Choose the right plants
THE FIRST rule for creating a no-fuss garden is to select plants that will do well for you.
This means you’ll need to evaluate your yard’s growing conditions before selecting varieties you feel will do well there.
Spreading a 1- to 2-inch-deep layer of mulch over your garden is one of the best ways of making gardening a breeze. Just about any kind of mulch will stop most weeds in their tracks, and help your soil hold moisture when the weather’s hot and dry.
Mulches made from organic matter (such as cocoa hulls, shredded bark, or compost) do double duty by improving your soil as they decompose.

Water the simple way
Why bother hauling a hose and sprinkler around your garden beds and borders? Save time, energy, and cash with a water-saving soaker hose. This device is permeable, so water slowly seeps out throughout its length. Lay it in your garden and cover the hose with mulch (so you don’t lose much moisture to evaporation). Then all you have to do is turn on the water.

Keep containers watered
On hot days, container gardens may need watering daily. Don’t let your planters become a chore; use a drip-irrigation system to keep them moist. A simple drip-irrigation kit from one of the local garden centres or hardware store takes just an hour or two to install. Once it’s set up, it does your watering for you for the rest of the season.

Attack weeds while they’re still young
Prevent weeds from being a big problem by yanking them out when they’re young. The smaller the weeds are, the easier they are to pull. Plus, you keep them from reproducing. A single crabgrass plant can make 150,000 seeds in a season. Pull the crabgrass before it matures, and that’s 150,000 fewer weeds to whack in the future!

Take time to deadhead

Weeds aren’t the only plants that produce lots of seeds; some of our favourite flowers  can also fill your garden with their offspring. Stop self-seeding bloomers from getting out-of- hand by deadheading, or clipping off flowers as they fade.

Edge your beds
Stop grass from invading your plantings by installing edging between your garden beds and the lawn. You can use just about any material, from bricks to plastic, to edge with — but the most effective materials extend at least 6 inches deep so grass roots don’t find their way underneath.

Learn by making notes
Use a garden journal to save time and effort. Jot down notes every week as you garden, then refer back the next year. For example, if you noticed that your phlox started getting powdery mildew last July, try spraying it with neem oil or a fungicide this June to prevent the disease.

Grow up with raised beds
Working sticky clay, loose sand, or rocky soil becomes a breeze if you garden in raised beds. Simply fill your beds with high-quality topsoil and compost, and you have perfect soil. Raised beds drain better than regular garden soil — so you can plant sooner after rain.
Build your beds small enough, so you can reach them from both sides. That way, you never have to walk on and compact the soil. Or get muddy feet.

Make and use compost
Seasoned gardeners know the value of compost. It pushes apart sticky clay particles so soil breathes better and water drains faster. Adding compost also helps sandy soils stay moist longer, and retain more nutrients for plants. That’s not all: Composting saves you money. The more you compost, the less you have to throw in the trash.

Use the right tools
Gardening is easy, especially when you use the right tool for the job. Pick tools that are the right size for you, and fit comfortably in your hands. And keep the blades on your shovels, pruners, etc., sharp by having them sharpened at your local hardware store (or sharpen them yourself with a file) once a year.

Keep it simple
It might sound obvious, but when you’re planning your garden, keep it as simple as you think you have the time and energy to maintain. It’s easy to go overboard, and buy more plants than you can easily take care of. Instead, start simple. After all, you can always add more as you go!