What homeowner doesn’t want a beautiful garden? But gardening can definitely claim a lot of your time and resources. While there’s no such thing as a maintenance-free garden, choosing smarter plants and more eco-friendly designs can cut down on the maintenance and resources.

1.) Always choose native plants if possible. They’re already adapted to your climate and region, so they’re sturdier and will thrive with less intervention. Native plants for Houston include coneflower, black-eyed susan, lantana, yaupon holly, turk’s cap, Mexican hat, autumn sage, Gulf Coast muhly grass, Texas olive, and coral berry.

2.) Don’t force a plant to fit into a space. Place plants where their natural attributes (such as mature size and shape) are an asset to your design.

3.) Create your own organic supplements. Make the best possible use of your green waste by shredding and composting it rather than throwing it away.

4.) While roses are a stunning asset in your garden, they require lots of maintenance. Try adding plants that are more of the “plant and forget” variety – bee balm, honeysuckle, mallows, grasses, prairie flowers, evergreens.

5.) Mulch is a low-maintenance gardener’s best friend. It keeps down weeds and helps the soil retain moisture. Refresh yours at least once a year.

6.) Tend to problems when they happen. If you let plants get stressed by disease, lack of water, or over-fertilizing, they’ll require more care. Walk around your yard every few days to pull stray weeds, deadhead here and there, and make sure nothing looks diseased or dying.

7.) Consider ditching the lawn. A lawn is a maintenance-intensive addition to a backyard. Use groundcovers and flowerbeds in areas where a stretch of grass isn’t necessary. You’ll eliminate fertilizing, mowing, aerating, and other tasks associated with lawn upkeep.

8.) Buy the right tools and equipment. Do your research and find the right pruning, digging, raking, and other equipment that can help you make a low-maintenance landscape.

9.) Pathways, bridges, a fireplace, and other whimsical details add texture and interest with no water necessary.

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This post was written by Sandcastle Homes