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Everything costs more these days, including landscaping, so getting the most bang for your buck has become a top priority. If you're upgrading your garden this year, these low-maintenance landscaping ideas will help you cut down on work and expenses when building your backyard oasis.
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1. Follow the landscape plan
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Start with a plan so you don't waste time and money on your landscaping project. For best results, consider hiring a professional landscape designer to create your landscape plan and have it professionally installed or do it yourself. Design rates range from $50 to $150 per hour, depending on location.
2. Consider grass alternatives
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Think of your lawn as a rug for your outdoor room. Grass adds order, comfort, and functionality to your landscape, but requires regular maintenance to keep it looking its best. Reducing your lawn space is one of the easiest ways to reduce garden maintenance. Lawn alternatives may include mixed shrubs or perennial borders. Natural areas, “no-mow” ground covers such as dwarf mondo grass and clover, artificial turf, paving stones, etc.
3. Choose native plants
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Plant selection directly affects the time and effort it takes to maintain a good-looking garden. Some of the hardiest, easiest to grow, and most beautiful plants are locally grown. Native plants require little extra watering. It rarely succumbs to harsh weather patterns and has natural defenses against local pests. Additionally, they are easily recognized as habitat by birds and pollinators, adding another interesting dimension to the landscape.
4. Choose appropriately sized trees and shrubs
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Dimensions are important. Specifically, matching the mature size of trees and shrubs to the available space above and below ground is one of the most important considerations when considering a purchase. Be sure to read the plant label or find out the average mature size of these plants before purchasing. After all, pruning overgrown plants to maintain a much smaller size is not sustainable.
5. Plant more perennials and fewer annuals.
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Annuals are planted for prolific blooms throughout the season, but must be replanted each year. Perennials bloom every year, but generally have a shorter flowering period than annuals. For a beautiful and varied landscape year-round, plant a wide variety of perennials throughout your landscape and add color with strategic annuals in high-traffic areas.
6. Cluster plants for maximum effectiveness
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Plants grow naturally and look best when grown in groups of similar individuals. Create balance in your landscape by grouping plants of different sizes. Repeating these groupings throughout the landscape adds continuity.
Pro tip: Use odd numbers of plants per group (3, 5, 7, etc.) and odd-numbered groups to create an attractive visual flow throughout your landscape.
7. Living ground cover
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Dense, low-growing plants perform many of the same functions as mulch without the hassle or expense of maintenance. Ground cover plants such as pachysandra, mondograss, and purple-leafed wintervine are excellent at protecting slopes from erosion. Planting them insulates and protects the soil, minimizes rainwater runoff, and also suppresses weed growth. Some people tolerate a moderate amount of walking.
Create a relaxing atmosphere with plants
Planters are perfect for interior or exterior decoration. Check out your options at Home Depot.
8. Mulch generously
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Mulch gives landscape flower beds a finished look and enhances the health of your garden in several ways. A consistent 2-4 inch layer of organic mulch insulates the soil from wide temperature fluctuations and suppresses weed growth. Mulch also buffers the effects of rainfall and protects the soil surface from erosion.
Organic matter slowly decomposes, releasing trace nutrients that help form soil and nourish plant roots.
9. Garden in a container
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Potted plants make patios, decks, and entryways more attractive. Potted plants add color, texture, and architectural charm to your outdoor living space while softening the hard edges of your pavers. Consider planting patio trees in large containers or flowers and foliage in smaller mixed containers. Mix and match pots of different sizes and change their arrangement seasonally to add interest.
10. Include garden art
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Garden art includes a wide range of man-made elements and materials, either functional or purely aesthetic. Consider adding a birdbath, sculpture, orb, arbor, or other element as a focal point or to emphasize the beauty of background plants. One well-chosen and placed feature can change the look of your garden.
11. Add water functionality
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Similar to garden art, water features also add a visual focal element to your garden. Unlike other types of garden art, water features also provide an acoustic element. Even the smallest drops from a well-placed fountain are enough to distract your ears from worldly sounds such as road noise. Additionally, the sound of dripping, splashing, or running water attracts birds and other wildlife that you want to invite into your backyard oasis.
12. Install artificial turf
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If you think it's a mistake to place an artificial lawn in your landscape, think again. Artificial grass is a labor-saving option for intimate spaces that are difficult to maintain. It looks real, “grows” on any surface, lasts up to 20 years, and never needs to be mowed, watered, fertilized or weeded. Just blow away any accumulated leaves or debris.
13. Use stone and concrete
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Both natural stone and concrete have a timeless appeal in both vertical and horizontal hardscape applications. There is an initial cost, but it will last a lifetime. Patios and walkways paved with flagstone or flagstone look great and reduce runoff compared to poured concrete. Walls made of masonry or block will last much longer than walls made of the highest quality wood.
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