A low-maintenance yard is ideal for anyone who wants to enjoy their outdoor space but isn’t much of a gardener. Not everyone enjoys spending time mowing the lawn or pruning bushes, especially when you could be sitting on your deck with a glass of wine. When you think of low-maintenance yards, you might think that they’re probably kind of boring. But there’s plenty that you can do with your yard if you want it to be easy to care for and still look amazing. If you make the right choices, you can make your yard look great and ensure it’s useful too, without having to do a lot of work to take care of it.
Choose Paving Over a Lawn
If mowing the lawn is your least favorite chore, you don’t have to do it. Getting rid of your lawn and choosing to have paving instead can transform your yard and allow you to use it as you want. A paved yard doesn’t have to be boring, and there are lots of things that you can do with a patio or other paved areas. You can have an outdoor living space, feature potted plants, install water features, have different levels, and do lots of other things to make your paved yard a bit more interesting. You can also add both functionality and visual appeal to your outdoor area by hiring a professional like Aviara Pavers to design your space.
Use Stone Beds
As an alternative to having flower beds or a completely paved yard, you can use stone beds in your yard. Crushed stone can be used as an alternative to mulch, helping to keep weeds away so that you can still plant some plants. It’s also a great way of xeriscaping, a method of reducing the amount of water that your yard needs, which is fantastic if you live in a hot climate or you just want to save water. You don’t have to replace the stone either, making it cost-effective and eco-friendly.
Don’t Bother with Real Grass
If you do want to have a lawn, don’t default to real grass. While it might look and feel good, it also requires a lot of care. Instead of putting in real turf, you should consider getting an artificial grass company to do your lawn for you. Artificial grass doesn’t require anywhere near as much care as a real grass lawn does. It’s a good choice for families and pets, it’s hard-wearing, safe, and lasts a long time too. It’s also affordable to install and it will look good all year.
Pick Native Plants
When you’re considering low-maintenance plants for your garden, anything that’s native to the area is a good choice. Native plants usually need less care because they have adapted to survive on their own in the region. On the other hand, non-native plants might require a lot of attention to help them survive. Native plants are also more eco-friendly, and you might even be able to find some endangered plants that need help. Native plants can attract native insects too, which is good for pollination and biodiversity. You might also find plants that aren’t native but that are suitable for your climate and soil.
Make Use of Evergreens and Perennials
Keeping your garden looking good all year can be tricky. If your plants fade in the winter, you might need to swap them around to keep your garden looking green. But if you would rather not have to put a lot of work into protecting existing plants and planting new ones, choosing the right plants can help. Evergreens are good choices because they will keep your garden green all year. Perennials are a good pick too because they live longer than other plants. You won’t have to replant them so soon or even at all.
Plant a Meadow
Planting a meadow instead of a pristine lawn is a good alternative. A meadow can be filled with grasses and wildflowers, and there’s no need for you to keep it looking super smart. Of course, you will probably want to select plants that won’t get too out of control. You don’t want everything to be overgrown in just a few months. You might also have to consider this carefully if you’re within a homeowner’s association. If perfect lawns are expected, you might not be allowed to go down the route of a cottage garden.
Use Planters and Pots
Putting plants out in your yard in planters and pots is a smart way to reduce the amount of maintenance you need to do. One thing that it allows you to do is move around your plants. You can move them inside if it gets too cold or hot for them, and you can swap them around if you want a new look for your yard too. It’s easier to manage planters and pots, and easier to control their environment.
Mulch to Prevent Weeds
Weeding is a tedious task, and not one that you want to spend time doing. If you want to prevent weeds, using mulch in your plant beds is a good way to do it. The mulch will prevent weeds from growing through and ensure you have pristine beds and borders. As well as preventing weeds, mulch will break down and fertilize your plants. It does need to be topped up now and then, but it isn’t much effort to do.
Get Ready for Each Season
With the changing of the seasons, it can be clever to be prepared. When you’re designing your low-maintenance yard, think about the things that you might need to do when it gets colder or warmer. For example, picking up fallen leaves can protect your yard. If you want to avoid this job, don’t choose trees or plants that will drop lots of leaves. When spring is on its way, make sure to use mulch to get ready for the rain and prevent weeds from growing. If winter is coming, either have evergreen plants or move more delicate plants indoors.
A low-maintenance yard doesn’t have to be boring. There are lots of ways to make it low-maintenance and still ensure it looks good.