How to Save Time on Yard Work and Landscaping Maintenance

There are two keys to saving time when it comes to maintaining a beautiful, healthy, well-groomed yard. These two keys to successful, time-efficient landscaping are designing a low maintenance yard and focusing on prevention to avoid time consuming maintenance issues.

Save Time on Yard Work: Designing Low Maintenance Landscaping

If you are starting from a bare yard then you have the perfect opportunity to design landscaping that suits your needs, fits your budget and will save you time in the long run. If this is the case, then take the time to carefully plan the layout and design of your landscaping and to select plants, shrubs and trees that are low maintenance. If you are starting from a yard that was landscaped and designed by previous owners or a builder (like most of us) then take steps to transform your yard into a low maintenance landscaping paradise by making small changes as you have time and can afford them.

Here are some tips to create a landscape design that will be low maintenance and that will thrive with little time-consuming care.

1. Consider installing a sprinkler system with a timer and/or a drip system for watering your flowers, plants, shrubs and trees. Having a sprinkler system on a timer will save time you would spend watering your yard and will even save time over going outside to turn on the sprinklers, monitor their watering, then shut them off. A drip system is another great way to save time (and money and water) while ensuring that your landscaping plants always have the water that they need.
2. Use native plants, grasses, shrubs and trees whenever possible. Plants, grasses, shrubs and trees that are native to the area where you reside will require less water and less care than exotic or non-native plants.
3. Limit your lawn. Lawn care is expensive and time consuming. Limit the amount of grass in your front and/or back yards and you will save money on water and lawn care products while saving hours on mowing, trimming edges, weeding, fertilizing, aerating and feeding.
4. Design your landscape to include pathways, stone patios, borders, stones and ground covers. This may take more time during the design phase (for new landscapes) or the transforming phase (for existing landscapes), but in the long run you will save time (and money) by creating an interesting landscape that requires less care. Pathways, stone patios and ground covers limit weed growth, add interest to your yard, provide usable space, help to limit grass areas and require almost no care. Wood patios are also beautiful and provide usable space, but they require more care than stone patios. Borders will provide a clean appearance and will help to keep plants and shrubs where they belong. This will help to keep your yard looking great with less time and effort on your part.
5. Select low maintenance plants, grasses, shrubs, flowers and trees. Take the time to do a little research and find landscaping plants, grasses, shrubs, flowers and trees that require little to no pruning, are weed and pest resistant and require minimal care.

Save Time on Yard Work: Prevent Time Consuming Maintenance Issues

Weeding, watering, raking and mowing are maintenance issues that are hard to avoid and can take up hours of your time. Save time (and money) on landscape maintenance with these tips for preventing maintenance issues and limiting the time required to care for your yard.

1. Prevent weeds naturally. Use natural, low maintenance ground covers - such as mulch or stones to avoid having bare soil, which just invites weeds to invade your landscaping. For further weed prevention place old blankets, fabric, newspaper or store bought landscaping fabric on the ground and cover them with decorative mulch or stones.
2. Stay on top of it. It takes less time to pull one or two weeds as they pop up than to weed an entire yard after they have taken over. When you see a weed, pull it - don't wait until there is hours of weeding to be done.
3. Set up a watering system. A sprinkler system on a timer or a drip system will water your landscaping for you and will limit dry spots and dying plants that you would otherwise have to take the time to nurse back to health.