But the pleasures of a beautiful well-kept garden come at a price – labour and time maintaining neat and tidy surroundings all spring, summer and autumn. Not everyone wants the regular and continual work associated with gardening. Many people do not have the time, the inclination or even the fitness to be out working a garden on a regular basis in all weathers.

However, with planning and a choice of certain types of plants there is scope to reap some benefits a pleasing outdoor space can provide.
The main aim is low maintenance. Part of the area available can be a patio or decking area, a manageable-size lawn or laid out with decorative gravel upon a membrane to prevent weeds spoiling the effect.

A well-kept lawn need not be a chore. Provided it is cut on a regular basis – and there are plenty of electric and petrol-driven machines to do the job with little effort – there should not be a problem.
At the height of the season it is far easier and quicker to cut the grass weekly when it is only a couple of inches long. Leave it for two or three weeks before tackling it and, of course, it becomes a chore.

Having a patio or decking area, colour can be provided quite easily by plants in containers. This is gardening at its very easiest – no digging and virtually no weeding – the work involved being watering, feeding and dead-heading which can be accomplished with little effort.
Once planted, shrubs and herbaceous perennials can last for years. The latter die down in winter and all they need is cutting down to ground level – now that's low maintenance.

Shrubs are good value for money. By choosing those that are really hardy, most will soon grow to large ornamental specimens. Some types benefit from annual pruning but not essential.

Rockery plantings also reduce the amount of work required to get colour in the garden. These plants are low growing, meaning they are unaffected by high winds and, through time, their habit of spreading over the ground smothers weeds in the process.