12 Low Maintenance Garden Landscaping Ideas

Home exterior is so often neglected as most homeowners stay focused on creating a truly perfect interior design that looks exactly as envisioned. This is not a great idea since the exterior of a home is what people see when they walk buy or visit. Also, when the weather is worm, why not spend some time in a truly inviting outdoor area that is filled with greenery?

Obviously, landscaping is not something that is natural for most people. The common choice is to hire a professional but when budget is low, you want to do most things alone. Fortunately, there are numerous garden landscaping ideas that you can consider, including some that are low maintenance. This is what we will focus on since you want to keep stress to a minimum and just make some great landscaping changes that you do not need to worry much about.

Always Think About The Future

One of the really interesting things to do is to create outdoor living spaces. This is because landscaping instantly becomes low-maintenance as there are fewer areas with grass that you have to take care of. Think about where you can add a nice stone patio, a grill area or a fire pit. You can even consider a deck since it is naturally low-maintenance.

Be Careful When Choosing Outdoor Stone

One of the best options available is bluestone, even if it is pricey. It has a denser composition that automatically increases durability. Do not be put down by the name since there are numerous colors that are available, like orange, gray, brown and, of course, blue. This stone is natural and feels great to the touch even when going barefoot, which is something many enjoy during summers. If the option is too expensive, crushed stone options like white stone and pea stone can be taken into account.

Create A Strong Foundation For Stone

One of the easiest ways to avoid many potential fix-ups in the future is to create a really solid base for the stone surfaces you have outdoor. For instance, when creating a stone patio, a compacted pea stones layer of around 8 inches should be put down first. This keeps patio level solid and prevents the appearance of weeds. When a good base is in place, you can expect low-maintenance for over 10 days. This is because you avoid pulling up stones, re-leveling stones and weeding.

Seriously Consider Mulch

Instead of just using grass, around outdoor living spaces you should consider mulch. This is a really good investment since mulch will fertilize plants as it breaks down and weeds are prevented. Mulch does not need to be watered or mowed, all while being quite cheap. The only thing that you really need to do is to replace mulch during spring. As an alternative to mulch, use crushed stones in your beds. It never needs to be replaced.

Plant Some Lavender

Lavender should be planted to get some color and a truly relaxing aroma outdoor. It keeps coming back every year and you just need to water it around 2 times per week, if living in a climate that has regular rain. Lavender can be planted close to your patio for the extra advantage of repelling bugs.

Plant Perennial Plants

One of the easiest ways to reduce outdoor maintenance needs is to use perennial plants. They are bought once and then keep coming back every year. As an example, hens-and-chicks stand out as they are tough and can grow even in challenging and rocky spaces.

Strategically Choose Flowers

You can always add some color to the yard without having to worry too much about maintenance if you strategically choose what flowers to plant. A great way to do this is to have some plants that will flower for the entire season. As there is a flower that blooms in your yard, you do feel great. As an example, during summer, Black-eyed Susans are quite great as they do bloom for the entire season, with Montauk daisies being the same for autumn.

Climate-Specific Grass

When you want to have grass in outdoor living spaces, think about those grasses that are naturally growing where you live. This is because planting grass that is well-accustomed to the climate automatically reduces maintenance. It is not at all difficult to find out what the best grass is for your area. This allows you to easily save money on fertilizing and water.

Use Potted Plants

Pots can so easily be incorporated into garden landscaping, making the entire yard low-maintenance, all while versatility is increased. Pots are great for people that are interested in adding some color in some parts of the year. They can easily be moved around whenever desired. Coordinate flowers based on seasons to get even more color. Pinks and whites can be present during summer and spring, with reds and yellows being wonderful for autumn.

Grow Some Native Plants

This is similar to the idea of growing region-specific grass. Native plants are wonderful for lower upkeep. When you pick some native plants that grow really well in a specific area or zone, pruning and water prices are automatically lowered.

Consider Turf When Appropriate

Most people prefer having real grass, not artificial grass. However, if you have pets or kids, turf should be seriously considered. Artificial grass play areas are wonderful since pets and kids can simply create havoc without running the landscaping. Also, turf requires zero upkeep.

Collect Rainwater

Last but not least, you can always collect water with the use of rain barrels that are available online and at many gardening stores. This allows you to so easily water plants in a completely environmentally-friendly and easy way. Rain barrels can be attached to downspouts so this allows you to collect even more water as it comes from the roof.