There's no better place to spend a summer's evening than in your back garden. However, the hot summer weather can lead to a mess of overgrown shrubs, unruly weeds and dry patches of lawn. It's difficult to sit back and enjoy yourself when all you can think about is how much work the garden needs, but rather than heading indoors and closing the blinds, consider creating a low maintenance garden that you can actually enjoy spending time in.

One of the first steps toward creating a low maintenance garden is to eliminate large stretches of soil where weeds can easily take root. Instead, look into an all-season groundcover plant that leaves no extra room for pesky weeds. For example, English Ivy is a common (yet rather invasive) groundcover that can help add lushness to your garden while also eliminating weed growth. Other popular groundcovers include: Waldsteinia, Mint, Vinca minor and Lamium White Nancy.

If you like the idea of groundcovers, but still want to plant the occasional seasonal bulb, consider planting seasonal flower pots that are easily watered and sheltered from weeds. Planting flower pots, rather than planting blubs directly into the ground, allows you to add a splash of colour without having to re-plant your entire garden with each changing season. Plus, planting into the ground rather than into flower pots requires you to purchase a far greater number of bulbs, as you have a much larger area to cover. This can be expensive and disappointing when weeds creep in to overshadow all your hard work.

Another major area of strife for many homeowners is the lawn, which - between watering, mowing, aerating and fertilizing - requires an incredible amount of maintenance. Fortunately, this hassle can be eliminated using modern synthetic grass products. Though artificial grass may have once been considered tacky, contemporary artificial turfs are highly natural looking, with spot-on colouring and tall blades that move with the wind. To the naked-eye, it's difficult to spot artificial grass from natural grass, except for the fact that synthetic grasses always look green and lush.

Thus, enjoying your back garden may mean doing a complete overhaul of its most time-consuming elements. Covering soil patches with easy-to-maintain groundcover plants, making good use of flower pots and switching to artificial grass can help you eliminate the stress of gardening and give you more time for relaxation. Once you've created the back garden you've always wanted, treat yourself to some comfy patio furniture so you can make the outdoors your personal retreat during those warm summer months.

Fiona Roy writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.