^Lady's Heart of the Home
Gardening

There's No Maintenance Like Low Maintenance

In every consultation for a landscape design that I have ever done, there was one request that was universal among them - everybody wanted this feature. What would you guess this feature was? Was it a garden pond or a stream? Maybe a cutting garden? A patio or sitting area then. No? Roses or cherry trees? Afraid not. Though these are popular desires, the feature that is always asked of me is, ". . . oh, and I would like it to be low maintenance."

Who wouldn't want low maintenance? Our lives are busy enough as it is without having to go outside and trim the topiaries once a week. We all would like our landscapes to be self-maintaining as possible. Instead of whacking our garden, we'd like to relax in it. But how can one possibly achieve this gardening utopia? With the right design and some forethought, achieving this low maintenance wonder is much more possible than you could ever hope to think.

The first place to start when gearing your landscape to be low maintenance is in the design. A well thought out design not only enhances the beauty of your landscape, it can also help to remove maintenance issues at the same time. An example of this is in the use of bedlines. A smooth, curved bedline is much easier to mow around than one with a lot of sharp angles and corners. Another way to reduce maintenance is to limit the use of 'stuff' in your landscape. If you have in the middle of your lawn several trees, a gazing ball, some small flower beds, and a utility pole all scattered about, you will waste a lot of your time and effort just mowing around all these individual obstacles. Instead, incorporate all of these things into one or two larger beds. This reduces surface area to mow around and will cut a significant amount of time out of your yard work. Beginning your quest for low maintenance in the design stage will make all the difference once your landscape is complete.

Another place to design your landscape for low maintenance is in the selection of plant material. After all, what is the use of having manageable bedlines if you have a shrub that insists it must grow above and beyond your window, no matter how many times a month you whack it back with your pruners? Low maintenance in plant selection can be narrowed down to one simple rule: know your plants. Do not pick out a plant based on just your opinion that "it looked good at the garden center." Sure, it's a gorgeous, small, flowering shrub now, but two years later it could be fifteen feet tall and dropping messy seeds all over your sidewalk. If you hash out your planting plan before you shop, you will save many hours of maintenance and frustration down the road.

Now that we are entering the fall and winter seasons, now is the perfect time to work on this list, before spring comes around and you're bitten by the 'gotta-buy-plants-now' bug. Here are some plant qualities to pay attention to during your search: The ultimate size of the plant - find out how big the plant will get. If it is going to be too big for where you want it, see if some smaller varieties of the plant are available. These dwarf varieties exist for many plants. The planting zones for the plant - make sure the plant will be able to survive in your climate. You can try some plants that are marginal for your area, but you will be more likely to have to replace them later. Plants that are used in the right zone will be healthier, which translates into less care and maintenance needed from you.

The plant's track record - try to find out how long a certain plant has been in use in the landscape. Plants with a proven track record in your area are much more likely to survive in your landscape than a new, experimental plant. Of course, a plant could have too many survival skills - look at kudzu here in the South, for example. The plant's cultural requirements - if a plant is listed as requiring full sun, then most likely it is not going to survive in full shade. Try to locate plants in an area of your landscape that will naturally provide the plant's requirements without you having to do it yourself manually. By learning what each plant's needs and habits are before putting them in your landscape, you will save yourself a lot of time and heartache later on.

A last rule of thumb to follow when designing for low maintenance is to remember to design for the future. Too many of us get caught up in the need for instant gratification that we forget about tomorrow. Sure, that Bradford pear will grow into a large shade tree in no time, but it won't be long before you find half of the branch structure on top of the garage. You are better off planting a long-lived tree, such as an oak or redwood, that your children's children will play on someday. Yes, it will not be a mature shade tree soon after you plant it, but you will not have to replace it during your lifetime and it most likely will become the most cherished part of your landscape.

Creating a low maintenance landscape on your property will take a lot of preparation and planning, but it will all pay off in the end. Many people turn to landscape designers and architects to help plan their gardens for the future, which can end up having a big payoff. Investing in the right design and the right plants that is a quality landscape has been proven to be one of those few investments in your property that actually returns a profit. Designing your landscape for low maintenance will help you save your dollars, your time, and your back. So when you're thinking of a design for your landscape, think low maintenance. People ask for it by name.