Initially, you’ll need to water the garden frequently to help the plants along. But eventually, Glas says, if you’re using plants “that want to send their roots deep down and find the moisture within the soil, you shouldn’t have to water at all.”
You also don’t need to mulch, or use harsh fertilizers or soil amendments. A leaf blower is helpful to get rid of dust and foliage that lands on the gravel, and to help ensure weed seeds don’t germinate, but you could also use your hands. After winter, there is some cleanup to be done, cutting back herbaceous plants and removing leaf litter, but otherwise, you should be home-free. That’s because the gravel does the work, Epping says. As the garden grows over time, you can barely see the gravel under all the vibrant plant life.
This low-lift maintenance is exactly what drew Egbert to gravel gardening. “I’m not constantly coming home and thinking, ‘oh gosh, I’ve got to trim the hedges, mow the lawn, spray the lawn,’” he says. “It’s not a burden anymore. It’s just a pleasure.”
