10 Ways to Plan a Low Maintenance Landscape

Work smarter, not harder — that’s the age old adage when it comes to maintaining a landscape that looks great without constant upkeep.  

The trick to designing a low-maintenance landscape is to think strategically about your approach to gardening, and adapt accordingly. Spend less time fussing over your space, and more time enjoying it with a few key tips: 

1. Choose perennial flowers over seasonal. You won’t have to replant and you know just what you’re getting everytime. Standout perennial flowers include lavender, sage, and roses. 
2. Go wild. Let parts of your landscape revert back to their natural cycles, rather than altering their way of being. Whether this looks like the return of native flowers or dead leaves turning into mulch, letting a garden just...be is the most low-maintenance approach there is. 
3. Let the native plants have their time. Often gardens need maintenance because they’re not adapted to the climate or seasons. Planting native plants leads to less care and oversight because they’re where they belong. 
4. Expand your living room and reduce planting space. A beautifully designed outdoor space, sans lawn or too much foliage cut down on time needed to care for a landscape. Think: patios, decks, terraces. 
5. Ditch the grass. Grass is one of the most time-intensive parts of a backyard. Rather than constantly mowing it, fill empty spaces with stones or mulch. 
6. Play with the idea of synthetic turf. It’s easy on the eyes and never needs to be watered or cared for. It’s also dog and kid-proof. 
7. Hello potted plants! Placing potted plants in a landscape allows for versatility and movement, while incorporating a bit of green. 
8. The easiest way to keep a clean yard? Make sure you’re not letting fallen leaves stay and rot the grass. 
9. If you’re in love with intricate landscapes that require constant hydration, the answer is to automate watering through irrigation systems. Win-win. 
10. Plant wildflower gardens for a seasonal ‘wow’ that looks great left alone. Planting them in a space arranged with a border, like stones, allows for a stunning look.

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