Mario Bautista
Table of Contents
{{ tocState.toggleTocShowMore ? ‘Show more’ : ‘Show less’ }}
Everything costs more these days, including landscaping, so getting the best bang for your buck is a priority. If you are upgrading your yard this year, these low-maintenance landscaping ideas will help you work and spend less as you build your backyard oasis.
1. Follow a Landscape Plan
Getty
Avoid wasting time and money on your landscaping project by starting with a plan. For best results, consider hiring a professional landscape designer to draw a landscape plan that you can either have professionally installed or install on your own. Design rates range between $50 and $150 per hour, depending on location.
2. Consider Lawn Alternatives
Getty
Think of a lawn as the rug in an outdoor room. Grass adds order, comfort and functionality to the landscape, but requires regular maintenance to look its best. Reducing lawn space is one of the fastest ways to cut back on yard maintenance. Lawn grass alternatives could include mixed shrub or perennial borders; natural areas, “no-mow” ground covers like dwarf mondo grass or clover, artificial turf, paving stones etc.
3. Opt for Native Plants
Getty
Plant selection directly impacts the time and effort it takes to keep a great looking yard. Some of the most resilient, easy to grow, beautiful plants are those that originated locally. Native plants require little, if any, extra watering; rarely succumb to harsh weather patterns, and have natural defenses against local pests. Plus, they are easily recognized by birds and pollinators as habitat, adding another dimension of interest to the landscape.
4. Choose Right-Size Trees and Shrubs
Getty
Dimensions matter. Specifically, matching the mature size of a tree or shrub to the available space above and below ground is one of the most important shopping considerations. Be sure to read plant labels or look up the average mature size of these plants before you buy. After all, pruning overgrown plants to maintain a much smaller size is not sustainable.
5. Plant More Perennials, Fewer Annuals
Getty
Annual flowers are planted for their masses of flowers that continue all season long, but they must be replanted each year. Perennial plants come back year after year but generally bloom during a shorter season than annuals. For beautiful, ever-changing views all year long, plant a wide variety of perennials throughout the landscape and use annuals for strategic pockets of color in higher traffic areas.
6. Cluster Plant for Maximum Impact
Getty
Plants naturally grow and look their best when they are cultivated in groups of like individuals. Use grouped plantings of varying size to create balance in the landscape. Repeating these groupings across the landscape adds continuity.
PRO TIP: use odd numbers (3, 5, 7, etc.) of plants per group, and odd numbers of groupings to create an appealing visual flow through the landscape.
7. Plant Living Groundcover
Getty
Dense, low-growing plants perform many of the same roles as mulch without the hassle and expense of upkeep. Groundcover plants, like pachysandra, mondo grass, purple leaf wintercreeper and others, excel when it comes to protecting slopes against erosion. Plant them to help insulate and protect the soil, minimize stormwater runoff, and suppress weed growth too. Some even tolerate moderate foot traffic.
8. Mulch Liberally
Getty
Mulch adds a finished appearance to landscape beds, and it boosts garden health in several ways. A consistent two- to four-inch layer of organic mulch insulates the soil against wide temperature changes and inhibits weed growth. Mulch also buffers the impact of rainfall, protecting the soil surface from erosion.
The organic matter slowly decomposes, building up the soil and releasing traces of nutrients that help nourish plant roots.
9. Garden in Containers
Getty
Potted plants make patios, decks and home entrances more inviting. They soften the hard edges of pavement while adding color, texture and architectural interest to any outdoor living space. Consider planting a large container with a patio tree, or smaller mixed container gardens filled with flowers and foliage. Mix and match groups of different size pots, and rearrange them seasonally for added interest.
10. Include Garden Art
Getty
Garden art includes a wide range of human-made elements and materials that may be functional or purely aesthetic. Consider adding a birdbath, sculpture, orb, arbor or another element, either as a focal point or to accentuate the beauty of plants in the background. One well-chosen and placed feature can transform the look of a yard.
11. Add a Water Feature
Getty
Like garden art, water features add a visual focal element to the garden. Unlike other types of garden art, water features also bring an audible element. The smallest trickle of a well-placed fountain is enough to distract the ear from worldly sounds like road noise. Plus, the sound of dripping, splashing or flowing water is a magnet for birds and other wildlife you may wish to invite into your backyard oasis.
12. Install Artificial Turf
Getty
If you think fake grass in a landscape is a faux pas, think again. Artificial turf is a labor-saving choice for intimate spaces that may be difficult to maintain. It looks like the real thing, “grows” on any surface, lasts up to 20 years, and never needs to be mowed, watered, fertilized or weeded. Just blow off any accumulated leaves or debris.
13. Use Stone And Concrete
Getty
Both natural stone and concrete offer timeless appeal for use in vertical and horizontal hardscaping applications. They may be costly upfront, but they last a lifetime. Patios and walkways paved with flagstone or pavers look great and reduce runoff compared to poured concrete. Stacked stone and block walls outlast the best timber walls by a wide margin.
