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Us Brits are renowned for being a green-fingered bunch and whether you’re handy with horticulture or can’t tell your daffodils from your dahlias, the holiday home garden is an area which must be considered carefully.
While many of us would like to have the luxury of time to potter around in the garden every day, the reality is that a couple of hours here and there between changeovers are all we can manage.
So how can you sustain a low maintenance garden while offering guests an attractive outdoor space in which to relax?
Lawns - is lawn care worth it?
A perfectly manicured lawn can take a surprising amount of upkeep, so many holiday homeowners choose to replace grass with gravel, paving slabs or decking where possible. This is a low maintenance garden idea and gives the added benefit of extra space for garden furniture and barbecues – an attraction for guests looking to book during the summer months.
In larger gardens where a lawn is desirable, consider taking a low maintenance approach. Turning a blind eye to weeds can keep your lawn looking greener for longer. Letting some grass areas grow long and introducing wildflower plug plants can create a pretty meadow effect, whilst simultaneously helping out the insects. In a larger, woodland-style garden, consider mowing a winding path through to make it more of a feature than just an unmown expanse!
Flower beds - less work than you might think
A common misconception is that flower beds require hours of tending and weeding to keep them looking their best. In fact, if planted correctly this low maintenance garden border idea can be a lot less work than lawn, so when you are redesigning your garden make them large and full. A combination of shrubs, bulbs and grasses will offer colour and interest throughout the year with little input.
Try adding perennial plants to your flower beds - these are plants that live for many years and will help grow over time and fill more space. There are lots of low maintenance garden plant options, such as crocosmia, Lily-of-the-valley, hardy geraniums and lupin, the classic cottage garden plant. Make sure you choose plants that are suitable for the sunlight and soil conditions of your garden. There are lots of options for shade-tolerant, part-shade-tolerant and full sun-loving plants to choose from. Garden centres are often very willing to offer advice.
Colour coordinate your plants and flowers
Try and incorporate a range of plants for colour all year - tulips and daffodils are great for early season colour and will come back year after year. Although the stem lengths on tulips get shorter over time, this won't matter as they're not being grown to be cut. In the winter, your summer flowering perennials and evergreen trees and shrubs will mean your garden doesn't look bare.
If you do choose to add trees, make sure that their mature height and spread is suitable for your space. It may take 10+ years for them to reach this height but it needs to be considered all the same.
Think about the colour scheme before investing in plants - what do you have already there colour-wise that you'd like to retain and what colours would work well with it?
Weeds - a manageable nuisance
The bane of every gardener’s existence! The good news is that while weeds can’t be banished completely, they can be suppressed with an environmentally conscious method called 'No Dig'. This is a fairly modern but very popular method of growing in nutrient-rich soil, whilst at the same time suppressing unwanted weeds. The idea is that by not digging, you won't disrupt the soil, instead allowing the micro-organisms, fungi and worms to feed the plant roots.
You will need lots of organic matter (around 15cm deep over the area you want to 'not dig') - this could be compost, leafmould, well-rotted manure, grass-mowings, decorative wood chippings or even plain cardboard - anything organic that will block out the light to the weeds. This method will help suppress weeds and means your garden will retain moisture better, requiring less watering which feeds the soil so that you don't have to as often.
Watering your plants
There is a fine line between watering too much and too little. Too much and the ground can become soggy and the plants can be starved of oxygen; too little and they are not able to collect nutrients from the soil and they'll ultimately wilt and die. Of course, plants differ in their watering needs but consider that it is particularly important not to neglect them in the summer months and whilst new plants are getting established.
For most garden soils, a decent and heavy watering may be more beneficial than several light waterings. A heavy watering will allow the water to soak down into the soil, encouraging roots to dig deeper and not just stay near the surface awaiting their next measly sip. Water that sinks deeper will also last longer than water near the surface that may get dried up by the sun's rays.
If your garden is quite large, consider investing in a water butt to save water.
Ponds - plants, pumps and preventing algae
A fish-free pond is by far the easiest type to maintain, with no pumps or filters required. When setting it up, choose a tough liner and protect any areas which are out of the water from the sunlight with rocks or plants. Ideally, the pond will receive 5 hours of sunshine a day – too much and algae will thrive. If you think your pond might receive more sunlight than this, choose plants that will provide a lot of shade and limit algae photosynthesis.
You need to make sure that the balance of the types of plant you choose is right to maintain the pond equilibrium. Garden centres selling pond plants will be able to advise but ultimately there are 5 types: bog, marginal, floating, deep water and oxygenating. These all work to prevent the build-up of green algae in pond water and they are pivotal for consuming nutrients. Also, avoid planting under anything that sheds a lot of leaves, like trees. This can cause problems such as an imbalance of nutrients in the water as the leaves decompose, as well as a bad smell and poor aesthetics.
The safety of your guests is also an important consideration. If families will be staying, think twice before installing a pond and if you do go ahead, make sure it is well fenced off.
Things to avoid
Containers might seem like the easy option, but because of watering and repotting, they actually require a lot of maintenance. If you can’t avoid using them, choose large planters which won’t dry out as fast. Steer clear of bedding plants that may try to lure you in with their colourful seasonal displays. Their attractiveness is fleeting and they’ll need watering, feeding and replanting. Fast-growing plants and hedges will need more attention than slow-growing species so unless you want to be out pruning regularly, it’s best to opt for the latter.
Keep a to-do list
There’s no such thing as a no-maintenance garden, but a low-maintenance one certainly exists. Key maintenance times are autumn and spring for jobs like pruning etc. (there is always the option of hiring a gardener to keep these things in check). Also, keeping a list of jobs such as pruning, planting and weeding with a schedule of when they should be done will help you stay in control and keep things looking neat and tidy all year round.
For tips on all aspects of holiday letting, take a look at our other blogs and guides at our Owner Advice Centre.