Many eager gardeners decide to tackle expansive gardens on their own. While you can save money by not hiring help, you pay for it in extra time spent in the garden. When, eventually, you notice Fido is looking a little pudgy because he hasn’t been walked in a month, you discover your kitchen has become a highly effective science experiment, and you wonder just how many times you can wear the same pair of shorts before they can stand up on their own, it might be a good idea to invest in some time-saving measures for you and your large garden. Here are just a few ideas for saving time in the garden:

Soaker hoses – Link soaker hoses together (but no more than 100 feet per section) and attach your regular hose to them when needed. This way you don’t need to walk around your beds to water and you have an efficient, water-wise way to soak your beds that causes less evaporation than a sprinkler system.

Low-maintenance plants – There is no such thing as a no-maintenance garden, but you can minimize the time you spend fussing over plants if you choose the right ones for your space. Pick native plants whenever possible. Natives tend to need less coddling than exotics. Also look at gardens in your neighborhood for what works and what doesn’t. Shrubs and bushes also need less regular care than perennials, so consider that when you design your garden.

“See-no-ground” planting – Sow seeds thickly and plant your beds so that you cannot see any ground. Choose self-sowing plants to fill in as much space as you can.
The more leaves you have, the more shade you have to keep weeds in check. Fewer weeds means less time weeding. Less time weeding means more time by the pool.

Mulch – Covering the ground smothers most weeds. Mulch also holds moisture, which conserves water (and time). You can use newspaper as an inexpensive, decomposable bottom layer under a bark, wood chip, leaf, or needle mulch. Skip the cocoa husk mulch, which can be dangerous for dogs if they eat it.

For inspiration, check out the 55-acre Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 21st, 2010 at 9:06 pm and is filed under articles, garden design, garden inspiration, gardening, public gardens. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.