Creating Low Maintenance Landscaping

Landscaping is a beautiful way to add interest and beauty to your home, but many don’t have the time to keep up with a high maintenance garden. Though many flowers are more high maintenance, there are plenty lower maintenance plants available to create a masterpiece without breaking the bank or your back. The key to low maintenance landscaping is proper preparations, plant and flower selections and proper placement of the plants into their places. If you select your plants and place them properly your garden will perform at its best year round.

First, selecting the site for your garden is a must, so you will know the conditions of the soil and sunlight exposure for that area. Determine the sun and shade patterns for the areas you desire to plant a garden, so flower selection will be easier. The more you put into the planning of the garden, the better the end result will be. Make your color selections, flower types and placement decisions before planting anything, so there will be less time spent working hard later. It is much easier to change a plan than to change the garden.

Plant selection is another essential part of planting a garden. Due to the climate conditions and soil conditions certain plants may not grow well in specific areas of a garden depending on what the plant needs for growth. If you take time and select ideal plants and flowers for the conditions at your garden site, it will flourish year round and perform at its potential time and again. There are plenty of colorful options that require very little maintenance as long as they are planted properly and are adapted to the conditions in the area. You want to consider that some trees and plants have leaves that fall off, so if you do not like raking leaves, these types of plants should be avoided. Also, pay attention to any plants or flowers that may be toxic if eaten, especially if you have children or pets.

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Flowers that need little maintenance are perennials. These as opposed to Annuals regrow each year, so there is no need to purchase and replant them every year. This is a wonderful way to add variety of color and aroma to a garden. Some perennials may require deadheading, and may need to be divided every few years, so be sure to read maintenance information for the flowers selected for best results.

Ferns grow well in moist shady areas and require little care and maintenance, so these are also a great addition to a garden. Ivy is another beautiful way to add interest to your garden, but it needs good support. It can require more care if not planted in the proper conditions.

Many shrubs are very low maintenance and are a great way to offset other plants and flowers in a garden. Flowering, evergreen and ornamental shrubs are perfect for simple beauty and little maintenance to keep them healthy. Shrubs require little watering, and some pruning would prove beneficial for optimum growth. Not only do Shrubs come in many bold and beautiful colors, but they smell absolutely delicious.

If you feel there are certain must have higher maintenance flowers, do not leave yourself wanting. You can add a few flowers and plants that require a little more maintenance and place them throughout your garden. Make sure to get flowers that flourish in the conditions where you place them. Start with a few and if you do well or want to add more go for it. You can still have a pretty low maintenance garden if you pick your flowers well and place them in ideal growing conditions.

When maintaining any garden watering, fertilizing and mulching are essential practices that will help your garden grow to its potential year round. Thinning pinching and deadheading are also beneficial because it will help to lengthen blooming periods. Any garden will require some maintenance, but with proper planning, selection and placement, a gorgeous low maintenance garden is absolutely possible.