Are the seed catalogs and plant nurseries calling your name? Unless you’re truly committed to gardening and the work and time involved, you probably need to consider using plants and grasses that don’t need a lot of TLC, as well as ways to get around certain time-consuming aspects of keeping everything alive. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

• Growing a lawn is labor intensive:  keeping it green requires large amounts of water and regular mowing. Gardening Know How has a guide for creating a meadow, growing ground cover, or ornamental grasses, all perfect solutions for going lawn-free. 
• Faux grass–it’s not just for indoor sports arenas anymore. The industry has come a long way in the production of synthetic grass, and it could be the perfect solution for those in drought-prone regions, or for someone who simply doesn’t want to mow their lawn every weekend.  Depending on the size of your property, it can be expensive, but HouseLogic just might change your mind about installing fake turf! 
• Drought-tolerant plants will thrive without a lot of water, obviously. You can find twenty-one plants listed here, with their USDA hardiness zone included. 

• Every yard has its problem areas:  rocky soil, drainage issues, shady areas–these can all be planted with a little effort, and don’t normally need a lot of care afterward.   
• Mulch is a landscaper’s friend!  One tip from the Love Your Plants website is to add at least two inches of mulch for it to be effective. Check their website for more information about using mulch to benefit your plants and cut back on keeping up the flowerbeds.  
• If you’ve ever seen a hedge of hydrangeas in full bloom, you know how beautiful shrubs can be!  Hydrangeas are one shrub that doesn’t require a lot from you, and This Old House lists many more according to plant zone to encourage you to plant a low-maintenance hedge. 
• A traditional flower bed filled with annuals isn’t necessarily maintenance-free, but using drip irrigation or soaker hoses under the mulch will certainly cut back the amount of time it takes for you to water them yourself, and use the water more wisely than using sprinklers or hose attachments. 

Probably the most common type of low-maintenance landscaping is xeriscaping.  If you’re in a water-restricted area, a very hot climate or simply want to garden using as few resources as possible, xeriscaping is the way to go. With so many ideas to choose from, having beautiful landscaping without all the work is an easily attainable goal. 

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Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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