Mixing ornamentals and vegetables throughout the garden instead of dividing it into separate sections means you'll save time and take advantage of the benefits of companion planting—growing different plants closely that benefit each other. Examples: Garlic planted near roses helps keep the aphid population in check. Radishes alongside spinach will keep the leaf miners away. Tall flowers provide shade for lettuce.
And instead of planting in straight lines, stagger your plants in a slight zigzag pattern. They'll actually absorb sunshine and water more evenly if they're out of each other's way, says Mary Moss-Sprague, Master Gardener and author of Stand Up and Garden: The no-digging, no-tilling, no-stooping approach to growing vegetables and herbs.
Create microclimates in your garden by grouping plants together by shade, sun, water, and fertilizer needs. You'll use less water and be able to maintain all the plants in one section at the same time rather than running to the four corners of your garden.
Any native plant will grow better and with less fuss than a nonnative; they're acclimated to where you live and usually need less care. Your local nursery or state extension service can provide a list of plants native to your area.
Case in point: annuals versus perennials. Annuals may seem the obvious choice—you buy them at the beginning of the season and throw them out when it's over. But because annuals aren't native plants, they tend to need more water and fertilizer, which means more work for you. Perennials, on the other hand, will do better and need less maintenance, and you don't have to replant every season. Examples of easy-going perennials are bear's breeches, hostas, and red-hot pokers.
You'll definitely cut down your garden workload by replacing your lawn with a no-maintenance ground cover, such as white clover, Moss-Sprague says. It will take a beating and is a good choice if you need an area where kids and animals can run around. Scotch moss, Corsican mint, mondo grass and blue star creeper can all be walked on without a problem as well. Ornamental grasses are another good choice. Try pachysandra, which grows well in shaded areas.
But if you're dedicated to your grass, don't cut it too short when you mow. Longer grass allows the roots to absorb more nutrients, which means healthier grass that needs to be cut less often.
Choose veggies that you can seed directly into the ground or into containers, such as peas, beans, radishes, carrots, lettuce, and Swiss chard. All are great growers that require minimal maintenance. Tomatoes, on the other hand, are picky when they're young. You're better off buying starters from a reliable supplier instead of seeding your own. Buy indeterminate varieties—they keep fruiting for as long as they want, whereas determinate varieties put out a fixed number and then call it quits.
Some plants, such as asparagus and rhubarb, and some herbs, such as mint, oregano, and parsley, just keep growing year after year. Look for varieties that will overwinter so you don't have to replant each season. "There are a lot of new breeds coming out that are hardier, bred for cold winters," Moss-Sprague says.
Not-so-easy choices: roses, grapes, cane berries, raspberries, and blackberries, which all require pruning to fruit well the following season.
Plant up to keep your garden workload down. Wall and container gardens are a great option—they minimize weeds, moisture problems, bugs, plant disease, and kneeling and bending for you. Almost anything can be grown in a container, as long as it's deep enough for a plant's root system and has good drainage. With veggies such as beans and peas, plant bush varieties so you don't need to set up a trellis. If you do have climbers, plant them beside a fence (or place their container by a fence) and let the plants climb up. You can buy plant support netting to hang over the fence as well.
Dwarf shrubs are easier to maintain because they won't get tall enough to make pruning and maintenance difficult (although some can reach up to 6 feet, they take a very long time to grow to that height). There are many types to choose from, including hollies, boxwoods, rhododendrons, and aspidistra, with more new dwarf varieties being released each season. Euonymus is a good choice. "It adds a lot of pizzazz in the garden but doesn't require a lot of shaping and trimming to keep it under control," Moss-Sprague says.
Mulching will keep maintenance to a minimum. It keeps plants from drying out and weeds from invading. You can use straw, leaves, garden trimmings (without seed heads), wood shavings, grass clippings, shredded cardboard and newspaper, and pine needles. "Keep your garden trimmings for mulch," Moss-Sprague says. "It's best to combine two or three of those things together." Use slow-release fertilizer—it will feed plants for a couple of weeks.
Always water early in the morning or post-sunset, giving plants overnight to absorb the water. Micro-drip irrigation is the most efficient—water is released slowly and directly at the roots, and can cut back water use by about 60 percent—plus, you can set it on a timer. Finally, use a calendar to keep track of what you need to do when, thereby avoiding doubling your efforts.