Low Maintenance Gardening

Low Maintenance Gardening

January 14, 2006

There can be many reasons why one would choose low maintenance gardening. A couple of the factors include the work needed to maintain your garden, and your available space. I had an available spot next to my outside patio which was perfect for a small garden. It measures around 6' X 6'. The area had not been used or utilized for anything. Before I did any planting, I had to prepare the soil. There were a few stones, weeds, and deep roots to remove. I then went to the local nursery and bought a few bags of compost. Breaking up the soil and adding the compost would ensure an environment which would provide drainage and enrichment for my new plants.

I love fresh tomatoes! I decided to have six types of varieties in my low maintenance gardening plan. This was around five years ago, so I don't remember exactly what varieties I chose. Every year since, I just randomly pick different varieties to grow. At the same time, I wanted to keep down the potential weeds that would surface and add some color to my garden. I placed some purple and white alyssum randomly around the plants. This worked well and I have stuck with that plan ever since. I did save a small spot in the corner for some green onions and herbs. Otherwise, the space that was being used for nothing before, has given me an ample supply of tomatoes and color every year since.