Landscape Maintenance

When designing your garden it is a good idea to consider the landscape maintenance that will be required of you once your plans have been created and the garden finished. Maintaining your garden includes cutting the lawn; pruning, digging and planting and keeping any structures waterproofed, cleaned and repaired. Trees and shrubs require cutting back, hedges require trimming and fruits, berries and other garden produce require harvesting or clearing away. The way a garden looks is probably the main aspect of consideration, but the work and continuing financial investment is something you should consider for yourself and for any potential future buyer of your home.

Large expanses of grass can be a delight for summer days outside; whether for the children to play on or as a restful landscape to sit upon. But the larger the lawn the more grass to cut an, therefore, the larger and more powerful a lawnmower will be needed; and that means fuel costs and mower maintenance on top of the cost of the mower itself and your time each month to do the work. Concrete, gravel or paved areas such as patios are not only picturesque design features but will also cut down on the grass cutting. They may cost more in the short term, than turf or grass seeds, but in the long term require far less maintenance and are a desirable feature for many home buyers.

Wood trellises, fences and other garden features are also a consideration when it comes to the cost in time and money of maintaining your garden. Softwood, while cheaper, requires greater application of protective sealants against adverse effects of wind, sun and rain; and is more likely to need repair. Hardwoods are more expensive but more resilient too. If low maintenance is your objective then planting perennials rather than annuals must be a priority; since they can be planted once and, with minimal attention, will flower again each year. And evergreens will provide a colour background all year round without dropping masses of leaves and other matter on the ground for you to pick up each year. Knowing what sort of landscape maintenance suits you best can be a good beginning to any garden plan; so you might enjoy your garden without it taking over your life.