Friday, July 16, 2010

The Real Secret to Creating a Low-Maintenance Landscape

Low-Maintenance. Nobody ever asks for a landscape that takes a lot of time to maintain. So when someone says that they want a low maintenance landscape, I’m thinking… well, yeah. Very few people in this world do not care how long or how much it takes to care for their landscape. If they don’t, then they can, and do usually afford to have someone do it for them.

That’s not most of us. The real key to getting a low maintenance (or Easy-Care as I call it) landscape is all in the planning. At that stage, you will know how much time and money you want to invest in the care of your new landscape. Right then, BOOM! is where most landscapes are successful or not.

You gotta understand plants to landscape properly. One plant might work just great for your neighbor, but be soooo not right for you. Or not right for THAT place in your yard. ONLY if you know your client, plants, climate, and location can you select the right landscaping. And if you have the wrong plants in the wrong places matched with the wrong maintenance skills or budget, you, my friend have just wasted your money on landscaping. It’s as simple as that!

Picture a cute little evergreen bought at the nursery 2 feet high by 1 ft wide. Plant 20 of those suckers 1 foot away from the front sidewalk in a row every 5 feet. Cute when planted. However, did I mention that those little cuties are arborvitae? Now when you know that, you know that they will reach 10 feet wide and 15 feet tall within 10 years, they don’t look so cute. When you know that they could ultimately reach 30 feet wide and 45 feet tall. They are downright monsters. Think of trying to make them stay small and all the effort that will go into that for the first few years and the time an expense that it will take to take them out when they get too big. That is the big secret… Plant only what works for the space both now and ultimately

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