Low Maintenance Garden Ideas for Scotland

Principles of Low Maintenance

Three rules: (1) less lawn, (2) more hardscape, (3) shrubs over annuals.

Replace Lawn with Hardscape or Artificial Grass

The single biggest time saver. A weekly mow becomes a monthly sweep.

Shrub-Heavy Planting

Evergreen shrubs that need pruning once a year: viburnum, photinia, choisya, hebe, box, yew. Add ornamental grasses for movement.

Mulch Heavily

75mm of bark mulch on every border suppresses weeds, retains moisture and feeds the soil. Top up annually.

Automated Irrigation

A drip-line through borders takes one weekend to install and removes summer watering entirely.

The Result

A garden that looks great, costs little to maintain, and gives you time to actually use it.