Want a beautiful yard but hate the endless maintenance? Then a low-maintenance landscape is just what you need. It is more than xeriscaping or rocks and cacti. Having planned well and picked plants carefully, you can come up with a nice yard that will practically take care of itself. Just imagine spending less time working on your yard, and more time enjoying it.

• Strategic planning and proper plant selection are vital for low-maintenance landscaping.
• Native plants and drought-tolerant plants are your best friends.
• Hardscaping and good, sensible design can make the required upkeep very low.
• Diamond Cut Landscaping can help you design and create that dream yard.

Planning Your Low-Maintenance Landscape

Before you start with the shovel, step back and look around your yard. How is it in terms of sunlight? Full sun, part sun, mostly shade? What kind of soil do you have? You can find out your USDA Hardiness Zone online to get ideas about plants that will thrive in your climate. Consider other existing features like slopes or mature trees for potential inclusions in your design.

Then set some goals for your landscape. What kind of look are you after? Modern, naturalistic, something else? How will you use the space? Family-friendly play area, tranquil retreat, or party central? Be realistic about how much time you’re willing to spend on maintenance. If the answer is “not much,” then focus on low-maintenance plants and materials.

Now, in case all this sounds a little overwhelming to you as an individual, do not be afraid to seek out professional help. Veteran landscape designers—like Diamond Cut Landscaping—can assist in creating beautiful and low-maintenance landscapes that are tailored to the needs and preferences of clients.

Low-Maintenance Landscape Plant Selection

Plant selection is the current and heart of any low-maintenance landscape. The bottom line is to select plants that do best in local weather conditions and local soil types and are also as close to ‘no maintenance’ as possible.

Native plants are really good for low-maintenance landscapes. They do grow there, so they do well in your native climate and can bear local pests and diseases with less water and fertilizer. More importantly, these plants attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, which is quite good for the environment. Add beauty with flowering natives like yarrow and lavender.

Another must for low-maintenance landscapes, especially in dry spell-prone areas of the country, is drought-tolerant plants. Succulents like sedum, and herbs such as catmint, are excellent choices to give texture and interest to your landscape without too much watering.

First, when it comes to perennial versus annual, perennials will win out for low-maintenance landscapes. They return year after year; you won’t have to replant every year. Plus, many perennials have attractive blooms, like the vibrant ‘Jenny’ stonecrop, year after year. Also, some of the evergreen shrubs add structure and color even in winter.

Loaping Design Principles

Beyond plant selection, some design principles can also greatly reduce the time and effort that you need to invest in maintaining your landscape.

These items include long-lasting landscape elements, such as patios, walkways, and retaining walls, which add beauty, functionality, and reduced maintenance in terms of mowing less grassy areas and minimizing space where weeds might grow. Natural stone, gravel, or pavers may be used to create these features because they require little or no upkeep at all.

However, proper preparation makes all the difference in garden beds. Add compost into your soil, improving drainage and fertility, and lay weed barriers to prevent unwanted plants from creeping into your beds. Heavy mulching can reduce weeds and wastage of water but also gives your bed a finished touch. Groundcovers like thyme can fill in gaps and help deter weed infiltration.

Want to cut down even further on lawn maintenance? Consider clover lawns or artificial grass. Clover is low-growing, drought-tolerant, and only irregularly needs mowing—it will also fertilize the soil naturally. Then there is artificial grass—no mowing needed here, although it occasionally does have to be rinsed and brushed off to look its best.

Low-Maintenance Landscaping Tips on Maintenance

Although low-maintenance landscapes need much less work than a conventional garden, they do require some care to look their best.

Water Wisely

Instead of frequent, shallow watering, the plants should be watered infrequently to deep soil to promote deep roots. Consider an irrigation system installation to make this process automatic and save you even more time.

Prune Strategically

This includes the occasional pruning of dead or damaged branches and maintenance of shape for most plants. Reduce the need to prune by choosing dwarfs, or naturally small-growing, varieties of plants.

Get Ready for a Little Weeding, a Lot of Fertilizing

Although a beautiful, well-designed low-maintenance landscape will significantly reduce the need to attend to such tasks, you are bound to have to pull a few weeds or perform some applications of fertilizer here and there.

Creating Focal Points and Visual Interest

An excellent landscape must be more than just a bunch of no-fuss plants. Rather, it is an interactive space for the senses and an invitation to slow down and enjoy life outside.

For example, use the “rule of odds” to look more natural. I mean, instead of planting things in pairs, put them in odd-number groups (three, five, seven, and so on). Do mass plantings to achieve greater visual impact and to set up how plants might possibly grow naturally.

Apply focal points in the landscape to draw the eye and create interest. Ornamental grasses are beautiful focal points, or have a special shrub like the smoke bush or a small tree such as the Japanese maple anchor various areas of your yard.

Consider seasonal interest. Add plants with different bloom times so your landscape is interesting during the changing of the seasons. For example, winter-blooming shrubs like witch hazel will brighten up your yard when it is cold outside.

Call Diamond Cut Landscaping for Your Landscaping Needs

Want to turn that high-maintenance yard into a low-maintenance paradise? Let Diamond Cut Landscaping be your guide. We specialize in developing beautiful, sustainable landscapes that require minimal upkeep. Our skilled designers will work with you to create a unique look that suits your taste and needs.Do not spend another weekend in the yard. Allow us to help you in designing a low-maintenance landscape of your dreams. For an appointment, contact Diamond Cut Landscaping today.