Everyone wants a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy, either on your own or to share with family and friends. However, the upkeep responsibilities of such a space can sometimes seem overwhelming. It is possible - and easy - to create a space that you can enjoy without worrying about constant maintenance. While any landscape requires some level of upkeep, these tips will help you in minimizing landscape maintenance in Reading and Pottsville, PA areas.
Related: 4 Low-Maintenance Landscape Design Ideas for Allentown, PA Homes
Hardscapes
Although the softscape features of your yard (such as garden beds and lush lawns) provide ample amounts of beauty, they typically require a higher level of maintenance to retain their quality. They are also not always where you will spend the majority of your time. Sacrificing part of your softscape area in favor of hardscape features can add dimension, usable space and appeal to your landscape, while lessening the amount of maintenance you need to worry about. With hardscapes such as paver patios and pool decks, there is less mowing, watering, weeding and fertilizing to be done. Hardscapes are also very economical, as you don’t need to spend as much money on the treatments you are using for your softscape features.
In a large yard, install a large stone patio to transform a section of your lawn from open space to usable space. Your patio may include functional features, such as a dining set, stone benches, an outdoor kitchen or bar, or a pergola to provide shade. Elegant walkways create a welcoming atmosphere from the moment visitors arrive at your home, and can be accented with softscape features such as potted plants, or easy-to-care-for shrubbery. A pool or hot tub with a patio paver deck or surround will become the centerpiece of your yard, especially with the addition of a natural stone waterfall. For outdoor evening enjoyment, install a stone fire pit with its own small patio area and masonry benches. Even the simple addition of large boulder rocks to accent your garden beds will help keep the maintenance low in some of your softscape areas. With proper planning and installation, the most you will need to do on a regular basis to maintain your hardscaping is keep a broom handy or hose it off from time to time.
Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is the landscaping technique of minimizing water usage through creative landscaping. A common, and understandable, misconception is that xeriscaping is all about planting succulents and cacti because they require such a small amount of water. In actuality, xeriscaping is the craft of planning your hardscape and softscape features based on your natural environment, in a way that requires a minimal amount of water. The art of xeriscaping changes depending on the climate in which you live.
The key to planning your xeriscape is to work with the natural environment. The misconception of only using cacti or succulents comes from xeriscaping in desert climates, where those types of plants are native and thrive naturally without much need for human intervention. On the east coast and in the northeast, where climates tend to be wetter and change more dramatically with the seasons, a true xeriscape will incorporate plants that thrive with more moisture and in a wider range of temperatures.
Native shrubs, perennials and ferns will flourish with your area’s typical amount of sun, rain, heat and shade. Of course, you will want to keep an eye on them and help them along with a little extra water in a dry spell, but for the most part you will be able to sit back and enjoy their beauty, with the peace of mind that your landscape is working hand-in-hand with Mother Nature. Once you have decided on which native plants to use, be sure to group plants with similar needs for water, sun and shade.
