Experienced Gardeners: Tips for Low-Maintenance Landscaping in Austin Texas
Having a beautiful garden that you created is a rewarding feeling. Keeping it looking great sometimes seems like it takes up so much time you never have a chance to just enjoy your landscaping. This is why a little strategy goes a long way to create beautiful low-maintenance landscaping in Austin Texas. Our extreme heat and frequent drought conditions are a challenge, but nothing that a clever gardener can’t overcome. We’re here with some tips for a garden that looks amazing without taking up all of your time and energy.
Plant Wisely – in the Fall or Early Spring
Choosing plants that already thrive in the Austin climate is the most effective way to create a landscape that requires minimal maintenance. Native plants are resilient because they are already well adapted to handle both heat and drought. Here are just a few suggestions.
Mexican feathergrass looks impressive, and offers some height - great for filling in background areas. It comes back year after year so you won’t need to replant every spring.
Black-eyed Susans are cheerful little yellow flowers with distinctive black centers. They are known to be repellant to bugs, so they can help protect themselves as well as other plants near them.
Texas sage can be pruned to grow more like a shrub or a tree depending on your preference. Keep a lookout for their purple blooms which appear in anticipation of rainfall.
It’s best to plant these when they are best able to grow their roots. In Austin, with our hot dry summers, that means planting in the Fall or Early Spring so that they have a chance to establish themselves before it gets hot and dry.
Incorporate Other Elements In Your Yard
Add some dimension and visual interest to your garden with hardscape features such as rock gardens, pathways, and patio areas. These spaces make your garden easier to enjoy year-round while reducing area that needs to be maintained. Hardscaping also has the added benefit of helping to control erosion, keeping your landscaping where you want it.
Speaking of water, maximizing water efficiency is important. Well hydrated plants – like well hydrated people – stay healthy longer and require less maintenance. Xeriscaping is a cool way to minimize your garden’s need for a constant influx of water. However, the initial install is an investment, and the look isn’t for everyone. If you love it, it is well worth the initial cost and set up. If you prefer more traditional looking landscaping investing in quality irrigation is a game-changer. A well-designed system will deliver the right amount of water to the right places. Drip lines and soaker hoses use the least amount of water necessary and you lose virtually none of it to evaporation. A smart system has the ability to adjust your watering schedule based on conditions which prevents overwatering and allows you to set it and forget it even if you’re leaving town for a while.
Your Golden Home Management home coordinator can help you find contractors and installers near you to help you through the process of either installing or upgrading any element of your landscaping. We can also include a quick irrigation system check as part of your monthly subscription to be sure everything is doing what it should be doing. Want to find out all the ways our home coordinators can make your life easier? Contact us for a free assessment or to learn more about how we help homeowners 55+.