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With these low maintenance landscaping ideas, you don’t have to spend lots of time or effort perfecting your yard. We know you’re already busy with work, relationships, and life, so why make home maintenance more stressful than it needs to be? The last thing you need is to be spending your time working on a garden that constantly demands attention.
Thankfully having a beautiful outdoor space doesn’t require hours of cleaning, weeding, and watering. With these easy landscaping ideas, you can keep your outdoor space looking its best (and with little to no effort!).
Low Maintenance Landscaping Ideas for Busy Women
Stick with Native Plants and Perennials
When it comes to choosing plants for your garden, stick with native plants that are used to your local climate. Compared to exotic plants, native plants are much easier to grow. They generally use less water and don’t require special fertilizers or pesticides.
For an even more hassle-free garden, look for native plants that are perennials (like lavender and azaleas). These plants grow back year after year, which means you won’t have to plant new seeds or starters each season.
Add Mulch or Ground Covers
If you don’t want to spend your weekends weeding, consider adding mulch to your yard. Things like wood chips, bark, or compost will suppress the growth of weeds while also regulating soil temperature. And since it’s a natural moisture retainer, you won’t need to water your outdoor space as frequently.
A greener alternative to mulch is a low maintenance ground cover. Look for creeping plants – thyme, clovers, and sedum are all great options. Plus, they require little upkeep while also filling out empty spaces.
Install Solar-Powered Lighting
For a little bit of ambiance, some outdoor lighting can really amplify your garden area. But dealing with all that wiring can be a pain. And don’t forget about the cost of electricity! Instead, you can install solar-powered lights along your pathways or around your patio. This will give your yard a warm glow that doesn’t rely on a timer, cables, or electricity!
Choose Hardscaping over Grass
One of the hardest parts about landscaping is maintaining a lawn. They need constant mowing, watering, and often fertilizing, making them a hassle for busy homeowners! But you don’t need a grassy lawn to have a beautiful garden.
Instead, you can replace the grass with hardscaping elements. A stone patio, rock garden, or gravel area is far less stressful to take care of. And you can set up a dining area or sitting area to make the perfect hangout or entertaining space!
Use Gravel for Pathways
If you want to add a walkway to your yard, you have a few low maintenance options. But one of the easiest (and cheapest) methods is to lay down gravel. Not only is it elegant, but it also allows for natural draining!
Other options, like concrete and brick, are extremely time consuming to install. But gravel can be easily laid out without the need to hire professionals. When shopping for gravel, we recommend sticking with something like pea gravel, crushed stone, or decomposed granite for longevity.
Automate Your Watering Routine
Spending the time to water your garden is a luxury that not every woman has! This is especially true in the summer or warmer months when plants need to be watered at least once a day. And if your home isn’t outfitted with a hose or watering system, you’ll need to make a lot of back-and-forth trips from the sink!
To simplify your watering routing, you can install a drip irrigation system or soaker hose. This will deliver water straight to the roots of your plants. Not only does this reduce daily maintenance, but it also saves on water as plants will stay hydrated for longer. And best of all, everything is set on a timer! So you can just set it and forget it!
Add Veggies to Pots or Raised Beds
Growing vegetables in your garden doesn’t have to be overly complicated. But you’ll want to make sure your space is set up for success. Therefore, we recommend planting your veggies in raised beds or planter pots, as they require less wedding. If you’re feeling crafty, you can also create an indoor-outdoor vertical garden that doesn’t take up any space at all!
Tips for Starting Your Garden
It’s also a good idea to stick with low maintenance crops like lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Herbs are also really easy to grow, especially if you follow these 10 tips for starting the herb garden of your dreams! These types of plants do really well in small containers. And they produce a consistent harvest, so you can start enjoying the fruits of your labor sooner!
