Taking care of your piece of the planet shouldn't be all hard work. Rather, it should be enjoyable, rewarding and pleasurable. Yes, there will be some work involved, and for most us that is part of what makes it rewarding. But all work and no play soon makes Jack decide to quit bothering!
It doesn't have to be that way.
When you figure out a few ways to make your landscaping a little easier to deal with, you'll be able to reduce the amount of time you spend working on the less enjoyable chores. And that means you'll have more time to actually enjoy your landscape!
Here are some idea starters to help you make it easy on yourself.
Something Borrowed, Something Blue... Or any other color for that matter. Low-maintenance landscaping starts in the planning stage. But there's no need to come up with all the ideas yourself. There's a lot of free information available on the Internet. You can start at my non-profit web site www.landsteward.org where you'll find a lot of articles and all my former columns. Two helpful sites are http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06902.htm and http://www.gnb.ca/afa-apa/40/05/4005803E.HTM and you can click on direct links when you go to my web site and find this column under "The Plant Man". But one of the best ways is to ‘borrow' ideas from neighbors. Go for a walk in your neighborhood and see what seems to grow effortlessly in the soil and weather conditions within a few blocks of your home. If it works for them, chances are it'll work for you.
You Want Fries With That? Now don't laugh, but a good place to scope out low maintenance plants and shrubs is at the landscaping located at places like fast food restaurants and gas stations. Why? Because those plants have to survive under fairly stressful circumstances, surrounded by heat, gas fumes, trash and blacktop. After circumstances like that, your landscape would be literally a breath of fresh air. Additionally, it's a pretty good bet that someone isn't out there every day, trimming pruning and weeding at those places; and that's another good reason to make some McNotes while you're out and about!
The Director Yells, "Cut!"
Wouldn't you like to cut down on grass cutting? Unless you're a teenager piloting a ride-on mower for the first time, mowing the lawn is probably more of a chore than a joy. Take a look in my archive for previous columns on lawn maintenance, and then decide how much lawn you REALLY want to have.
Smaller lawn area means less mowing. If you employ a lawn service, a smaller lawn should – theoretically – reduce your cost, too. Consider allowing lawn areas furthest from your house to remain un-mowed, creating a meadow-like vista and a home for small wildlife. Or think about replacing part of your lawn with attractive stone or brick pavers. I'll write a full column on that subject in the near future.
"Oh! My Aching Back!"
Tired of kneeling for hours and then going indoors to find the Ben-Gay? Think about building some raised beds where you can plant everything from veggies and herbs to perennials and more. Additionally, raised beds allow water to drain more quickly and tend to warm up faster in the spring than in-ground planting. You can get at a raised bed easily from all sides, too, so weeding and tending are chores that you're more likely to actually DO!
Let‘Em Grow!
Pick trees and shrubs that are low maintenance. Obvious? Yes, but often overlooked. Send me an e-mail if you have some specific questions about suitable plants for your landscape. Meanwhile, here are a few quick ideas for low maintenance landscaping:
Sargent Crabapple (Malus sargenti) A dwarf flowering variety with pink or white blossoms, it works well on a lawn too, as it doesn't heavily shade the grass.
Pachysandra or Japanese Spurge is a good groundcover, particularly under trees that (unlike your crabapple) make lawn maintenance difficult or impossible.
Arnolds Red Honeysuckle (Lonicera Arnolds red) This is one tough plant! Unless you live in the Okeefenokee Swamp, this one will keep growing without much help from you.
Forsythia (Lynwood gold) A really impressive shrub that can spread out to as much 10 or 12 feet wide... and is almost indestructible. It looks great on hard-to-mow banks and slopes, too!
Look for ways to make your landscape less labor-intensive and you'll have more time to enjoy it. Do you have any low-maintenance landscaping tips? Let me know and I'll share some of the best with our readers!
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org often.
