Most homeowners plan their landscapes with beauty in mind, leaving lawn care and maintenance as an afterthought – until it’s time to start weeding and watering. As family schedules become increasingly hectic, it’s getting harder to find the time to cultivate a lush, green lawn. The solution: Develop your landscape with the goal of making lawn care as easy on yourself as possible.
By adding just a few simple landscaping features, you can drastically reduce the amount of time and effort you spend on maintaining your lawn. For example:
Install an irrigation system
The most important ingredient to a healthy, thriving lawn is water. Getting the right amount of water to your grass can be something of a science – too much, and you’ll just have to mow more often; too little, and you’ll end up with a crispy lawn. Take the guesswork out of the equation by installing a programmable irrigation system, which can substantially reduce the amount of time you spend on lawn maintenance. With a “set-it-and-forget-it” timer, you can ensure your lawn receives the perfect amount of water during the optimal time of day, without having to lift a finger.
Use lawn alternatives in tree-shaded areas
Growing grass under a tree can be a challenge. Not only do the branches block much-needed sunlight, but the tree’s roots will compete with your grass for water and nutrients. Additionally, it can be difficult to mow under a tree if there are low-hanging branches. Instead of putting a lot of effort into seeding, fertilizing, re-seeding and praying over that brown patch, just replace it with mulch or a shade-loving ground cover, such as a soft bed of moss.
Use lawn alternatives in oddly shaped areas
Mowing is already one of the most work-intensive lawn care tasks a homeowner must perform. Narrow strips of grass or oddly shaped areas of lawn where the mower can’t easily reach will only make the job more time-consuming. Again, consider replacing the grass in these areas with an attractive ground cover, shrubs or decorative rocks.
Isolate your lawn with edging
Separate your lawn from your flowerbeds or mulched areas with some sort of edging material. This will help prevent mulch from spilling into the grass; keep grass out of your flowers; make weeding simpler; and prevent you from accidentally mowing over your flowers.
The trick to a vibrant landscape isn’t to work harder – it’s to minimize the effort you put in by planning a low-maintenance landscape.
Guest authored by Landscape East & West, an award-winning full-service landscaping and garden design company based in Portland, OR.
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