Admit that you dream of it: a garden that allows you to take advantage of the present moment rather than constantly calling yourself to order in front of so many things to do… Weeds to pull out, hedges to cut, flowers to take care of? With a little design method, some good start-up reflexes and a little tolerance for imperfections, all of that could be history. How to do ? Here are 7 ways to create a maintenance-free flowerbed.
1. TRUST NATURE AND GO COUNTRY STYLE
Tip number 1: consciously opt for a “ country style ”. The idea is to accept once and for all that your flower bed will never be perfect, but that is precisely what will give it a little extra charm. In short, a flexible and natural garden.
Nature has a lot to offer when left unconstrained, and you’re sure to see some pretty flowers popping up that you shouldn’t even have planted… Take advantage of them instead of treating them as weeds! You will obtain a bucolic massif, which will have nothing to envy to the aesthetics of a French garden.
Ditto for your hedges: prefer free hedges ! You will simply have to respect a good distance between the shrubs and plant them in staggered rows so that they provide your beds with a pretty skilfully rough background.
2. OBSERVE YOUR LAND TO CHOOSE SUITABLE PLANTS
It is then a question of knowing your land in order to choose your flowers accordingly: take stock of the exposure of your massif and the climate of your region, as well as the nature and consistency of the soil (neutral, limestone or acidic/heavy or well-drained). Sandy soil? Plant drought-tolerant plants. More clay soil? Choose flowers that are not afraid of humidity. Help yourself, in your diagnosis, of the weeds that grow naturally on your land… A little research on the Internet or the advice of your nurseryman and you will be fixed on the flowers having the best chance of thriving there without too much care!
Also consider taking a look at the surrounding gardens to observe what seems to grow easily in your neighborhood!
3. PREPARE THE GROUND FOR YOUR FLOWER BED
The secret to a maintenance-free flower bed? Plants that feel good there! Even if your goal is to garden as little as possible, you will still need to take care of the start. Start by weeding well, working the soil with a spade, adding organic matter (compost, manure or green manure), and you will have a good base for optimal rooting of your flowers.
If the soil is poorly drained, possibly incorporate gravel or sand and, when planting, water generously by digging around your plant, a kind of basin to retain water.
What if, to make your life easier, you take the opportunity to (re)develop your garden shed ?
Your gardening tools will be within easy reach. You could even take advantage of its roof to collect rainwater as close as possible to your flower bed. Ingenious if you include a few favorite plants, perhaps a little more water-intensive than the rest of your bed!
4. FOR A FLOWER BED WITHOUT MAINTENANCE OVER THE YEARS
Continuation of the operations: the choice of flowers and other plants for your bed. You will necessarily agree with me, they must come back ALONE from one year to the next. Without maintenance, we said!
So opt for perennial flowers , which have underground organs remaining in winter, such as rhizomes, tubers or bulbs. Perennial geraniums, Acanthus mollis, Rock rose, Tree lupine, Sedums… will be happy to offer you new flowers each year, asking you for a minimum of time! Also think of grasses (blue fescues for example), heather , bamboo (preferably non-marking). What if you like roses? Fall for creeper rosesor a Rosa rugosa.
Another tip to avoid too much maintenance: ground cover plants . Purple Bugle, Deltoid Carnation, Montpellier Soapwort, etc. : not only can they be very pretty, also highlighting taller plants, but they will also save you from weeding! Be careful all the same not to let yourself be overwhelmed (it’s the risk!) and from time to time carry out a small uprooting in order.
5. CHOOSE ADAPTABLE AND RESISTANT PLANTS
Not only should your flowers come back on their own each year, but they should also be adaptable (they will be less picky about soil and sun exposure) and resistant to lack of water, disease, etc. Lythrum salicaria, Geranium pratense, Echinacea purpurea, but also Carnations, St. John’s Wort, Lavender, Gladiolus, etc., belong to this category of plants that are difficult…to miss!
6. AND FOR WATERING?
To make your life easier, choose perennials . Rustic and easy to live with, many of them are also practical in their ability to do without watering! And there we reach the pinnacle of maintenance-free flower beds. Examples of water resistant plants include Hollyhock, Oleander, Sedum, Euphorbia, Yarrow and Buenos Aires Verbena. The list is of course far, very far from being exhaustive!
7. COVER THE SOIL WITH MULCH AND WATER WELL THE FIRST YEAR
“Maintenance-free” is good… but it has to be earned! As mentioned above, you will need to properly prepare the ground before planting your magic flower bed! And once the plants are in the ground, you will still have to invest a little time… in order to gain considerably later. Do you see what I’m talking about ? Mulching , does that mean anything to you ? This involves, once the plantations have been completed, spreading a layer of crushed bark, wood shavings or flax flakes between them. By preventing the soil from being bare, you will save yourself hours of weeding afterwards!
