With a few low maintenance landscaping ideas, your home can look beautiful and inspire the right first impression for anyone who visits. From the front of the house to that small backyard, with a few steps, it’s possible to create a space you will love.
Hooray for Hardscape
Hardscape features throughout the yard add visual dimension and character to the space. Once installed, these are true low maintenance landscaping ideas because the annual maintenance is so minimal. For instance, solid concrete hardscape requires no weeding or mowing. Consider retaining walls, brick edging around flower beds, paver patios, or flagstone paths.
Plant Perennials
If the thought of digging to plant annuals every year is too much, plant perennials. These are plants that come back year after year. Place them in the front yard where they can add vibrant color and beauty to the space without much work.
When choosing perennials, look for natural shapes that are appealing. A heavily pruned boxwood hedge will require frequent trimming. Instead, look for shrubs and flowering plants that are the right size for the space and that have an attractive form naturally. These will be simple to maintain.
Make It Automatic
The investment in a proper irrigation system and drainage system for your home allows for the proper removal and application of water. Irrigation systems can keep plants and gardens watered without having to do the work yourself. Use timers for light features, so your yard always looks fantastic.
Be a Natural
Instead of having your backyard look impeccable with numerous flowerbeds, consider being more natural. Take a look at nearby wild spaces to see which native plants work well in your area. These grow without human intervention. As a result, this is one of the easiest low maintenance landscaping ideas to add to your home.
Reconsider the Lawn for the Front Yard
Keep the backyard lawn in place for the kids and pets, but you can cut your lawn maintenance in half by using other, lower maintenance alternatives in the front yard. Go with perennials, shrubs, trees, and even rockscapes. These require much less work than cutting the grass each week.
Keep the Grass, But Make It Ornamental
If a yard with rocks and gravel does not sound good to you, keep the grass, but make the switch from sod to ornamental. Ornamental grasses don’t require weekly maintenance the way lawns do. Additionally, they add a lot of beauty and texture to the space.
Choose Trees Carefully
Purchasing the right type of tree to place in the front of the house or backyard is essential. It’s amazing how much trouble a problem tree or poorly placed tree can cause.
Some trees produce lots of pollen, nuisance fruit, or seed pods. Trees planted in the wrong climate or location will always look unhealthy. Furthermore, planting a tree that grows too large will lead to an expensive removal if it starts to threaten structures later.
Weed Barrier Is Your Friend
Weeds are probably the worst part of planting a garden or managing flowerbeds. Using a weed barrier reduces that work.
When starting a project, lay the weed barrier down. Then, add your mulch and gravel over the sheet. Doing this around existing plants is possible but may require scraping back groundcovers like mulch and gravel. Weed barrier saves significant amounts of time and work later. It’s one of the low maintenance landscaping ideas that applies to any yard.
Get Tough with Ground Cover
Select the right types of ground cover. Look for tough, perennial ground covers that are attractive in color, texture, and overall look. These typically don’t require much work after they have been planted. To ensure the best results, match the soil quality and sun exposure with the plants’ needs.
Take the Garden to Go
Instead of a typical garden in the ground, consider container planting. These are widely available in commercial shopping centers or nurseries. Many come already flowering, making it easy to add a touch of color and life to your space without having to do any additional work.
Plant Strategically
Don’t use numerous small plants. A better option is to be intentional with fewer, larger, or more impactful plants. Consider the size, texture, color, and the overall shape of the plants being installed so they complement each other.
For more advice on choosing color in the landscape, check out the University of Georgia Extension’s helpful guide here.
On Rocky Ground
Use Xeriscaping and rockscape design to help create a very low maintenance landscape. Rocks, boulders, and gravel can create visually satisfying spaces. Once in place, they require very little work to keep them looking fantastic.
Dry creek beds are commonly used in these landscapes. They can be used to create a beautiful focal point and can double as an irrigation channel for extra rainfall.
Read the Label
When a property owner tucks a sun-loving plant under a shade tree, things get difficult. Mismatched plantings like this happen all of the time.
Rip out and replace problems like this. Know what the plant needs to thrive by reading the label. Look at the garden zone, light needs, and temperature hardiness. Also, consider drought and moisture tolerance and the size of the plant at maturity.
Have an Idea of Your Own?
Atlanta Turf & Tree is happy to assist, and our landscaping services experts are standing by. We are a Georgia-based company specializing in lawn care and landscaping tailored to the unique opportunities and challenges of the greater Atlanta area. We have over 35 years of combined experience in the industry, and we combine that expertise with a deep appreciation for landscaping as art.
