Garden for the lazy. Garden for the lazy: Creating a beautiful, maintenance-free garden Garden and modern care
If you want to have a cozy one, neat area, but there is not enough time to care for it, there are ways reduce volumes main works: maintaining the surface (lawn) in good condition, controlling weeds, preserving the decorative appearance of plants.
It is important to choose correctly grass mixture for lawn. Grass that is regularly walked on should be able to withstand trampling so that the lawn does not have to be resurfaced. Stable and not requiring much attention - a park lawn, it does not need mowing every 10 days, it is not afraid of lack of moisture.
Read also: Indoor flowers for the lazy
At irregular mowing the lawn will begin to become lumpy. If there is no need for a perfectly flat surface, the frequency of mowing can be reduced. No need to mow at all Moorish lawn, blooming in early summer. It is better to plant it along the edges of the site.
So that the ground is not visible and weeds do not grow, they plant ground cover plants , for example ayuga (also suitable for shaded areas).
Free sites are available mulch bark, pebbles, crushed stone, sawdust, pine needles. They will retain moisture in the soil and reduce the amount of watering. Geotextiles are placed under the mulch layer, which makes the coating more durable and prevents the growth of weeds, reducing weeding work.
As a rule, the creation of a garden begins on a wave of inspiration, the desire to get results instantly. 3-4 years pass and it turns out that there is absolutely not enough time and energy. Looking at the overgrown rose gardens, alpine slides, lush greenery nettles, general desolation, hands down. The owners begin to panic. What to do?
Some people give up on the idea of a garden and stop: the garden becomes a continuous green lawn, which is trimmed periodically. Others try to plant new plants, install new decorative elements: and the garden turns into a warehouse of unkempt plants and unnecessary things. Still others give up on their dreams and turn to help landscape designers. Getting help from experts is a good idea. But you are depriving yourself of the opportunity to make a fairy tale come true with your own hands. The spirit of the “pioneer”, the creator, the artist is lost.
Diagnosis is an ill-conceived approach. What should we do? Start fixing errors. Planning and landscaping should be subordinated main goal- obtaining an easy-to-maintain garden. Take into account the motto “Through thorns to the stars.” But don't overload yourself. Remember to enjoy your work.
And in order to solve the problem, you must adhere to the following rules.
Rule 1.
Outline a plan and analyze the possibility of its implementation.
A large number of different plants requires a lot of effort and time. When purchasing plants, remember that each of them should have its place and perform a specific function.
Exotic plants will help travel lovers enjoy dreams of distant lands, modest wildflowers will evoke nostalgic memories of childhood. Some plants can “revive”, for example, the space near outbuildings.
Plan small seating areas. Place benches or stumps there to sit on. Make a mini-pond from an old basin. Even one water lily planted in it will please the eye.
Rule 2.
Place garden elements that are quite difficult to care for compactly so that you don’t have to “run” around the entire garden.
For example, if you plan to come to your dacha only on weekends to relax with friends, arrange a specific corner. Here you can set up a barbecue grill, or plan a small pond or waterfall. Leave the rest of the area untouched.
It would be nice if the “water features” were visible from anywhere in the garden. Especially from the window of the house.
Take the location of communications seriously. If a fireplace or barbecue is planned, lighting will not be superfluous, since preparing barbecue can last until the evening.
When planning a pond or waterfall, don't forget about the drainage.
When planning a rose garden, also remember that it needs watering. Therefore, having a water tap is necessary: you won’t pull watering hose through the whole garden.
Rule 3.
The main priority is still architectural details.
This does not mean that everything should be primitive: a bench and a flower bed. But a pile of various details will not decorate the garden. Everything is good in moderation.
To prevent the area from seeming “empty,” arrange single flower beds in large flowerpots. Sometimes an old lantern or a small sculpture will liven up a space better than a huge flower bed.
Fawn made from brushwood
Consider the style of garden layout. If you are a supporter of classic “park” ensembles, then the layout will naturally be more straightforward. Small alleys, flower beds, fountains are what you need. Against their background, country style details will look very inappropriate.
And vice versa, if the “rustic” style is closer to you, then “Greek” columns are of no use here. Cozy corners, winding paths, wooden benches, even an old trough will add a unique charm. Some parts can be made with your own hands from plaster, wire or wood.
Rule 4.
Use small architectural forms.
Little things also play an important role: they will add originality and will not require significant care efforts. Plant unpretentious plants around. Small lanterns, arches, decorative stones will make the garden more comfortable and cozy.
Furniture should be chosen that is not bulky or formulaic. Come up with something exclusive: even in old chair or a chair can be given new life.
The highlight of the garden can be small plants, surrounded by emerald greenery. It is not necessary to plant a huge number of flowers that will be difficult to care for. Plant climbing nasturtium or ampelous petunia and it will become wonderful decoration. Old rubber boots or boots can also act as flower pots.
To illuminate paths, alpine slides Small solar-powered flashlights will do.
Rule 5.
It is worth choosing “proven” plants that do not require special care.
Give preference to your favorite plants. But remember that annual plants require care, so plant them compactly. For example, in flower boxes under windows or containers that can be transported if a new idea “visits” you.
Tall plants will hide areas that your hands cannot reach. Goldenrod (Solidago) or small-fruited Macleaia can cope with this. And the tall ones ornamental grasses will hide the flaws of the landscape.
Choose a place for indoor plants, after all Fresh air it won't hurt them. But remember that you should first carry out preventive protection against insect pests (aphids, caterpillars).
Use plants native to your area. For example, primroses dwarf irises, lungwort, and clover will contribute to decorating the garden. Just don't mix wild growing plants with garden plants. You can organize a corner of “wild” nature. Moreover, wild plants require virtually no maintenance.
By following these rules, you can always have beautiful garden without much hassle.
Do you want to create a beautiful low-maintenance garden or a garden for the lazy? Or a low-maintenance decorative garden, or a new garden? There are a great many ideas for creating and naming such a garden, and it doesn’t matter what they call it, the main thing is that such a garden is beautiful, well-groomed and does not take much time to maintain.
The topic of creating such a garden is not new; the question of it is regularly raised in gardening literature, on the Internet on thematic websites, and on video channels. It is even possible that some of you have already tried to arrange such a garden on your site, but something did not work out.
We would like to warn you right away that creating such a garden without effort and a well-thought-out plan will not work. Moreover, every stage of creating such a garden is important.
In order to rest later, you must first try!
What is a low maintenance garden
Let's try to figure it out, take into account the advice of the guru on this issue, in order to achieve this dream "low maintenance decorative garden" implement it on your site.
A beautiful garden for the lazy is a garden in which golden mean between gardening chores and the pleasure of relaxing in nature, meeting with loved ones and friends away from the bustle of the city.
Most gardeners who come to their suburban areas only on weekends, they want to relax and communicate with family and friends. If you care for plants, do it with pleasure, and not through force. Don't waste time on gardening work which have no end: weeding, watering, mowing, etc. But also bright, spectacular, well maintained garden continues to be the dream of many gardeners. How to create a garden where there is time not only for endless work, but also for relaxation? Is it possible for gardening chores to be enjoyable?
We can reassure you: dreams of a beautiful, and at the same time unpretentious, garden can be realized.
What you need to know when creating a low-maintenance garden
IN garden practice There are many techniques and methods that reduce the time and effort spent on plant care. Such techniques will help maintain, and some even improve appearance your garden.
So where does it start? Creation decorative garden small care?
First of all, you need to correctly determine the initial state of the site. You need to find out:
- — soil type and acidity;
- - burial level groundwater;
- - flat area or with a slope;
- - direction of prevailing winds;
- — location of the site relative to the cardinal points;
- - the location of well-lit areas, as well as areas in the shadow of buildings and trees.
One of the principles of planting any garden, especially a low-maintenance one, is to select plants specifically for the conditions that you have, and not vice versa, otherwise it will be very difficult for you to achieve the maximum decorative effect from the plants. If you plant plants that prefer bright sun in the shade, those that prefer acidic soil - on sandy soil, those that require minimal watering - in lowlands, etc., then best case scenario your beautiful flowers and shrubs will not bloom, and in the worst case, they may die. Therefore, you need to determine all these characteristics of your site.
If you are the owner of an old, neglected garden, then in this case you will need to remove excess vegetation and rejuvenate such a garden. This is a topic for a separate article; we will look at it a little later.
Low maintenance garden - plant selection
The plants in our garden need the most attention: they need to be weeded, watered, fed, and pruned. And if the plants do not overwinter well in the ground, then they need to be dug up for the winter or covered. Annual plants need to be planted every spring. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right plants for your garden.
The main principles of selecting plants for a low-maintenance garden
Calculation of plant needs
There is no need to buy everything you see in garden stores and nurseries. No matter how attractive the plant is, the more plantings, the more time it takes to care for them. A garden with many flower beds and various compositions of trees and shrubs looks very beautiful. But only if they are well-groomed and not overgrown with weeds, or suffer from lack of watering and fertilizing.
To care for a large number of plants, you will have to deal with them all day long.
Wise choice of plants
Many gardeners mistakenly believe that unpretentious garden plants They are inconspicuous and ugly and should not be planted in a beautiful garden. This is wrong! Now there is such a huge selection of very beautiful, but absolutely unpretentious plants that by planting such plants, you can create a beautiful garden, which will be a pleasure to care for.
Among such unpretentious plants there are also everyone’s favorite gardeners - hydrangeas, roses, clematis.
The basis of a beautiful garden for the lazy should be local unpretentious plants that have adapted to the given climate. Specialized literature will help determine which plants are able to withstand the critical conditions of a particular time of year. Plants of the 2nd and 3rd climatic zones are best adapted to the harsh conditions of the Russian winter. Plants of the 2nd zone can withstand frosts down to -45°C, plants of the 3rd climate zone- up to -40°C. These plants will survive the winter well and will not require tedious covering in late autumn;
With beautifully flowering shrubs, you need to pay attention to which shoots the plant blooms on: last year or the current one. In case of a frosty winter, last year's shoots may freeze and such a plant will not bloom. Therefore, in a low-maintenance garden, it is preferable to plant shrubs that bloom on the shoots of the current year. The ability of plants to bloom on certain shoots depends on the variety (written on the box with the seedling; if not, ask the seller).
We will talk in more detail about choosing unpretentious plants in the next article. “How to choose the right plants for a low-maintenance ornamental garden”
But in our gardens there are also plants that need extra care and attention. There should be a minimum number of such plants, or not at all. Of course, we are not talking about collectors of garden curiosities. Such enthusiastic people are happy to “babysit” such plants, they like it. But our article is for the ordinary gardener, whom we guide in what ways you can make your life easier in terms of garden care.
So, if you want to reduce the time spent on gardening, you should reduce the number or not plant the following plants:
Capricious heat-loving plants
As a rule, they do not winter well, they need to be covered, and in the spring they take a long time to “come to their senses.” Decorative effect There is little benefit from such plants, but they must always be taken care of. Their existence turns into a constant struggle for survival.
Perennials that require digging up for the winter
Dahlias, gladioli, crocosmias, freesias, callas, and cannas require annual digging and storage under certain conditions. Even the most devoted lovers of these plants will get tired of endlessly planting them and digging them up in the fall. Choosing a place to store them also becomes a problem.
Plants that require special soil
Mostly sour - for azaleas, hydrangeas, blueberries, etc. 2-3 plants, for which you need to bring special soil, will not require much effort, but planting a much larger number is labor-intensive and problematic.
Followers of the Naturgarden style, to which T.I. Grishchenkova considers herself, avoid exotic plants, which must be carried around like a sack: dug out for the winter, protected, cherished and shaken over them.
Garden design for the lazy step by step instructions
When the plants are selected, you need to place them correctly.
Certainly, garden design this is a whole science, and specialists study for many years before they acquire necessary knowledge and skills. And it is not possible to place all the recommendations in one article, so we will define the basic principles of placing plants in a low-care garden, examining the most important issues in more detail in the following articles.
To create a beautiful garden for the lazy, it is best to use a combination of decorative foliage plants with beautiful flowering ones.
It is necessary to determine the skeleton of the site - to correctly position the bushes and trees.
Inexperienced gardeners, trying to create a garden that blooms all season long, plant an endless amount of beautiful flowering plants. Such plants
Firstly need to be selected in such a way as to create a “blooming conveyor belt”,
Secondly, it happens that they do not bloom (as a rule, they are more demanding of care),
Thirdly, more plants– more and care for them.
And by combining spectacular, but unpretentious decorative foliage plants with beautifully flowering ones, you can create a garden that is less problematic, but no less beautiful.
Decorative foliage plants for the garden
Decorative foliage plants There are many: they come with textured or lacy foliage, and with leaves that change color during the season, and with beautiful fruits. Such plants are decorative throughout the season. They, as well as unpretentious conifers, are taken as the basis for compositions. And beautifully blooming ones are added to achieve the full effect.
- Place all architectural forms and objects in rounded groups. This will make your work much easier, because when mowing you won’t have to go around every bush.
- When planting, take into account the growth rate of plants, otherwise one plant, which is more aggressive, while growing, can strangle another, growing much more slowly;
- For a low-maintenance garden, choose the slowest growing varieties. Fast-growing plants require mandatory and timely annual pruning, sometimes radically.
- Then add to the bushes and trees herbaceous plants– perennial and annual flowers. You just need to think over the composition, because some may bloom for a short time, others will lose their decorative effect by mid-summer, and for others, the stem will gradually become bare at the bottom. And in compositions, with correct selection plants, the decorative properties of plants are more pronounced and “shade out” the shortcomings;
- According to designers, the optimal ratio for planting flower beds is 60% perennial flowers and 40% annuals; of course, these figures are approximate. This ratio allows you to create a bright and long-blooming flowerbed with minimal care;
- Choose varieties that do not require preliminary germination, bloom for a long time and elegantly, and reproduce independently the following year: poppy, annual flax, cornflower, toadflax, calendula, eschscholzia, cosmos. Or sow fast-growing and unpretentious flowers at the seedling stage: dahlias (annual), nasturtiums, marigolds, lavatera.
- Be sure to consider growing a lawn. An ordinary, traditional lawn requires frequent mowing and more careful care at first. But a Moorish lawn or a lawn with white clover does not require regular maintenance.
Ground cover plants ( Duchesnea , creeping tenacious, bryozoan) require little maintenance, make it difficult for weeds to grow, and require mowing much less frequently than a classic lawn, or do not need it at all. With the help of these plants you can create a wonderful green lawn.
Creation lung garden Maintenance can be done using artificial surfaces: gravel fill, paved areas. In the gardens with large areas this is even more relevant than growing a lawn. And it is much easier to care for such modern surfaces, and they look very impressive.
Another effective technique is mulching plantings organic materials (chopped branches, bark, fallen leaves, mown grass, etc.). This technique allows you to fight weeds, create optimal conditions growing for plants, as well as creating original compositions. Just remember that the bark coniferous species acidifies the soil, which is not suitable for all plants.
Beautiful, well-kept garden with early spring until late autumn - here it is, a dream! But spending all your free time digging in the garden and caring for the lawn every weekend is a dubious pleasure.
However, you can make your garden attractive and cozy without putting in too much effort. The main thing is to plan wisely garden landscape and choose plants that are ideal for each other and do not require special attention.
Editorial today "So simple!" will tell you how to plant a beautiful garden with your own hands. All necessary instructions and photos included!
Garden for the lazy
It is much easier to maintain a neat, well-groomed garden english style. A little careless, as if slightly neglected, with its free layout it is much easier to maintain than an impeccable French one.
The fewer flower beds there are in the garden, the easier it is to care for the garden. There are many colorful shrubs that change foliage color with the seasons. Their colors change from early autumn until the onset of cold weather.
Such shrubs include Thunberg barberry, cotoneaster, cinquefoil, and holly mahonia. Mahonia is valued not only for its beautiful foliage, but also for its tasty small berries, which are good both in baking and in compotes.
A garden without flowers is not a garden. Lay out a large area of \u200b\u200bthe plot for a lawn on which you can mix clover, daisies, tenacious - all those unpretentious flowers that cover the ground with a carpet. In addition, these flowers tolerate cutting well, so you can get rid of weeds with a lawn mower.
A front garden blooming in lush colors will create the impression of a richly landscaped area. The rest of the area can be planted with bushes and sowed lawn grass. In an atmosphere of slight negligence, mixborders with a random arrangement of plants look great.
For mixborders, select plants that are well adapted to the conditions of our climate. Combine shrubs with foliage different color and size so that the garden is good even when not in bloom.
Terraces and retaining walls diversify the appearance of a site with varying landscapes. Pave part of the lawn decorative tiles- another great solution. The hassle of caring for the area will be much less.
High-quality ones will make gardening easier and faster. For example, a gas trimmer will cut grass and weeds where a regular mower would necessarily cut through low-growing bushes.
To prevent the soil from becoming clogged between plantings, cover it with decorative mulch (for example, bark). Non-woven material sprinkled with gravel will cover the ground and solve the age-old problem of weeding.
Annuals planted as seedlings are a waste of time. Pay attention to self-seeding flowers such as eschscholzia, poppy, cornflowers, toadflax, calendula and flax. These flowers bloom brightly, wildly and do not require prior germination.
The natural shapes that characterize the soil in your region will give your garden a rustic charm. The most common garden chamomile will decorate any garden and additionally bind the soil, thereby protecting it from being washed out. Chamomile blooms for a long time and is resistant to heat and drought.
Flowering shrubs will relieve you of the need to care for your garden almost completely. Bushes planted around the perimeter of the garden, near fences and buildings will create a picturesque view. Lilacs and rose hips will fit perfectly into any garden, the only thing is that lilacs require pruning of faded clusters.
