Choose different plants for your garden
Choose plants that suit the conditions in your garden, rather than trying to alter conditions to suit them.
Gradually remove any unsuitable plants, which could perhaps be exchanged with a friend for a more suitable specimen.
Replace annuals with perennials. In particular, put low maintenance perennials at the back of borders.
Choose drought-tolerant plants that enjoy drier conditions and require less watering.
Choose ground cover plants to reduce the need for weeding.
Replace fast growing hedge species which require regular clipping (e.g. Lawson cypress) with slower growing species such as beech and hornbeam or replace hedges with fences.
Replace climbers that require support and tying in with self clinging climbers or grow climbers through shrubs for support.
Change from formal bedding schemes of bulbs to naturalising bulbs in grass or growing between shrubs.
Choose shrub and ground cover roses rather than hybrid tea and floribunda roses which require regular pruning.
Choose low maintenance shrubs which require little or no pruning and select shrubs less prone to pests and disease.