When I became a dad, my priorities shifted dramatically. Those leisurely Sunday afternoons pottering in the garden quickly became a distant memory, replaced by football practice and birthday parties.
But I wasn’t prepared to give up on having a beautiful outdoor space – I just needed to be smarter about how I managed it. After much trial and error, I’ve created a garden that looks fantastic with minimal effort.
Here’s how you can do the same.
Rethinking Your Lawn Situation
The first revelation was questioning whether I actually needed a lawn at all. For years, I’d assumed a garden without grass wasn’t really a garden. How wrong I was!
In our modest urban space, maintaining that small patch of grass was consuming a disproportionate amount of my limited gardening time. Between mowing, edging, feeding, and dealing with moss, I was spending hours on something that wasn’t even the most attractive feature of our garden.
I took the plunge and replaced most of our lawn with a combination of decking and gravel paths winding through expanded borders. The transformation was immediate – not just visually, but in terms of maintenance time. No more weekly mowing sessions or edge trimming. No need for a lawn mower at all.
If you’re not ready to go completely lawn-free (perhaps you have little ones who need a play area), consider reducing your grass to a simple, practical shape. Square or rectangular lawns are far quicker to mow than those with awkward corners or curved edges. I’ve kept a small square of grass for my kids, but simplified its edges with brick pavers that sit flush with the lawn, allowing me to mow right over them without needing to trim.
Choosing Plants That Thrive Without Fuss
The cornerstone of my low-maintenance approach has been selecting plants that naturally want to grow in my garden’s conditions. This “right plant, right place” philosophy has saved me countless hours of nurturing struggling specimens.
I started by understanding my soil type (clay with reasonable drainage) and light conditions (sunny at the back, partial shade near the house). Rather than fighting these conditions, I embraced them, choosing plants that would naturally thrive without special attention.
For my sunny areas, Mediterranean plants like lavender, rosemary and salvias have been absolute stars – they love the free-draining soil and actually prefer being left alone to being fussed over. In shadier spots, ferns, hostas and hardy geraniums have created lush foliage that suppresses weeds and looks fantastic with minimal intervention.
The RHS Plant Selector tool was invaluable here – I could input my specific conditions and get suggestions for plants that would thrive. When shopping, I also look for the Award of Garden Merit (AGM) symbol, which indicates plants that perform reliably with minimal care.
Container Gardening
Container gardening seemed like a low-maintenance option initially, but I quickly learned that small pots are actually high-maintenance, requiring constant watering in summer. The solution? Going bigger.
I’ve replaced numerous small pots with fewer, larger containers that hold moisture much better. My collection of large terracotta planters near the patio doors creates impact without demanding daily watering. During hot spells, they might need attention every three days rather than daily – a significant time-saver.
Another container trick I’ve employed is using self-watering planters for thirstier plants. These clever containers have a water reservoir at the bottom that plants can draw from as needed, extending the time between waterings considerably. They’ve been particularly useful for growing herbs near the kitchen door.
For the containers themselves, I’ve invested in quality rather than quantity. Good frost-proof terracotta or sturdy composite planters might cost more initially, but they last for years and develop character with age, unlike cheap plastic pots that crack and fade after a season or two.
Simplifying Your Planting Scheme
I used to think an impressive garden needed dozens of different plant varieties. Now I know that fewer types of plants, used in larger groups, actually create more impact with less work.
Instead of dotting single specimens throughout the garden, I now plant in groups of at least three or five of the same variety. This creates bold blocks of colour and texture that look intentional rather than haphazard. It also means I’ve become familiar with the needs of fewer plants, making maintenance more straightforward.
Evergreen shrubs have become the backbone of my garden, providing structure year-round without the leaf drop of deciduous plants. Varieties like choisya, pittosporum and euonymus offer interesting foliage and need just one light trim annually to stay in shape.
I’ve also got on board with ornamental grasses, which provide movement and texture through multiple seasons. Most need cutting back just once a year in late winter, then reward with months of interest. Varieties like Miscanthus and Pennisetum look spectacular from summer right through winter when their seed heads catch the frost.
Creating Year-Round Interest Without Seasonal Replanting
One of my biggest time-savers has been moving away from seasonal bedding plants that need replacing multiple times a year. Instead, I focus on permanent plantings that offer changing interest through the seasons.
My borders now feature a mix of plants that take turns in the spotlight: spring bulbs emerge between evergreen shrubs, followed by hardy perennials in summer, then ornamental grasses and seed heads for autumn and winter structure. This succession planting means there’s always something looking good without the need for seasonal overhauls.
For reliable colour, I’ve incorporated shrubs with extended flowering periods or exceptional foliage. Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ produces huge white blooms that last for months and even look attractive as dried flowerheads in winter. Abelia × grandiflora flowers from summer into autumn and keeps its foliage year-round.
This approach means I’m not rushing to garden centres multiple times a year to buy replacements, nor am I spending weekends ripping out spent plants and installing new ones. The garden evolves naturally through the seasons with minimal intervention from me.
Mulching: The Lazy Gardener’s Secret Weapon
If there’s one practice that’s dramatically reduced my garden maintenance, it’s mulching. This simple technique of covering bare soil with a protective layer has transformed my gardening life.
Each spring, I apply a generous layer of bark chips around my plants. This 5-7cm layer suppresses weeds, retains moisture (reducing watering needs), and gradually improves soil quality as it breaks down. The time investment of one day applying mulch saves weeks of weeding throughout the year.
In some areas, particularly around Mediterranean plants that prefer sharp drainage, I’ve used decorative gravel instead. This provides permanent weed suppression and complements the plants visually. Under trees and shrubs, a layer of leaf mould works brilliantly – I simply rake autumn leaves into these areas and let nature do the rest.
The aesthetic improvement is an added bonus – the mulched areas look neat and intentional, providing a uniform backdrop that makes plants stand out. Even when I’ve been too busy to tend the garden for weeks, these mulched areas continue to look tidy.
Smart Watering Solutions
Watering can quickly become a time-consuming chore, especially during summer months. I’ve implemented several solutions to minimize this maintenance aspect.
First, I installed a simple irrigation system with a timer for key areas. The initial setup took a weekend, but now my containers and vegetable patch water themselves automatically. The system uses drip irrigation rather than sprinklers, delivering water directly to plant roots with minimal waste.
For areas without irrigation, I’ve grouped plants with similar water needs together. Drought-tolerant plants form the majority of my planting scheme, with thirstier specimens concentrated in easily accessible spots where I can water efficiently if needed.
Water-retaining granules mixed into container compost have also proved valuable, significantly reducing watering frequency. For newly planted specimens, I use water-retaining tree rings that deliver slow-release moisture directly to roots during the critical establishment phase.
Vertical Gardening: Maximum Impact with Minimal Effort
When garden space is limited, thinking vertically has been a game-changer. Walls, fences and even mature trees provide valuable growing space without increasing my maintenance workload.
Self-clinging climbers have been particularly useful. Plants like Virginia creeper, climbing hydrangea and certain ivies attach themselves to surfaces without needing support structures. Once established, they require minimal attention beyond an occasional trim to keep windows and gutters clear.
For my fence lines, I opted for evergreen climbers like star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) which provides glossy foliage year-round plus fragrant summer flowers. Unlike deciduous climbers, it doesn’t create seasonal leaf litter to clear up.
Vertical planting also brings garden interest to eye level, creating impact even in a small space. My living wall of ferns and heucheras near the seating area draws far more compliments than it demands in maintenance time.
Be Realistic and Create Your Own
Creating a low-maintenance garden doesn’t mean compromising on beauty – it’s about gardening smarter, not harder. By rethinking traditional approaches and working with nature rather than against it, I’ve created an outdoor space that brings joy to our family without demanding hours of upkeep.
The greatest benefit has been shifting from seeing garden maintenance as another chore on my to-do list to viewing the occasional moments I spend in the garden as pleasurable. When I do have time to potter outside, I’m deadheading flowers or pruning shrubs because I want to, not because the garden looks neglected without constant attention.
For fellow time-pressed dads, my advice is simple: be realistic about the time you have, choose plants that want to grow in your conditions, and find beauty in a more relaxed approach. Your garden should enhance family life, not compete with it for your precious time.
