The myth of no-maintenance gardens: Why hard work always yields the best results

What do they mean by that? It’s different things to different people. The idea of having a garden, a beautiful outside space to look at from inside, to sit in and enjoy countless memorable moments with family and friends, walk through to get to the garage, s/he cave, office at the bottom of the garden, is a luxury that many of us have. A garden is a wonderful addition to the house, a privilege for some, some would say a necessity (I bought the house because of the garden). But like the inside it takes work to keep it looking good, well maintained. And that’s the rub, where we come to that sticky question of how much maintenance can a person take?

At one extreme I hear people say they want a garden where they don’t have to do anything, “it takes care of itself”. No maintenance. Nothing. Really? That’s just plain unrealistic. Might as well not even start. I’ve heard that so many times before and am always polite with my response. Even gardens that need low maintenance require small hand tools! Merely following the basic rule of cutting back after flowering means at the very least owning a pair of secateurs and possibly loppers. A modest lawn and skinny borders still needs the minimum of a lawnmower.

Lawns, I would say, are the very antithesis of low maintenance. During the growing season, depending on your tolerance for tall grass, long enough to flirt with your lower calves, you could be mowing every week. My neighbour’s mower is a well-oiled, well used machine. I’ve increasingly stretched no-mow-May into June, even July this year. The long grass and seedheads were so beautiful, varied, and enchanting. The crickets loved them. And if you’re going to do lawns justice, edging before you mow is de rigueur. Then there’s the question of do you rake up the cuttings missed by the mower or leave them to lock in moisture. And do you do stripes, diagonals… there’s a thesis in there, I’m sure.

I call my garden my third child: sometimes overlooked like a middle child but showered with new additions (a vanity purchase from a flower show or another rusted steel ornament for the border) to make up for my guilty neglect.

Acquiring a new garden at any time of year, but especially from March to October, leaves the new owners with watering duties. This is a regular regime with huge benefits for the plants, but it is also the genesis of a growth habit for the new plant parents about their responsibility. Like the household pet, kitchen appliances, pastime or change of eating habits, watering requires attention and consistency. I call my garden my third child: sometimes overlooked like a middle child but showered with new additions (a vanity purchase from a flower show or another rusted steel ornament for the border) to make up for my guilty neglect.

Watering, like mowing takes time. I tell new clients, this garden should take you [insert amount of time, but usually no less than 40 mins] to water. And I demonstrate how they should; first clockwise for five slow rotations, then the same anticlockwise. It’s long, I know, but the plants will love you for it. Take a drink out with you, I tell them, whatever your tipple, put on a podcast or some music (I’m a big fan of music while you work in the garden) and enjoy. It’s work. But not as we know it. Watering well and long enough, two to three times a week, is a good practice for establishing gardens. And again, consistency is the key.

I know there’s a genuine fear and apprehension around pruning. What to do when it all starts growing, taking up space and then becomes overwhelming. What do I do then? Can I call you? Well yes, but as much as I want the income, I also want to empower my clients to become confident in their gardens. When you love doing it, it hardly seems like work. And one of the best things about gardening is seeing the results. Be that growing from seed, mowing the lawn, picking your own homegrown produce or seeing a plant flourish the following year after you’ve pruned it. The principles of pruning are quite straightforward and can be learned just as well from a trusted how-to video as an in-real-life person. The internet is bursting with them. The main thing is to go slowly - you can’t put it back, but you can always take off more.

Most gardens need maximum attention in spring – cutting back, dividing, feeding, mulching, tying in/staking plants in the border. And again, in autumn - cutting back, mulching, dividing, moving. There’s always something to do in the garden every month of the year, depending on your level of engagement, obsession some would say. You just need to decide on how much time you want to put in to get the results.
I can guarantee though that the simple pleasure of seeing your hard work pay off is enough to get you hooked. That hit of dopamine and serotonin from seeing and feeling the rewards, learning and connecting with nature is certain to banish any thoughts of counting how much work you’re doing. Cut some flowers, bring inside and tell me I’m wrong!

Get in touch:

Do you prefer to have a garden that requires little maintenance or would you rather spend more time outside? Email us your thoughts at: letters@gardenersworld.com

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