If you don’t like yard work and if you would like to avoid or cut down on the expense of hiring a gardener, consider these strategies that give your yard a beautiful look without all the work…
Use more mulch. The more of your property you cover in mulch, the less there is to mow, weed and fertilize. “Islands” of mulch around trees and shrubs look great and eliminate the tricky, time-consuming mowing and edging often required around these areas. Mulch also provides nutrients, reducing the time you must spend fertilizing.
If there are several shrubs or trees in the same general area in your lawn, group them into one large mulch island, rather than creating separate islands for each.
To create a mulch island: Lay about six layers of newspaper on top of existing grass and/or weeds. Then cover with three to four inches of organic mulch, such as shredded bark (different kinds are available at most nurseries). The newspaper helps kill the grass and weeds. Over time, the newspaper will decompose, adding additional nutrients to the soil.
Remulch once a year — just put fresh mulch on top of the old. You don’t need to add more newspaper. The fastest way to mulch perennial beds is to do it in early spring, before the plants send up their shoots.
Important: Leave a few inches of open space between mulch and tree trunks to allow airflow. You can safely mulch right up to the base of most other plants.
Choose a ground cover other than grass. Replace all or part of your lawn with an attractive, low-lying ground cover that requires little or no maintenance once established.
Appropriate ground covers vary regionally, so ask a local garden store for advice. (Garden store employees will have more time to talk if you visit on a weekday.) Options: Sedum, creeping thyme, daylilies, low-growing hostas, Korean grass, pachysandra, certain varieties of clover or moss and more.
Be aware that many ground covers cannot be walked on without damaging the plants. If you like the feel of grass under your feet or have young kids who play on your lawn, maintain a small lawn and use ground cover for the rest of your property.
Or plant Stepables, a line of ground covers designed to survive foot traffic (503-581-8915, Stepables.com).
There also are some grasses that require very little mowing, but these vary by region. Check with the Lawn Institute for more information (800-405-8873, TheLawnInstitute.org).
Place plants where they will get what they need without your help. Ask your garden store what type of soil… how much sun… and how much moisture a particular plant likes before you purchase it.
Group plants with similar needs together so that you do not have to tend to each individually. For example, water-loving plants near the wettest sections of your garden and sun-loving plants in exposed locations.
Also, select native plants. Plants indigenous to your region are likely to thrive in your yard with little attention from you. Your local garden store can suggest appropriate native options.
Plant evergreen trees rather than deciduous trees. If you add trees to your property, avoid unnecessary autumn raking by selecting coniferous trees, such as spruce and cypress, which have minimal shedding.
If there already are deciduous trees on your property, create large mulch islands around them. Leaves that fall on this mulch do not need to be raked.
Keep in mind that well-placed deciduous trees can cut your home’s energy use by providing cool shade in summer and letting the sun hit the house in winter.
Favor flowering shrubs over perennials. Flowering shrubs generally require much less care than other perennials. Popular options include camellia, lilac, abelia and azalea. Ask your garden store to recommend the flowering shrubs most appropriate for your region. Plant a selection that flower at different times of year so that your yard is colorful most of the year.
Examples: Encore azaleas bloom in both spring and fall… Glacier azaleas bloom sporadically throughout the summer… witch hazel blooms in winter or early spring.
Select a slow-growth shrub for a low-maintenance, tailored-hedge look. Fast-growing shrubs, such as Leyland Cyprus, are very popular with home owners because they quickly turn into substantial privacy-providing barriers. Problem: Fast-growing shrubs continue growing quickly even when we want them to stop, which means frequent and time-consuming trimming is necessary for them to appear well-groomed. They also are shorter lived than slow-growing trees and shrubs. Typically a Leyland cypress needs to be replaced after 20 – 25 years. That may seem a lifetime away, but time passes quickly.
If you want a tailored-hedge look, it is better to choose a slow-growing shrub, such as boxwood, yew or hornbeam. These will take longer to provide full privacy but require far less care to remain neat and tailored once they do. (If you like a loose look, they don’t have to be pruned at all.)
Important: Make sure that the mature size of the shrubs and other plants you select is appropriate for the locations you choose for them. If a plant is too big for its location, you will spend hours trimming it back as it continues to expand. A nursery can provide a mature size estimate or buy the book Manual of Woody Plants. Do not rely on the plant tag information for accurate estimates of a plant’s ultimate size. Unless you plant in paltry soil, you can count on the tree or shrub growing larger than the tag promises.
Divide big yards into “rooms.” If you have several acres of property, do not try to tend to it all. Divide the property into “rooms,” and devote your yard work hours only to the rooms closest to your home or the road.
Use hedges, stone walls or other borders to divide these rooms from the rest of the property, and allow more distant rooms to take on a relaxed and natural appearance. This can look perfectly appropriate, assuming that the property is relatively rural and not surrounded by manicured lawns on all sides.
