Take some of the grunt work out of gardening

Native perennials conserve water, time and energy

You can have a beautiful garden without putting in a ton of work. All you need to do is choose plants wisely.

“The best thing you can do, is to work with the soil and light conditions in your yard,” says garden designer and master gardener, Elaine Rude. “You can definitely have a beautiful garden with plants that require a minimum of care. Once established, these types of plants really don’t require much maintenance except perhaps for deadheading and the occasional watering.”

When planting perennials, you do have to look after them for the first year or two. Water regularly, allowing them to get a wide root base; and keep them mulched. “In successive years, they will be able to look after themselves a little more.”

In a drought-tolerant garden, Rude adds, you can use plants from around the world, just match them to the growing conditions.

To create high impact in the garden, “you’re better off in planting in multiples and clustering plants in groups: three plants of this or five plants of that.”

One note of caution: If you are trying to practice water-wise gardening with drought-tolerant perennials in an established garden, do not overwater.

“If you baby your plants too much, they will become too lush.”

This could make them more prone to pests and disease.

John Duncan, greenhouse manager at Greengate Garden Centres, also cautions against over-feeding.

“Don’t overfertilize, especially in perennial beds,” he says, noting that perennials will be sturdier without fertilizer. If you add fertilizer that is higher in nitrogen, it tends to make plants a lot softer and they’ll need to be supported. Too much fertilizer can also lead to more bugs on plants and other problems, says Duncan. He suggests using an organic slow release fertilizer.

Gardening in pots is another way to cut workload. A container garden means you won’t have to bend over as far, and it’s much lower maintenance.

For those who prefer in-bed gardening, Duncan recommends a weed barrier, such as mulch. You can also put down mulch or newspaper between rows in a vegetable garden, to prevent weeds from flourishing.

Work in your garden in stages, and set reasonable goals for your yard each year.

Finally, take the time to enjoy your garden as well as work in it.