Low-Maintenance Garden Care

All lawns and gardens require hard work, but there are things to keep in mind that will provide beautiful landscapes with less physical labor.

First of all, sketch your plans on paper for the area you want to landscape and the part designed for the lawn.

This method is time consuming at first; but with good planning, you can create a low-maintenance garden.

1. Buy a good gardening book. Study the different types of flowers, plants, and shrubs.

2. Be sure there is good soil in the flower beds. It is worth the investment.

3. Group together plants that need a lot of water and group those that can tolerate dry conditions. This makes watering easier.

4. Use perennials when possible. Annuals must be planted every season. Perennials will come up year after year.

5. If you plant bulbs, use those that do not have to be dug up at the end of the growing season.

6. Use ground cover grasses and ornamental grasses to cover large areas.

7. Use border pavers or brick that can be placed flat on the ground so that it does not interfere with mowing and requires very little trimming.

8. Design your flower beds with rounded corners rather than sharp corners.

9. Use a one-step watering system. If an in-ground irrigation system is not affordable, soaker hoses will take care of watering.

10. Mulch helps keep weeds down and also helps retain moisture.

11. Pull weeds when they first appear; it is easier when they are young.

12. Set aside 30 minutes a day to enjoy gardening rather than spending hours once a week.

13. For difficult areas, consider a bench, or small table for a sitting area. This adds interest to your landscaping.

14. For additional color use potted plants that can be moved around as needed or desired. This adds variety and color to your landscaping.