Easy-Care Landscape Plans

Decks and Hardscapes

• The more ground you cover with wood decking, stone patios, gravel walkways or any earth-covering product, the less yard maintenance you’re strapped with. Inanimate surfaces obviously don’t need irrigation, mowing or feeding the way living surfaces, such as lawns, do. Basically, stone coverings require an occasional sweeping, while wood may need a coat of stain or sealer every couple of years. Although many hardscapes are costly, some cost very little. After digging 4- to 6-inch-deep trenches, filling them with 2 or 3 inches of sand and raking the sand level, hunt down flat rocks to use as patio material. Shale, gravel or river rocks foraged from the outskirts of town can nix the need to have products hauled in. For texture or variety, lay down landscape fabric and top it with wood chip or bark mulch. Landscape fabric restricts weed growth, limiting the need for weed-killing chemicals.

Plants

• Perennials endure or reemerge year after year, eradicating the need to replant flowers annually. Plants that are native to your area or thrive in your hardiness zone will likely survive with minimal pesticides, herbicides and soil amending compared with exotic species, the California Native Plant Society explains. Drought-tolerant and hardy plants should endure even if you occasionally forget to water, prune or deadhead them. Set potted plants on decks or other hardscaped areas rather than creating garden or flowerbed spaces.

Grass

• When grass is on your landscape wish list, explore easy-care and carefree options. Laying down live lawn turf gets you out of the seeding and growing processes, but you'll have to start watering, mowing, aerating, weeding and fertilizing pronto to keep it green and healthy. Certain grasses, such as common Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), don’t require watering or mowing as frequently as other grasses do. Find a grass that thrives in your climate for best results. Today’s artificial grass, on the other hand, can look from afar identical to the real deal and nearly live from up close, and, of course, can stand up to any climate and is practically maintenance-free. It also conserves water and eliminates the need for fertilizer and other chemicals.

Work with Nature

• By accepting what you have with as few improvements as possible, a natural yard can look good as is. Consider seeding your surroundings with low-growing, indigenous clover to get out of frequent mowing. Add large pieces of driftwood to a rocky area. Use the weathered wood as rustic plant stands for bright-colored, native plants in terra-cotta pots to add contrast or visual stimulation, beauty and life. Before establishing a plan to change your natural landscape too much, look around -- with an open mind -- at Mother Nature’s ready decor; she may already have a good design in place.