We are busy, we live in a very demanding world. Being able to spend less time maintaining our property is always a great way to reduce our time working. Spending time with our family is the top of our to do list when we get home and the last thing we want to do is pull weeds. Creating a low maintenance garden is easier than you think and I love the look of them.
Low Maintenance Rock Garden
I often think of rocks when someone mentions low maintenance gardens. It is a great solution, they don’t require deadheading, transplanting, watering or mulching. I think adding sporadic grasses (that don’t spread) add a really neat element of interest. Hosta’s are also used in more shaded areas for colour and texture. Plants that add interest but don’t require a lot of love from you are a great way to keep your green thumb happy.
Low Maintenance Garden – Naturalized Gardens
I think naturalized gardens are some of the most stunning gardens! They require so little work and yet produce full colour all season long. 
In this particular photo there is a breathtaking mixture of Purple Cone Flower, Daisies, Bee Balm and a mixture of meadow grasses. Using a wild flower mix with the meadow grass makes it looks like a work of art. There is a few steps to getting it established.
6 Steps to Prepare for a Wild Flowers
- Prepare the area for seeding by removing the weeds and tilling the land to 2″ deep.
- Collect your seed bags and determine which method you will use for seeding. If you are seeding by hand I suggest mixing it with something like sawdust so that you can spread it out evenly.
- Packing after seeding helps the seeds take off faster since you are putting them in direct contact with the soil.
- For the first season it is recommend that you mow the growth once a month at a height of 4″. This helps kill off the weeds and allows the plants to grow denser. If you notice that the weeds are still trying to take over in season two a mowing in the late spring and or early summer may help control those pesky weeds.
- Once season three hits, the wild flowers and grass should have such a dense root mass that weeds will have a hard time growing through.
- A cutting late in the fall is all you need to do and it is prepped again for season four.
Wild flower farm has a great guide on their website, outlining everything you could possibly need to know about wildflower. They are also a great source to purchase your seeds and will help you get established.
Knowing how simple this is, I think I am going to go home and make one myself!
