By If your landscape looks less than interesting and you are wanting to upgrade it but are not the most enthusiastic about getting out in the yard and spending your time amongst the bugs in the dirt this task could easily feel costly and complex.
The good news is that upgrading your landscaping does not have to be a large and expensive task. Here is a guide to landscaping for beginners to help you learn some simple and affordable ways to enhance your yard without a ton of effort.
Here are some easy tips for a low-maintenance yard that will keep it looking great with very little effort and knowledge.
Try areas of xeriscaping
Though the grass in your yard seems like the least maintenance it can still require a lot of attention. Especially when it comes to fertilizing, watering, and mowing. You can lessen the impact of these routine maintenance chores by xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is the practice of reducing the size of your lawn and replacing it with low-maintenance plants that do not require frequent watering or mowing.
Consider a rock garden
“Some people choose to do xeriscaping with a rock garden. To create a rock garden that looks intentional and well-designed you can place coarse dry sand or small pebbles over an area of the yard and then arrange visually appealing rocks in various sizes over the top. This creates visual interest with almost zero need for maintenance.” – Pro Tip by Amar Realtor, Milpitas Realtor®
Using mulch
One of the biggest pains with flower beds and other gardens is the need to weed. Bringing in a good thick layer of mulch helps to keep weeds down to a low minimum. You want to make sure that the mulch layer is adequate to ensure that it chokes out any weeds trying to peek through.
Some added benefits to using mulch are that it can supply food to plants and also helps the ground to retain moisture allowing for less need for water.
Look for better varieties of grass
Mowing a lawn is sometimes a weekly event especially if you have a large yard. The larger the yard the more time you’ll spend mowing. You can reduce the amount of mowing by choosing grass that does not grow as quickly. One grass that has a slower pace of growth is fescue grass. This grass comes in a few different varieties and is able to thrive in both sunny and shady areas.
Consider planting drought-tolerant native perennials
Annual plants are great and cost less but they only last for one season. A better choice is to invest a little more money in perennial plants that will come back every year. A smart choice in perennials is those that are native to the area and require very little watering. A great way to discover the best drought tolerant perennials for your area is to visit a locally owned nursery. Luckily there are several great locally owned nurseries in most places.
Consider a container garden
Growing plants in pots is an easier way to help them thrive. You can choose pots that nicely work with the exterior of your home in a complementing color as well. What is great about pots is they can be moved around to different areas to help the plants within them thrive. You may even find that growing some fruits and vegetables as well as herbs is pretty easy inside of a container.
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