Low maintenance garden on a thin plot

• Thin plot garden design
• Low maintenance garden on a thin plot
• Secluded garden on a thin plot
• Family garden on a thin plot

This simple design breaks up a long garden with short pathways, each one leading to a shapely plant, such as a standard box or New Zealand flax, or a curvaceous pot. The pergolas -- two wide ones and a smaller one -- give the impression of width, help provide the garden with privacy and shade, and screen the secluded seating area at the end of the plot. Will it take much looking after? This design is ideal for anyone too busy to garden regularly. The all-paved approach means there's no grass to cut, and the borders, planted with a variety of low-maintenance shrubs, such as Hebe and Euonymus, will need only an occasional trim. How can I cut costs? It's important to choose good-quality, attractive paving, so if that's too expensive, replace with gravel or decking. Buy younger -- and cheaper -- shrubs as they'll fill out in a couple of years. Pruned box works well as a focal point at the end of a path.

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