Top 10 Tips for Low-Maintenance Landscaping

Those who have had to mow lawns all their lives are acutely aware of just how much work lawns are. But lawns can also be costly, as when you have to replace one that has succumbed to drought. Don't wait for drought to strike to reconsider the wisdom of having extensive, labor-intensive, thirsty lawns. Instead, take preemptive action by changing your landscape design. This article explains one water-wise alternative to lawns: xeriscaping.

You've thought about having the convenience of an automatic irrigation system in your yard, haven't you? Perhaps you've been torn between doing it yourself or having a professional installation. My tutorial could help you make up your mind and begin enjoying this handy aid to low-maintenance landscaping.

Clover seed used to be included in the typical lawn seed mix, being appreciated as a ground cover with numerous attractive qualities. What do clover lawns have over grass lawns? How about drought-tolerance, cost-savings, environmental safety and low-maintenance landscaping? Interested? Clover is insect-resistant, competes well with weeds and doesn't have to be mowed often, making it a superb low-maintenance substitute for grass.

Moss can be used as an alternative to lawn grass in shady spots, where grass refuses to grow. Considering how often moss grows in lawn areas problematic for grass, it readily suggests itself as just such an alternative. Don't laugh off planting moss as a crank idea: Paul James, no less, of HGTV fame, is a proponent of the idea.

A low-maintenance, water-wise, yet still attractive landscape plan for a sunny area calls for the use of drought-tolerant perennials. This article describes several perennials suitable for such a landscape plan, and a link is provided to a drawing of the landscape plan itself, showing how to arrange them. Photos of the perennial plants are included.

Ground covers are another landscape solution that can reduce watering needs and mowing time. But when deer pests come to snack on ground covers, you need to refine your landscape solution strategy. This article tells you which ground covers are effective in deer control -- plants that deer won't eat, saving you the time, energy and money required to replace eaten plants. And these deer-resistant ground covers have many other fine qualities that will give you plenty of reason to grow them.

Rock gardens typically contain drought-tolerant plants, and the rocks themselves offer a decor that never needs to be watered or tended to in any way! This Q & A piece discusses how to build rock gardens. Learn about plant selections for building rock gardens, with the aid of a database.

Mulch is one of the unsung heroes of low-maintenance landscaping. It's highly portable, malleable and, for certain types of mulch, you can even make your own! If you have a problem area for which there seems to be no other solution, mulch is probably your answer -- especially if you need a quick and easy solution. An application of mulch can reduce your watering needs significantly. Mulch also suppresses weeds, making yard care much easier.

If your dogs are to be allowed to run about in the yard, you'll probably have to make adjustments to your landscaping. But the smartest adjustments you'll make are the ones that keep low-maintenance landscaping in mind....

What, you say there's no yard care to worry about in winter? Those in the snowy North would beg to differ. Cleaning snow off the driveway is a time-consuming winter task. Discover modern technology's answer to this age-old problem: snowmelt systems. And while you may not be thinking about winter during the warmer seasons, consider that the planning and installation for snowmelt systems must be undertaken well before winter.