At first, you will need to water the garden frequently to help the plants. But ultimately, Glas says, if you’re using plants “that want to sink their roots deep and find moisture in 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 useful for removing dust and foliage that lands on the gravel and ensuring weed seeds don’t germinate, but you can also use your hands. After winter there is some cleaning up to do, cutting back herbaceous plants and removing dead leaves, but otherwise you should be free of your home. That’s because the gravel does the job, Epping says. As the garden grows over time, you can barely see the gravel beneath all the vibrant plant life.
This low-lift maintenance is exactly what attracted Egbert to gravel gardening. “I don’t constantly come home thinking, ‘oh my God, I have to trim the hedges, mow the lawn, spray the lawn,’” he says. “It’s no longer a burden. It’s just a pleasure.