Lazy man's garden with easy-care plants

Trees and bushes provide a good sense of space and coziness to the garden. If you want to make maintenance as simple as possible, you should focus on varieties that require no or very little pruning. Juneberry, spindle tree, and rowan are some hardy options that may be suitable.

Climbing plants that do not need to be pruned are also convenient in a low-maintenance garden. Examples of this type of climbing plants are ivy and wild grapevine. Avoid fast-growing varieties that need to be pruned annually. Climbing plants on trellises often look very tidy, and like trees and shrubs, they provide a good sense of space.

Perennials, or perennial plants, fill out the garden space. As they establish themselves, many types of perennials can thrive without much care - especially if you choose perennials that can tolerate drought and have low nutrient requirements. By covering open areas between plants, you also reduce weed growth. Epimedium and cranesbill are examples of nice ground-covering plants.Give the perennials a good start, Plant perennials that thrive in the area and hardiness zone you live in, then the chances are highest that the plants will take care of themselves. Always place the plants in the environment where they thrive best, for example, make sure that sun-loving plants have their place in the sun and shade plants in the shade. Remember to provide the plants with good soil, and remember to water during establishment.Perennials that can more or less take care of themselves, Certain perennials, including what we call grandmother's plants, are extra robust. These are good choices for those who want the plants to take care of themselves. They don't sulk if they don't get fertilizer, may need to be watered during long droughts, but overall, they stay alive without much care - in the best case for several decades. Here are some of them:Astilbe,Large and beautiful flowers. Thrives in a damp place in the shade.Honeysuckle,A fragrant climbing plant.Peony,Beautiful as few, and often survives on abandoned farms for several decades. Does not like too much sun, but also does not want it too dark.Jasmine,Are there flowers that smell better than these? Often gets plenty of white flowers in the spring.

In spring and fall, flower bulbs are practical. After you have planted the bulbs, you rarely need to do anything else. Tulips, snowdrops, crocuses, and daffodils come up and bloom happily regardless, although they too can benefit from some fertilizer now and then.

Feel free to invest in wooden decking or tiled surfaces for seating areas instead of gravel paths that need to be cleared and raked. Let nature run its course. Leaves can be left where they fall over the winter, like a protective blanket, and raked under bushes in the spring. You can also skip having a lawn that needs regular mowing, and instead opt for flower meadows - they only need to be cut once a year and are also beneficial for pollinators. And remember, a lazy garden may not always be perfect, but it is also part of its charm.

Liselotte Roll, Swedish garden inspirator, journalist and author of books about nature, gardening and animals, such as "Earth", "Grow for insects" and "Chickens as a hobby".