Royal Creations Blog

Everyone Wants a Low Maintenance Landscape

“You have such a nice landscape.  I always enjoy coming to your outdoor parties to see all the beautiful plants and flowers.  I bet it takes you a lot of work, doesn’t it?”  Who doesn’t want this kind of compliment?  You don’t have to tell them how low maintenance your landscape is.  Let it be your secret. 

There are three keys to keeping your landscape looking nice without spending hours every week slaving in the garden.  When we discuss low-maintenance landscapes, we are talking about the ornamental garden beds where your shrubs, perennials, and ornamental trees are located around the house and property.  These keys are 1) hardy, healthy plants 2) weed control, and 3) pruning.  Each contributes to designing a low-maintenance landscape. 

Hardy, Healthy Plants 

Start your landscape off right by choosing hardy, healthy plants to put into it.  These plants will survive with low inputs of water and fertilizer and resist pests and diseases.  The best way to find the hardiest plants is to use native and adapted ones.  Native plants are already adapted to the amount of rainfall the area gets, the pests and diseases in the area, and the temperature extremes the area goes through.  Adapted plants are not native but have needs like native plants and so don’t require a lot of care.  Of course, you will need to water your plants 2-3 times a week the first year of the plant’s life, but by the second or third year, you will only need to water during summer months or times of drought.  Experienced landscapers and gardeners will know what plants work best in the environment and what plants to avoid. 

As for the healthy part, you will need to carefully inspect any plant you are considering putting in your landscape.  Make sure the plant looks healthy, is not wilted, has no yellow or discolored leaves, and shows no signs of pests on it.  If you see any of these red flags, don’t buy that plant at that nursery.  It is similar to choosing produce at the market.  By starting with the best stock you will have better chances of a hardy plant in the future. 

Weed Control 

In addition to looking bad, weeds take nutrients, water, and sun from your landscape plants.  If weeds are not controlled, they will choke out the more desirable plants.  The easiest way to control the weeds is to use a mulch in combination with a granular pre-emergent.  These mulches come in natural or dyed colors to match your décor.  If the pre-emergent does not stop the weeds from growing, the two to three-inch layer of mulch will starve the weed plant before it reaches the sun. 

While mulch needs an inch or two added to the existing mulch each year to refresh it, river rock does not.  When using rock as a mulch we recommend laying a weed barrier fabric on the ground and then putting the river rock on that.  This keeps the weeds from growing between the rocks.  While river rock doesn’t need to be refreshed, it does need to have all leaves and grass clippings blown off it regularly.  Otherwise, these decay and form pockets of organic matter a weed seed can grow in.  

Pruning 

Shrubs and ornamental trees need regular pruning to look their best.  The first year, the trees and shrubs will need very little pruning when they are planted.  After that, they should be pruned two to three times a year to stimulate growth, make sure they are growing into pleasing shapes, and remove dead, diseased, and broken branches.  2 to 3 times a year to manage the beauty of your landscape plantings is a small amount of time compared to the effort we put into our lawns every week and every month mowing, fertilizing and watering.  

Perennials will need to be cut back when the foliage dies for the season.  They can also be deadheaded to stimulate more blossoms during the growing season if you want the most of these plants.  Ornamental grasses will also need to be pruned once a season to stimulate new growth.  We recommend doing so as the growing season is just starting in the spring since the grass adds interest during the winter season.

No Maintenance Landscapes 

There is no such thing as a no-maintenance landscape.  Even low-maintenance gardens need some attention.  We know you have busy lives and may not want to spend some of your scarce leisure time taking care of your landscape.  The Blue Crew knows landscape and garden care, and we are happy to help.  Whether you need us to install your landscape or simply maintain an existing landscape, contact Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping today to have a beautiful landscape that flourishes all season long.