Who doesn't want low maintenance?

​Somewhere along the line, in our opinion, low maintenance has become a crazy catch phrase that is interpreted differently by all who hear it.

Straight up – low maintenance does not mean no maintenance.

And, if we can be flippant, perhaps the term low maintenance lawn, was coined by the same guy who said there was such a thing as a low maintenance girlfriend. The guy who wants to do what he wants, when he wants, with little or no consequences.  When it comes to his lawn, he wants one that takes very little time, money or effort to look after.

Maybe, somewhere, there is a place where it is possible to have a low maintenance lawn that takes very little time, money or effort to look after that actually still looks good as well.

BUT here in Townsville, with our 20+ years of experience, our standpoint is that the responsibility of “low maintenance” should not solely rest on the shoulders of the turf variety that you pick. 

For most of the year, Townsville is a desert by the sea. The weather is harsh, hot with extremely high evaporation for about nine months. On the flip side, we can receive a metre and a half of rain in 10 days, with barely another drop until the following wet season.

We genuinely believe that you can have a good-looking, healthy and robust lawn with lower maintenance requirements if you invest your time and money wisely in:

• a well thought out garden design
• an efficient automatic irrigation system that has been properly installed with quality sprinklers and fittings that is run for the correct amount of time in accordance with the sprinkler type.  Alternatively, manual watering practices must be sufficient and habitual.
• an Australian Standards soil rich in organic matter at an adequate or generous depth (no crusher dust)
• choosing the right turf variety to suit your needs and area
• good mowing habits
• a regular fertilising schedule

For every corner you cut, this will be a step that you take further away from low maintenance (because, without doubt, you will have to spend time and money to fix it) or you will ultimately sacrifice the long-term success and appearance of your lawn.

Turf is a living plant with miracle qualities around the house. A nice lawn cools us down, improves air quality, supresses dust, reduces noise, decreases runoff and stops erosion.   However, we live in a climate that challenges even the of best gardeners. Turf needs care and attention to grow and thrive or at the very least a great foundation so that it will forgive you if neglected for a while, just like a low maintenance girlfriend.