Low Maintenance Landscape Design

Landscape Design in Ann Arbor, MI

Properly placed shrubs allow room for growth.

     During every landscape job I've done this year, the customer specified that they preferred the landscape to be low maintenance. While the most hassle free landscapes are probably lawn or "natural state" landscapes, this is not what people are usually looking for. Unfortunately, anytime there are garden beds, there will be some maintenance that accompanies them. There are ways of designing landscapes to minimize the amount of time and money it takes for upkeep though.
​     One of these methods is positioning shrubs in ways that allow them to grow to there mature size without becoming crowded and choosing varieties that have visually pleasing natural growth habits.  Evergreen hedges made up of yews or boxwoods look great, but come July most people don't want to spend a weekend manicuring a yard full of hedges.
​     Another way of saving time on landscaping is choosing native and other low water needs plants. Native plants and plants from similar regions have adapted to our natural rain fall amounts. While plants like Annabelle Hydrangeas might be flopped over after a dry week, native flowers like Black Eyed Susans will continue to flower and thrive after weeks without a heavy rain.   

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Native flowers typically don't require watering after establishment.

     A great option for low maintenance landscaping is the use of stones to create points of interest. While it might be more work to get a large rock into the garden, once it's in place, it's not going anywhere. Stones don't need to be watered or pruned. They are virtually maintenance free.
​      If you're starting a new garden or even changing an existing one, taking into consideration shape, size and water needs will allow your garden to mature into its space without much help. Utilizing more permanent garden elements can add some maintenance free focal points. With a little bit of planning and straying from some of the more traditional ideas of what a landscape should be, you can have more time to enjoy your summer.

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