How To Create A Beautiful, Low-maintenance Yard

It is so nice when I can have a breathtaking yard and still have plenty of time to enjoy my yard.

Lawn Time savers

This will be tips that I can do to help in reducing the amount of time I will be out in my yard taking care of it.

Making Mowing My Yard Easier

One thing I can take some of my grass out of my yard and replace with a deck, brick, patio or make a gravel pathway or driveway. This eliminates some of the grass to be mowed so this makes it low-maintenance. Take out sharp corners and curves and try to connect areas of lawn so I can mowed a lot of area at one time.

Also I place my mailboxes, boulders, and lampposts out of the way of where I will need to mow my lawn.

If I have slopes in my yard, it is better to use ground covers, so I do not have to mow the grass there.

Ground Covers

I like to design my pathways, so I want have problem with mowing. I do not put any stones or bricks in my grass, because I will be always struggling to keep them clear, I will put concrete or bricks mowing strips at the edge of my  lawn, so my mower will go over.

Plant shrubs and trees in my yard where there is no grass.


Reduce Raking and Fertilizing

I will leave my grass clippings just where they fall.

If I have a mulching mower I will use it because mulched clippings decompose in two weeks.
I will always fertilize my lawn two or three times a year with a slow-release fertilizer.

Garden Time savers

These ideas below can help me create easy-care gardens and flower beds.

Choose Easy-Care Flowers

 using one type of flower can  be better maintain than a bunch of them.

Don't use flowers that will need to be staked, like hollyhocks.

Choose plants that do not need to be prune, deadheading or  heavy feeding.

Position Plants For High Impact

If I put plants together and not all over my yard, this will require less maintenance. I will put my flowers where they can be seen, such as a walkway , in front of my house or near my deck. Another way to highlight my flowers is to put them in a raised bed.

Design For Low Maintenance

I  will make my flower beds narrow enough so I can reach across and be able to  work in them with ease.

Between my gardens and lawns  I will need to install edging strips of brick, metal, plastic or wood. This will prevent weeds and lawn grasses from going into the gardens.

Fertilize less by using slow-release  fertilizers.
To reduce weeding and watering chores I will need to spread a thick layer of organic mulch.

Tree and Shrub Time savers
I try to make good selection and careful planning of my trees and shrubs are both beautiful and low maintenance.

Choose With Care

I always asks a lot of questions on my selections of trees and shrubs to see if they would be low-maintenance.

Select Pest- and Disease- Resistant plants.
I will make sure I asked about my selection of plants being pest- and disease- resistant before I buy them.

Choose trees  with noninvasive roots that will not break your pavement or intrude onto the lawn, such as hack berry. Always  past on fast-growing and fast-spreading trees, like popular.

Choose shrubs that require little pruning or thinning such as , Japanese  barberry will not little or no pruning while a yew or boxwood will need a lot.

Plan Before Planting

Always make sure that I give my trees and shrubs enough room to grow to their mature height and width.
Group plants with similar needs such as plants that needs a lot of water in one area and plants that do not need a lot of water in another area.
Avoid trees that drop foliage or plant shade-tolerant ground covers, like periwinkle.

Summary

To have a beautiful low-maintenance yard, there needs to be a lot of planning before I can start doing anything in my yard.