Interested in low-maintenance landscaping? Here are some tips to keep in mind:
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– Stay with the architecture of the house.
– “Don’t be a pack rat,” said Jim McElroy of Green Fields Nursery & Landscaping Co. in Roland Park, Md. Be willing to discard plants that are well past their prime.
– Buy plants for how they’ll look when they aren’t blooming, which might be most of the time.
– If money is a consideration, buy small trees and shrubs and be patient.
– Mulch once a year for horticultural reasons, twice a year for aesthetic ones.
– Monitor the water: 99 percent of plantings are lost because of watering, McElroy estimates–either too much or too little.
– If all you need is to replace an azalea or two, you probably don’t need a landscape designer. But if a number of plants aren’t doing well or you want your yard to have a certain look, hiring a professional might be a good investment. Here are some ideas to get you started.
– Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations.
– If you choose a designer from the Yellow Pages or an advertisement, ask for references.
– Have a clear idea of your priorities (low maintenance, lots of color for much of the year, an outdoor living area) and the look you like (spare and clean, English country garden).
– Have a budget. Most landscapers think long-term and are willing to draw up a plan and do the work in stages.
– Get estimates in writing.
– Remember that a professionally planned and installed garden might save you maintenance and plant replacement costs in the future.
– If the landscape designers you talk to are too busy to get to your project this summer , keep in mind that autumn is the best time to plant many shrubs and trees.