We are big fans of garden beds here in Nashville, TN. An outdoor living space is not complete without that pop of color that flowers and plants bring.
Added gardens not only enhance the aesthetics of your property, but may contribute to the increased property value and curb appeal of your home as well.
Additionally, adding the right plants and flower can also benefit the surrounding environment. With the right plants you give bees and butterflies a steady source of nectar.
While there are plenty of great, feel-good, reasons to start planning a garden, there can also be a downside. Gardens are typically considered time-consuming in their installation and maintenance.
'But what if we told you, you could still have a beautiful garden with half the hard work and elbow grease?
Obviously, this is where we need to PLUG - you could also choose to hire the pros at NLO and simply let us do the work for you.
But for any DIY'ers in the group, here are a few tips to help you get started with your low-maintenance garden:
Find the Right Spot
Before you start digging, you want to have a plan. Think about where you want to place the garden and its design. Look at your home.
Do you want a circular garden in the center of your yard? It makes a great statement whether it’s in front of the house or in the backyard.
Other garden design options include a rectangular or raised bed. What about window views? Do you want to be able to see your garden from the kitchen, living area, or home entertainment room?
Take a look at how much sun or shade the location receives. This will help determine the type of plants. Some garden plants perform best in sun, while others need shade to thrive. The location of your water spigot should also be factored in. You will have to water the garden occasionally, and it’s easier when the water supply is close by.
Lessen garden maintenance by choosing a spot that checks all the boxes
Lessen garden maintenance by choosing a spot that checks all the boxes. Choose a placement that suits your aesthetic, is close to the water supply, and receives a nice blend of sun and shade to best support your ideal plants. Which brings us to our next point...
Choose Native Plants
Exotic garden plants are popular, and it’s easy to see why. These plants often produce flowers in unique colors or can remind you of your favorite vacation spot. Even the foliage can add interest to a garden, but for the sake of this blog ...... exotics aren’t ideal for a low-maintenance garden.
Choosing non-native plants will often require a lot more care to thrive in these middle southern parts of the country. The environments are just drastically different.
With exotics, you will find yourself working over time to "fake" a tropical or desert environment which makes for a plant more needy than my no-napped toddler.
When you choose native-to-the-area plants, these plants are often more resistant to common pests and diseases. Best of all, native plants can also provide food for birds, bees, and other backyard wildlife. So there's a whole symbiosis thing going on :-).
Don’t Forget to Mulch
Something that bothers most gardeners on the planet, is weeds. This nuisance plant can seem to appear daily and grow more rapidly than your actual plants.
While weeds are a part of having a garden, and some have more benefit than harm, we at NLO have a little trick to reducing the amount of weeds in your garden....
and that is to install a thick layer of mulch..
You want the mulch layer to be around one or two inches deep to effectively block the weed growth. You will still need to do a little weeding throughout the season, but mulching makes a noticeable difference for us at home and for the yards of our clients.
Of course, there are a few other advantages to using mulch. It can give your garden a finished and professional look, it can help the ground retain moisture, and ensure you are not on frequent watering duty. Win-win all around.
To receive a free quote on mulching your yard or garden, fill out our contact form here.
And last but not least...
Considering Planting Ground-covers
Ground-covers are lower-growing plants with a spreading growth habit. Some varieties produce flowers, while others are grown for their greenery. You have probably seen these at your local park and may have some naturally occurring in the backyard already!
We'll stick a few examples of ground-covers below this text. So, why this type of plant?
Well, you can mix different types of ground-cover plants to add interest to the garden or stick with one variety for a more uniform appearance.
Incorporating ground-cover plants can also help reduce the amount of weeds that grow up. And lastly, since the ground-cover spreads across the garden horizontally, you don’t need as many plants close together. This makes for fewer holes to dig and less watering.
Viola- your low maintenance garden in Nashville!
Planning Your Low Maintenance Garden
Do you want to learn more about planning a low-maintenance garden? Give us a call or send an email. We’re ready to answer your questions and help you get started on your summer garden project.
Happy gardening!
- Team NLO
Who is Nashville Lawn and Order?
Nashville Lawn and Order is an outdoor living company that specializes in the design and build of decks, patios, and playhouses. They also have an on-site team for residential landscaping and tree removal.
They have served the Middle Tennessee area since 2019 and love helping the community - one lawn at a time. If you are in the Brentwood, Nolensville, Antioch, Mt Juliet, and Nashville areas, please give them a call (or fill out this form) to receive a free consult on your next outdoor living project.
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