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It’s a beautiful sunny day, and you’re getting everything ready for lunch with friends outside in your backyard. You step in, breathe in the fresh air, see the bees buzzing, and think how lucky you are to have such a beautiful space you can enjoy anytime. But wait. That grass needs a bit of mowing, right? And are those weeds in your flower beds? Oh, man, that concrete is cracked, too! If you’ve noticed all this, so will your friends.
Within a few moments, your beautiful backyard goes from a place to enjoy to a chore that never seems to end, but that’s just how it goes with backyards. Or does it?
Sure, you could spend every weekend weeding, scrubbing, and fixing things in the backyard, or you can design it to be low-maintenance. An inviting, stylish space doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with heavy maintenance, but you need to be smart about the design.
If this sounds like something you’d like to try, keep reading to discover how to make it happen.
Choosing Materials and Landscaping
The first step to a backyard you won’t need to maintain too much is choosing landscaping and materials correctly. What does this mean? In short, using durable surfaces (like concrete) and strategic landscaping will cut down on upkeep (less dirt/grass to maintain).
Now, you may be thinking, “Where am I supposed to find concrete pumping near me?” Well, that’s easier than you might’ve thought. You can always find a local contractor via the Yellow Pages or sites/apps like Yelp. But if you want to keep things simple, do a swift internet search (make sure you have your location enabled), and a dozen nearby options will appear. Now, you must make a few calls and pick the right one.
For example, stamped concrete makes you look like stone or brick without those annoying weeds growing between cracks, and permeable pavers prevent erosion and don’t allow water to pool.
Composite decking is also a great choice because it looks like wood but doesn’t rot or warp, and you don’t need to seal or stain it. You’ll also have to think about furniture. Choose powder-coated metal, teak, or resin that’s resistant to weather because all those options can handle all kinds of weather with little upkeep. To reduce clutter, go for built-in seating and maybe a firepit to keep it stylish and cozy.
Greenery is the key piece of your backyard, but you don’t want plants that need too much work. Native species, succulents, and ornamental grasses will keep the space vibrant without you having to water or fertilize it too much. A traditional lawn is lush; there’s no arguing about that, but it takes a lot of work to keep it that way, so it may not be the best choice.
If you want more greenery, artificial turf is a good low-maintenance alternative. Gravel, mulch, or clover are more natural, but they’ll keep the weeds in check.
You may still need watering in some places, so think about a drip irrigation system. It will deliver water straight to the roots with hardly any waste. Smart sprinkler systems with sensors can also be a big help, keeping your yard hydrated without overwatering.
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Design Tips
Materials aren’t all you need to have a low-maintenance backyard of your dreams; you also need to know what to do with those materials.
Here are some tips on that.
1. Minimize Areas with Lawn
When you picture a backyard, you probably see a big green lawn, but that also needs a lot of maintenance. You constantly have to mow, water, and fertilize the grass to keep it healthy, and if you don’t, it will get patchy and overgrown.
The easiest way to cut down on yard work is to have less lean space. Instead of using grass to cover the entire backyard, get a patio, pathways, or decorative gravel. Mulch beds and xeriscaping (landscaping with stones and plants resistant to droughts) will make the space beautiful without needing much maintenance.
2. Use Raised Garden Beds
If your garden has no structure, it will become impossible to manage, not to mention overgrown. Raised garden beds are perfect because they keep the weeds at bay and improve soil drainage. And since the space is contained, you’ll have an easier time controlling the way your plants grow, which means less effort to keep them looking neat.
3. Low-Maintenance Lighting
Good lighting will transform your backyard, but you don’t want to replace the bulbs or deal with tangled wires constantly. LED bulbs last a lot longer than traditional ones, and You might also opt for solar lights, which harness sunlight during the day and automatically light up your backyard at night. Motion-sensor lights or ones controlled by timers are also excellent because there’s less energy waste, and you don’t have to switch them on and off manually.
Conclusion
There you have it: a backyard that takes care of itself! Okay, not really, but this is as close as you’ll come to it. There will always be some maintenance in your backyard, so the goal wasn’t to eliminate it but to cut down on it.
But hey, if you ever find a way to skip it altogether and have the yard look nice and put together, we’re all ears!