The slugs feasting on your vegetable patch, dahlias and sunflowers. Thistles and nettles that you thought you’d just eradicated, now peeking triumphantly above the ground once more. A beautifully undulating hayfield and flower meadow that lie flattened after a thunderstorm. Or a lawn that withers after a heatwave or is eaten by grubs (beetle larvae). Bindweed that wraps itself in a stranglehold around shrubs and perennials. Borders that are slowly becoming overrun with grass, despite the mulch and bio-fabric.

• Trees, shrubs and hedges require relatively little maintenance once they are well established. A pond in the right spot or a slow-growing hedge also requires surprisingly little work. A lawn and flower meadow require more attention, whilst flower borders and a vegetable garden demand the greatest investment of time.
• Opt for perennials wherever possible. Annuals, such as many cut flowers and vegetables, need to be sown and planted anew every year, and the soil must be properly prepared. Perennials return of their own accord every year, provided they are in the right spot.
• Opt for a wild hedge or bird copse. A wild hedge only needs light topiary pruning every three to five years. This saves a lot of work and results in more flowers, berries and nesting opportunities. If you’d still prefer a neatly trimmed hedge, choose slower-growing varieties such as privet, hornbeam or beech instead of cherry laurel or box honeysuckle, which need to be pruned several times a year.
• Plant trees with care. Bear in mind their future growth – in other words, their eventual height and width. A tree planted in the right spot will require hardly any maintenance later on.
• Borders require ongoing care. Learn to recognise weeds at an early stage and take prompt action if one species becomes too dominant. Also provide a clear edging so that grass is less likely to encroach on the border.
• Cover bare soil, otherwise it’s an open invitation to spontaneous growth. Mulching is perhaps the simplest way to drastically reduce weeding.
• Ground cover plants are also worth their weight in gold. They grow quickly and, once they fully cover the soil, weeds stand much less of a chance.
• Wildflower bulbs are an investment for the future. Many varieties self-seed, so you’ll get more flowers every spring without any extra work.
• Limit your lawn to what is strictly necessary and functional; this saves a great deal of mowing. Hay meadows and flower meadows only need to be mowed once or twice a year with a scythe or brush cutter
• Don’t mow your lawn too short, and avoid mowing during hot weather. Longer grass stays cooler, dries out less quickly and is more resistant to drought. So you can safely skip a mow.
• Think carefully before filling your patio with pots. The more pots you have, the more watering you’ll need to do. Healthy plants in the ground send their roots deep into the soil to find water for themselves.
• Work with the seasons. Autumn and early winter are the ideal times to plant perennials, shrubs and trees; this gives the roots plenty of time to establish themselves properly before the growing season begins. You can also plant perennials in spring, but if spring remains dry afterwards, you’ll need to water them regularly.