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