Already looking ahead to the new year?
As 2022 comes to an end, are you thinking about how you could make 2023 even better?
Whether it’s enjoying more time doing what you love best, promising to get fit, or trying to be smarter with your finances, the underlying motivation is the same – to make improvements and live a better life.
A great way to do this?
Create an outside space you can enjoy – without any ongoing effort! Freeing up precious time to dedicate to your new year ambitions.
A garden that looks great and requires zero maintenance. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Read on to discover how it’s done…
6 steps to achieve a zero maintenance garden
1. Forget grass
Hate cutting the lawn? Just because you’re lucky enough to have a garden, it’s not compulsory to have grass.
Why not opt for low maintenance composite decking instead? Or, if you’re reluctant to lose the lush green effect of grass, how about faking it?
Fake grass has taken the world by storm over recent years, with a report by Up Market Research forecasting the global market value to reach $5.8bn by 2023. Opt for imitation grass and you won’t just get a maintenance-free lawn, you’ll also free up space in the shed needed to house a lawnmower.
2. Ditch the patio
Roll back the years and patio areas were the trusted back garden go-to. Whilst there’s no denying they look good, their popularity is fading as people seek out alternatives that demand less in the way of maintenance.
Not only are weeds a common problem with paving stones – pushing their way up between the flags – but staying on top of mould and mildew build-up, and the need to regrout between slabs (typically about every 3 years) means that for those seeking the easy life, patios are a bad choice.
3. Simple planting
Whether you’re green-fingered or not – take the easy route! A little research can go a long way to ensure your garden looks great and thrives on minimal gardening.
Plant evergreen shrubs for year-round depth, texture, and colour.
If you like to add a little more vibrance during summer, opt for perennials rather than annuals. That way you can enjoy the fruits of your labour for several years rather than having to dig up bulbs and plant fresh each year.
To save time and money, it’s also key to make sure you pick plants that are suited to your soil and the location you intend to plant them. There’s no point forking out for pretty shrubs that will take endless care and attention just to ensure they don’t die where you’ve put them.
Look out for plants badged up as ‘groundcover’ too, as these are usually pretty hardy and knit together as they grow – helping to keep pesky weeds at bay.
4. Make it easy
If you do stick with real grass, keep it simple.
Unusual borders and awkward angles will increase the time it takes to tend to your lawn.
A great tip here is to create a permanent boundary, such as a run of bricks, as this will help to keep edges in check and trimming to a minimum.
If you’re keen to have borders full of plants, make them raised. This will make planting, weeding, and watering far easier tasks.
5. Embrace technology
Technology advances at a rapid pace, pushed to evolve by the desire to make life easier and more efficient – so why not embrace technology in your garden, too?
These days, you can get smart sprinklers and lighting controlled by your phone or computer, automated mowers, and a wealth of apps and information designed to take the guesswork out of gardening and make life easy.
6. Use composite decking
If traditional wooden decking can be used to help make garden upkeep a simpler task, then composite decking is pure child’s play.
Designed to mimic the look of real wood whilst massively reducing the maintenance requirements, more and more people are turning to composite decking for a low-maintenance garden.
Suitable for a wide range of applications, composite can be used for building decked areas, seating, storage, play areas, and even planters!
With this advanced material, you get the good looks of traditional timber combined with the modern perks of a composite material. Pre-coloured, there’s no need to sand, paint, or apply treatments to composite decking – which is why many people choose to use composite fencing as well.
With a typical lifespan of at least 25 years, all you need to do is sit back and enjoy your garden.
Order composite decking today
Cost-effective, long-lasting, and demanding little in the way of time and attention, order composite decking from Modern Garden today and kick 2023 off to a positive start.
Check out our composite decking range now – or to find out more about the advantages of using this product to help create a low-maintenance garden, talk to the team.