There is nothing like either a home or an away SGAP garden visit to give fresh insight, inspire new dreams. People often talk of garden maintenance as though it were quite separate from design, but it really is a process of ongoing design. If there are several hundred species of plants in the garden the number of possible variations within the initial design concept is endless. The implementation of these decisions comes under the general headings of garden maintenance or management. Management probably suggests overall strategy and major changes, such as the removal of a large shrub or tree, or a lawn, and re-planting.
Maintenance is more the tactics, such as weeding, pruning and propagating.
Each is obviously related to design. I think some growers of Australian plants have, in the past, thought it was disrespectful to their plants to clip, prune, lop or divide them. In this regard I was interested to read a paper presented recently at a 'Greening Australia' Seminar by Mark Coffey, Manager for their Urban Program in Victoria. The following is an extract from Mark Coffey's paper. Occasionally it is stated that indigenous plants require no maintenance.