Making Landscape Maintenance Easier!

In my experience, there is usually a clear line showing where most people stand on landscape maintenance. Some folks love maintaining their outdoor spaces and others tend to absolutely dread it! For those who say they dread it, I wonder what specifically is found to be the most unpleasant?

Is it the time it takes? Getting hot and sweaty? The dirt on your clothes and under your fingernails?

Have they ever thought about it in another frame of mind?

What about the fresh air? The sound of the birds? or the little critters you run into that you'd never know were there had you not been out working?

I'd argue that with the right frameworks in mind anyone can find a positive side to working in the yard or garden. And that's where a journey to creating an ideal landscape can begin!

Landscape maintenance is relative to who YOU are and what YOU enjoy doing outside.

I myself enjoy a tough landscape that can almost take care of itself but easily be tended to amidst a morning or evening walk about. A quick trim here, a weed pull there or a quick splash of water for any plant in desperate need of a drink can all be done while I am out enjoying my space.

To achieve this I've had to be honest with myself, make a few sacrifices, and shift my mindset a bit along the way.

Here are a few practices that have helped me to make my landscape maintenance easier:

1.) Reduce the lawn! The lawn is the most high maintenance plant in most of our landscapes. Requiring weekly mowing during the summertime at the bare minimum. So I've decided to only keep the areas my family and I actually use and to be honest I do not miss what I've removed one bit!

2.) Plant native plants! These guys are literally genetically engineered to be able to withstand whatever our climate has to throw at it. Which requires very minimal effort from the homeowner.

3.) Install plant beds around the perimeter of lawn areas! And I truly mean the entire perimeter between lawns and fence lines, concrete areas, utility areas and the house. When installed correctly, the edges can be maintained once or twice a year and it truly makes mowing and weed eating a breeze. Also, if leaves or other natural debris are on the lawn or concrete areas, you can just blow it right into the beds!

4.) Plant mostly trees, shrubs, and tall grasses in plant beds! Pruning on these can be done just once a year and when you do prune, use the chop and drop method which is to leave trimmings in the beds to act as mulch and improve the soil. These plant choices are also very long lasting and will not need regular replacing.

5.) Keep plant beds top dressed with new soil and pine straw! Top dressing with new soil once a year will keep weeds down, improve moisture retention and improve the quality of your soil quickly. Using pine straw as mulch is a great way to hold the soil material in. I love pine straw and always recommend it. It basically locks into itself forming a reliable cap over the soil which prevents soil erosion and storm washout on the lawn and concrete areas.

And lastly...

6.) Water smart! In Louisiana, we're lucky to receive a fair amount of rain throughout the year. It keeps our plants happy and our maintenance at a minimum. But when the time comes that we do need to do some supplemental watering ourselves (Usually in our hot summers!) I use soaker hoses. Their easily movable and apply the water right where you need it. So no wasted water and you don't have to stand there while the water soaks into the soil.

With these tips in mind, I hope that anyone reading this can now go reflect and write up a list of landscape tasks they've enjoyed and tasks they don't enjoy so much.

This can provide clarity for what YOU need to do in order to make your landscape function as you'd like it to and focus on what would inspire you to get outside.

Keep an open mind, be ready to adapt and success in your landscape is sure to be yours!

For any help with planning your landscape, Please feel free to reach out!

337-274-2140 betterworld225@gmail.com