I have never been a natural gardener. For years, I struggled to keep basic houseplants alive, only to kill them at the first opportunity. It was difficult and stressful to buy a home with a yard, but I knew that I might be able to learn what I was doing wrong and correct the problem. To start off, I focused heavily on the lawn, and tried hard to keep it trimmed and well-maintained. Next, I cleaned up the flowerbeds. It was a lot of work, but I knew that it would pay off in the end. When I was done, my front yard was gorgeous, and guess what--it even stayed alive. This blog is all about loving your little landscape.
Many people design their landscapes to reflect their personal style and taste. These elements are certainly important to consider. However, you also want your landscape to suit your lifestyle. More specifically, if you are a busy professional, you probably want a landscape that does not require much maintenance, is a quiet place to hang out in the evenings, and is always ready for a last-minute gathering. Here are some tips to help you design a landscape that has all of those qualities.
Designate specific areas for specific activities.
When you're tired after a long day, you're not going to want to drag chairs to the back of the yard or set up a grill. So, aim to design a landscape that has separate, pre-set areas for all of the activities you plan on doing in your yard. If you grill a lot, include a designated grilling area. If you often play volleyball, consider including a permanent sand pit and net.
Choose plants that tolerate shade, drought, and heat.
The more hardy your plants, the less watering, maintenance, and fertilizing you'll need to do. Some of the toughest plants to include in your landscape design include succulents, money trees, peace lilies, and pothos. None of these plants will wilt and die if you don't have time to water them every day. While they can likely benefit from periodic fertilization, their nutritional needs are not too high, either. And forget about pruning; none of them really need it.
Include lots of rocks.
Rocks last forever, and they don't require any maintenance other than the occasional power washing to remove algae. So, include plenty of them in your landscape. You could create a separate rock garden, or just use rocks to line your walkways or patio. Visitors won't realize you chose rocks because they don't require care. They'll just assume you find rocks beautiful — and they are.
Use rubber or stone mulch.
Avoid using wood mulch in your garden beds. It blows out of the beds too easily and needs to be swept up. Plus, you will often need to replace or augment it. Stone and rubber chips are better options. They keep weeds down, maintain a tidy look, and last virtually forever.
As a busy professional, you need to design a landscape that does not demand too much from you. The tips above can help you do that.
For more info about landscape design, contact a local company.
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