Hassle Free Landscaping Ideas for Busy Homeowners
Want an attractive outdoor space but don’t have time to do a lot of yard work? Some thoughtful planning and good design can help you achieve beautiful, low-maintenance front yard.
This blog teaches you how to choose the most appropriate plants, hard-scaping materials and care techniques. Make the correct selections and your outside space will manage itself and look nice with very little work from you.
Apply Hardscaping for Less Ground Maintenance
Reducing the size of the lawn is one simple approach to creating a low-maintenance outdoor living area. You can replace sections of your lawn with natural stone patios, gravel paths or raised garden beds.
This alteration will reduce how often you must mow and water. Examples of hardscaping include those features and add structure and beauty. It can also create special areas for entertaining or relaxing.
Choose Drought-Tolerant Perennials
Drought-resistant perennials make for an excellent selection for busy homeowners. They are gorgeous and simple to add some colour and texture into gardens. These tough plants need little water and stay looking good. Flowering plants include lavender and coneflower; plants that have rich leaves include yarrow and sedum. Using drought-tolerant perennials helps to create year-round interest.
Use Native Plants to Make It Easier
If you want a way to create an enviably beautiful outside space with little effort, consider using native plants to create your garden! They do well with your climate and soil. That means they require less care, water and fertilizer than plants native to other places.
These plants are tailored to cope with the pests and diseases that are prevalent in your area, making them hardier and less prone to problems. Because planting various native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses makes a healthy environment. This is good for our local pollinators and reduces the need for chemicals like pesticides or herbicides.
Consider Artificial Turf for Evergreen Lawns
Preserving a nice lawn can be time-consuming. If you’re fed up with mowing, watering and fertilizing, artificial grass is the perfect option. It requires less work and always looks in good shape. The artificial turf of today is more realistic and durable than ever.
It’s ideal for busy spaces, or anyone looking to trim the lawn care work. Although you’ll have to spend some money in advance, artificial grass means no mowing, no watering, no fertilizing and no pest control. Doing so can save you time and money in the long run.
Plus, you’ll have a green lawn, year-round. No need to worry about brown spots or weeds or muddy areas.
Opt for Evergreens to Keep Space Colorful All Year Round
Mixing evergreen trees and shrubs into your landscape is an excellent way to achieve color and texture year-round. Evergreens are green in winter; deciduous plants shed leaves in fall. Unlike most plants, different types of evergreens – pines, spruces, boxwoods and hollies to name a few – can easily adapt to fit any garden style.
Simplify Edges with Monkey Grass
Changing the garden bed or walkway edges to clean and clear lines can instantly improve the look of your landscape. But mowing the edges or using a weed trimmer to keep them in order can be a lot of work. This is where things like monkey grass (Liriope muscari) come in handy.
Monkey grass requires very little maintenance, and makes an attractive natural edging alternative.
Less Choice, Less Maintenance
It is tempting to create a garden that is diverse in many plant species. But fewer kinds of plants can simplify gardening. Your garden looks good and is easier to maintain when you plant lots of one kind.
Use Hardy Succulents in Sunny Areas
Succulents are characterized by their unique shapes and drought-resistant properties. They’re a fine choice for low-maintenance gardens, particularly in regions with full sun. These plants store water in their leaves, stems and roots. That makes them good at surviving on little water.
From the pretty rosettes of echeveria succulents to the delicate strands of string of pearls, succulents can be used to add different textures and styles to your outdoor space. They can be planted in sunny areas in well-draining soil. Good spots are rockeries, container gardens or next to walkways. You can grow more beautiful versions of these premium, drought tolerant plants without the need for much water or even much care.
Choose Self-Sustaining Roses
Roses are well known for their visage and fragrance. But they’re also known for requiring a great deal of care. To rectify this, breeders developed roses that require far less attention.
Use Plants That Adapt to Your Climate Zone
Choosing plants that match your USDA hardiness zone is a key part of easy-care landscaping. Each of the zones represent the average cold temperatures range on the winter. Choosing plants that can survive these frigid temperatures is critical. This selection aids their survival and well-being throughout their lifespan.
If you plant types not adapted to your local climate, they may not thrive. They may also be more susceptible to pests and diseases. This can result in the unfortunate demise of plants. Know Your Hardiness Zone Before You Go to the Nursery Find out what plants work best in those conditions.
Strategies for Maintaining a Garden with Minimal Effort
Maintaining a good outdoor space shouldn’t be hard but it definitely can. Following some simple yard maintenance tips can help keep your garden looking beautiful while also allowing you plenty of time to do everything else.
Create Low-Care Gravel Paths
Gravel paths make for a beautiful and functional addition to your garden and require less maintenance. These paths are also suited to various garden styles and require less effort than paved walkways.
Step one, lay down a weed barrier fabric. Then, put down a layer of gravel to help prevent weeds from growing. Gravel paths require minimal maintenance once they’re established.
Stop Mowing with Ground Covers
Use ground covers to transform your lawn from the hard work into an area that is easy to maintain. These low-growing plants are excellent alternatives to conventional lawns. They form a green carpet that requires far less mowing, watering and fertilizing.
There are numerous ground covers that thrive in varying light and soil conditions. There are details for sunny areas, shady locations, and everything else in between.
Automate Irrigation for Consistent Watering
Tending a garden requires consistent watering, but dragging hoses can be time-consuming. You might consider an automatic irrigation system. It can save you time and ensure the plants get the water they require.
So a good sprinkler system is going to cover a wide area. Soaker hoses work well for garden beds or particular plants. You will probably also want to add a timer. A timer can even help you be sure you’re watering your plants in accordance to what they need and the weather!
With this setup your garden will get just the right amount of water even if you are not at home.
Choose Shade Trees That Need Less Pruning
There are ‘shade trees’ which beautify your outdoor space. They cast cool shade and help calm the mood. However, some trees require extensive trimming to stay in shape. To minimize this maintenance, select shade trees that require little upkeep.
Pyramidal or columnar trees require less pruning than spreading or globe trees. Look for trees that will resist disease and pests, too. That way, you won’t need to prune as much to address issues.
There are shade trees, after all, that offer their benefits without requiring much routine care.
Use Lawn Clippings as Mulch to Feed the Soil
When you mow, don’t throw away your lawn clippings, they make a great organic mulch for use in the garden. Instead of bagging up the grass clippings, spread a thin layer on your garden beds.
As they break down, the clippings return valuable nutrients to the soil. It further improves the soil’s structure and holds moisture. This simple trick minimizes the use of chemical fertilizers and decreases water loss. This will save you time and money, and also make your garden healthier. Then, be sure to perform a soil test first to determine if it’s suitable for your garden.
If you’ve got pine trees in your yard, pine straw is a good-looking mulch that provides similar benefits.
Final Thoughts
A low-maintenance landscape can be beautiful. With the right selections, you can get a fabulous yard with very little maintenance.
Use hardscaping, use native plants, and keep your edges simple for easy care. Incorporate drought-resistant perennials, and artificial turf, and hardy succulents to keep it colorful yet low-maintenance. Using these concepts will help you enjoy your outdoor area without a high manager competition. Help other busy homeowners get a better landscape with these simple tips.
