Design Solutions for the Time-Strapped Gardener

Necessity often drives gardeners to design low-maintenance outdoor spaces. There's no zero-maintenance garden, but you can create a stylish landscape that's easy to care for. With a new season ahead, assess whether your current design suits your taste, lifestyle, and available time.

Before changing your garden, consider the functions important to you and how much time you can devote to upkeep. Balance these three main areas:

Hardscape

More hardscape (paths, walls, steps, decks) generally means easier upkeep. Initial cost is higher, but long-term maintenance benefits and replacement costs balance the expense. In small gardens, converting the whole area to a hard surface is nearly maintenance-free (sweeping, annual stain/power wash), but can create a "concrete jungle." The answer: mix materials with carefully selected plantings. Enliven expanses of pavers or concrete by varying materials, tones, or textures. Size the hard surface to its function for your lifestyle.

If weeds in gravel are a concern, divide large gravel areas with smaller, controllable strips of gravel or stones and blocks of groundcover plants. Mixing brick paving and wood decking adds interest while minimizing maintenance. Decking can cost-effectively cover large areas in small gardens; maintenance is typically an annual three-step process: clean, restore, protect.

Learn more about what to know when adding a deck

Plantings

No plants are completely maintenance-free, but careful selection yields attractive, easy-care options. Placement also reduces maintenance. Check mature height and spread before buying—avoid pruning because a plant outgrows its space. Choose plants native to your region or suited to your climate and soil; thriving plants need less attention.

Browse native plants on Houzz by U.S. region

Most routine work involves pruning, staking, lifting/dividing perennials, and cutting back dead foliage. To avoid an annual maintenance blitz, reduce herbaceous perennials and replace with shrubs and groundcovers. Shrubs offer year-round interest (flowers, leaves, bark, berries) and structure. Choose shrubs with staggered flowering and pruning needs to spread maintenance across seasons.

Plant shrubs and groundcovers with a weed-suppressing membrane covered by mulch. This reduces weeding labor and watering. Combining groundcover with mulch is ecologically sound for a lower-maintenance garden.

Containers traditionally need lots of work (planting, repotting, feeding, watering). If containers are part of your design, use the largest possible—greater soil volume reduces watering frequency. Forget seasonal bedding plants; they need replacement each season. Think long-term: use evergreen shrubs, perennials, or hardy herbs like rosemary or sage. Perennials like Liriope muscari 'Big Blue' and Autumn Joy sedum need only annual spring trimming, feeding, and top-dressing to last years.

Lawns

Lawns can be the most time-consuming feature, but careful design can make them suitable for busy gardeners. They don't need to be manicured bowling greens. Lawns are treasured in gardens with children and can be relatively inexpensive depending on climate.

To cut upkeep: let grass grow longer, don't cut too much off the top to promote stronger roots. Use a mulching mower to return clippings, reducing feeding needs. Install permanent edging (metal systems or brick) to save hand-edging time.

Read more about synthetic turf to see if it's right for you

No time for mowing but want a lawn? Artificial turf varieties now closely resemble real grass. Like hardscape, it's a big upfront investment but saves mowing time and costs for fertilizers, weed killers, and irrigation.

Alternatively, replace traditional grass with a low-growing plant or lawn alternative requiring less maintenance. Sedums are favorite groundcovers (check zone suitability). No mowing or watering needed, but weeding until established. Sedges are also great native lawn alternatives across the U.S.

7 Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives

With a little thought about design, planning, and task habits, even the busiest lifestyle can enjoy these precious outdoor spaces.

Tell us: How do you balance time and design in your garden?