subject: Simple Garden Maintenance Tips For Sydney Residents [print this page] Many homeowners in Sydney want a garden to complement their homes but are unable to go ahead and plant one because of maintenance issues. But there is hope yet for such people. They can have a low maintenance garden full of colour by following basic maintenance tips.
If you think that a low maintenance garden has concrete in it, you are wrong. There are nifty tricks and tips out there, following which you can create a perfect garden. Here they are:
Buying / Planting Tips
1. Choose some evergreen slow growing plants as they require less pruning. Also, leaves dont fall that often from evergreen plants so you will not have to sweep off dead leaves too frequently.
2. Buy a plant only after you have considered that it will fit in the space planned for it even after it is fully grown.
3. Avoid planting rapidly growing hedges near fences. This will prevent issues with neighbours as well as make the fence more accessible while painting.
4. If you plant flowering shrubs and evergreens that have attractively coloured leaves, you will have a colourful garden throughout the year, because they will flower at different times of the year. So you get colour in your garden all the year round but have to plant only once.
5. Know the soil of your garden and then buy plants accordingly- for clay soil, dry soil, or plants to keep in the sun or in the shade.
6. Understand the plant dynamics. Some plants dont grow when another plant is present. For example grass doesnt grow well near conifers. So before buying any two plants make sure you know how they will interact with each other.
7. Avoid low growing, broad leafed plants. They look messy and invite slugs.
8. You can keep seasonal bedding plants in pots separately for easy accessibility.
Weeding Tips
1. Do not over crowd your garden with flower borders.
2. Do not plant 'ground cover' plants like ivy because they grow and spread really fast.
3. Always plant fast spreading plants in pots.
4. Opt for a well-stocked border. This is because it will stop the sunlight from reaching the soil and hence preventing weed growth.
5. A great tip to stop weeds from growing is to place a thick layer of mulch on your borders in quite early in the spring.
6. Best tip- kill the weeds as soon as possible. Dont let them sit and spread.
Pruning Tips
1. Buy plants that look good in their natural shape. You wont have to prune or trim them a lot.
2. An important pruning tip is to always remove the dead or diseased branches, leaves etc. You must always prune in a way that it shapes the plant as well as encourages new growth. Sometimes pruning is necessary if the plant is causing any sort of obstruction.
3. Once you will know your plants you will figure out when to prune them because different plants need attention at different times of the year. So remember to prune at the right time.
4. Do not plant any shrub or hedge which will grow taller than you can manage comfortably on a foot stool. When you have to use a ladder to prune, it becomes a tough job.
These are some of the basic tips that you can follow and create your own low maintenance garden. However, for bigger and more elaborate gardens, professional maintenance becomes necessary and you must hire experts for garden maintenance Sydney has a number of garden experts and a little search will lead you to the best suited one.
