How to Design a Low Maintenance Landscape

You don't need a complicated landscape design to stand out, a lot of times, a simple design is all you need. Here are a couple things to consider:

1. Decorative Rock: Rock is the best option for a low maintenance landscape, and with various color options, you can find an option for about any application. Our recommendation is to choose a rock color that contrasts well with the edging you use, such as the picture shown above. In the picture above, we installed a 4"x4" Limestone edging with a 2" Basin Blue decorative rock. NOTE: When installing decorative rock, make sure to install a durable weed fabric. Weed fabric does not eliminate weeds completely, but does give you a head start in keeping things well maintained. We always recommend to our clients, on a weekly basis to go along the edges of your rock beds with an organic vinegar weed killer as those are the most common areas where weeds grow. If any weeds pop up in the center of the beds, pull as soon as possible before they start growing into the weed fabric.

2. Use durable edging. The durability of your edging will be mainly on how you install it. Edging is know for sinking and shifting over time creating an unpleasing look. The way we install our edging is by creating a trench, installing a bi-directional geo-grid at the bottom of the trench. Then we will install a few inches of clean base material, compact that base material. Then we will install a layer of edge Crete that we will install the edging on. Done properly, will solve the shifting and sinking for a very long time.

3. Plants: Choosing plants will be a big factor in how much time you spend in your yard. The more compact you install the plants and the more you install, the more time will be required. It is also important to choose plants that are easy to take care of and are able to tolerate the areas conditions, such as the sunlight requirements and soil conditions. The following will help you:

• First, identify what zone you are in. In Iowa, we are zone 5. The way you can find that is by looking up the following, "2023 usda plant hardiness zone map." It should be your first option. 
  
• Secondly, identify where you are going to plant and how much sunlight is in that area, shade(0-2 hours of sunlight), part shade(2-4 hours of sunlight), part sun (4-6 hours of sunlight) or full sun (6+ hours of sunlight). 
• Thirdly, identify your soil type. A good way to do this is with the jar test. Fill a jar 1/2 way with your soil sample. Fill the remainder of the jar with water, leaving at least 1" of space for an air gap. Put the lid back on and shake tell the clumps of the soil have broken up. Let the jar sit over night and observe the results.

         1. If you have 25% clay, 25% silt and 50% sand, the your soil is sandy

         2. If you have 30% clay, 40% silt and 30% sand, then your soil is silt

         3. If you have 50% clay, 25% silt and 25% sand, you have clay

• Once you have identified your zone, sunlight and soil type, do a Google search to find your best options. Example: "What are some low maintenance plants in Zone 5, that can tolerate part shade in a clay soil" You should be given many options. A couple low maintenance plants we use commonly are decorative grasses, boxwoods, hostess.

If your in the Iowa City, North Liberty, Solon Area and want to make it as simple as possible, leave it up to the pros and give us a call at 563-241-8462