Ways to keep your garden maintenance-free

Garden landscaping and DIY is a hobby for some people, while for others it's simply something they feel they have to do. If you fall into the latter group, then having a low-maintenance garden could be the key to freeing up some more of your time.

Some simple tips and tricks could be all it takes to reduce the amount of time you spend keeping your garden looking pristine. It might take a little legwork to make it happen, but you'll soon be glad you put in the effort.

Gardening is big business here in Australia. Figures from IBISWorld show there are as many as 2,570 gardening supplies retailers across the country, so there will be no shortage of places to find what you need to get these tasks done.

Here are just some of the garden DIY tasks you might want to think about completing now the temperature has cooled, all without creating too many tasks for you when summer comes back around.

Reduce the amount of grass

Turf can look great, but it's also difficult to maintain if you're not particularly green-fingered. Moss and weeds are just two of the problems you'll encounter on a regular basis, and that's before you've had to get the lawn mower out every couple of weeks in the summer.

If you decide to replace your lawn with something more maintenance-free, you might need to hire diggers to make the process easier. The Lawn Institute advises that as much as 80 per cent of the weight of grass plants is water, which can make it difficult to carry out the removal process by hand.

There are various substitutes to grass, including DIY paving, pebbles and decorative bark. Invest in a few design magazines for inspiration if you're not quite sure how the finished product will look. You can also get some ideas from friends and neighbours who might also have opted for a no-grass approach.

Use pots - and lots of them

Pots can be a great way to add colour and interest to your garden, without the need for too much ongoing maintenance. Scattering different sized and coloured pots around the space will create a feature in itself - and it's easier to make sure the plants don't get out of hand.

Another benefit for garden landscaping is that you can move them around. If you find that a particular plant isn't doing too well in full sunlight, just pick it up and relocate it somewhere a little more shaded.

Plastic pots are often the most hard wearing and won't break as easily as terracotta versions. From bulbs to established plants, there are various ways in which you can plant in plots throughout your garden.

Replacing your grass can save hours of work in the garden.

Invest in water storage

Getting out the hose  pipe every time your plants need a drink might not appeal to some people, which is where water storage can come in useful. It gives an environmentally friendly, low-cost alternative to the mains supply and is easily accessible whenever you need to water your garden.

Saving water in the garden is something that's become out-of-favour with Australians over recent years. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that in 2013, 54 per cent of people took steps to save water in the garden, down from 71 per cent in 2007.

"Of the 3.9 million Australian households that saved water in the garden, common steps taken were using mulch (42 per cent), only watering the garden when necessary (34 per cent) and watering at cooler times of the day (29 per cent)," revealed Mark Lound from the ABS.

From water butts to tanks, there are various ways in which you can recycle water in the garden. Many of them are also inexpensive to install and could save you money in the long run.

Choose your plants wisely

The type of plants you choose will also impact how much garden landscaping you need to do. If you're not confident in making this decision for yourself, speak to staff at your local garden centre who will be able to offer some advice on the plants that will keep your time in the yard to a minimum.

Some of the best low-maintenance plants include grasses and bamboo. For flowering varieties, you usually can't go far wrong with camellia plants and oleanders.

Take into considerations factors such as the drainage in your garden and which direction it is facing. These will all impact which plants you should invest in and how likely it is they will be able to thrive.

Kennards Hire offers a range of products to make your garden DIY simpler. Whether you're interested in digger hire or need some inspiration, we're on hand to help with every stage of your project.