How to create a low maintenance garden for your holiday let

Gardens add an extra dimension to a holiday, offering somewhere to sit and relax in peaceful contemplation, away from the hullabaloo of day-to-day life. This does however add the dilemma of upkeep! During spring and summer when grasses and plants grow exponentially, your holiday let may well have back-to-back bookings for months and the only opportunity to garden will fall on a changeover day. Here we give our top tips on how to keep your garden looking lovely for guests whilst making it easy to maintain.

Do!

Plant borders with shrubs. Whilst some may need pruning, this will probably only be required once a year and once established minimum watering will be required. Use a membrane to suppress weeds and overlay with bark or gravel to keep weeds at bay which should work for at least for a few seasons.

Make sure you check the fully grown height and spread when purchasing plants to ensure they are located in the correct space size and check the growing conditions required as some plants and shrubs won’t grow in certain places because of soil quality/shade etc. 

Try to limit the number of different plants and try tall grasses or bamboo such as Fargesia Robusta Formidable which is hardy and ideal for pots and borders. The lesser the variety the more you will become an expert with the few that you have!

There is no such thing as a no maintenance garden, but low maintenance plants such as hardy evergreens when established will only need limited care. Take a look at ceanothus for vibrant blue hues or gardenia, perfect for gardens as it is heat and cold tolerant. Other popular shrubs include buddleia (great for bees), camellia and cornus. 

Rather than using hanging baskets for a pop of colour, plant small perennials such as lavender. These hardy plants need no maintenance and smell delightful!

Grass lawns need a lot of regular feeding, watering and mowing in spring and summer. Ideally if you have a lawn keep it rectangular size, then it is easier to mow. It is worth considering scaling back the size of your lawn for a more manageable space as hard landscaping reduces the workload. Decking is an option and paving needs minimal upkeep. Gravel can also be considered although it may need raking and keeping in place. Remember, the harder the surface the easier it is to maintain!

Avoid!

Lots of containers as these need care and watering. If you do have containers, the bigger the better as these will hold more moisture. For properties in the south of England, palms grow nicely in large pots as do olive trees without the need for constant watering.

Bedding plants or any tender plants, vegetables or seeds. It is also best to avoid any plant which needs staking and also ones which are attractive to slugs, such as hostas.

Plants which will require regular pruning.

If you are looking to provide garden furniture, go for hardwood rather than softwood as this will need more maintenance.

Avoid climbers such as ivy which will tend to grow very quickly and in turn get out of control. Try holly instead or daphne which will produce pretty pink flowers throughout spring and summer.

Our Area Managers are experts in the field of all things self-catering so if you would like advice on how to plan your holiday let garden please get in touch with our Owner Support Team on 01326 555500.