{"id":13614,"date":"2017-07-06T09:44:24","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T16:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.simplicity-homes.com\/?p=13614"},"modified":"2024-09-02T23:50:17","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T06:50:17","slug":"easy-landscaping-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dev.simplicity-homes.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/06\/easy-landscaping-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Landscaping Ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you hate doing yard work? Not everyone has a green thumb. The good news is that you can give your yard a face lift without spending all your free time doing it! HouseLogic<\/a> has some great tips on making your yard look great in no time.<\/p>\n

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#1 Use Rocks for Interesting Landscape Features<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Low<\/p>\n

Grass doesn\u2019t grow on rocks. Besides stating the obvious, what that really means is that they\u2019re the perfect, versatile tool for creating a low-maintenance outdoor space. Use them to create walkways, or group them together to form decorative outcroppings.<\/p>\n

You can even lay out stones to be ornamental dry creek beds.<\/p>\n

Small yards<\/a><\/span>, especially in desert climates, can be completely rocked over, or you can use them as strategically placed accents.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019ve got spots that are constantly wet, they\u2019re great for keeping mud (and mosquitoes!) under control because they\u2019ll help the water run off instead of collecting.<\/p>\n

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#2 Add a Rain Garden if You’ve Got a Soggy Spot<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking of wet areas, do you have a depressed corner of the yard where puddles rule?<\/p>\n

Try a rain garden, which is kind of a mini-wetland that reduces storm-water runoff. And done right, they\u2019re almost maintenance free because they require no mowing, no watering, and little weeding.<\/p>\n

They make much prettier focal points than soggy grass, too.<\/p>\n

Rain gardens are fairly easy to create, using gravel, sand, and native plants. The idea is to slow down rainwater so less of it goes into the sewer system, and more is used to nourish plant life.<\/p>\n

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#3 DIY the Easiest Deck Ever<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Decks do require some maintenance, but you don\u2019t have to mow \u2018em every weekend, that\u2019s for sure. And a platform deck \u2014 no steps, no railings \u2014 is the easiest of all.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are lots of dense hardwoods like ipe and cedar, redwood and composites that last a long time and are very low-maintenance,\u201d says Tomi Landis, president of Landis Garden Design in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re dreaming of your\u00a0new deck<\/span><\/a>, think about this: How you will use it?<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you be using it in the morning while having coffee?\u201d Landis asks. \u201cIf so, it should be oriented to the east. If it\u2019s mainly for dining out in the evening and having cocktails, it should be facing west.\u201d But be sure shade is available in the hotter months.<\/p>\n

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#4 Switch to Tall Grass That Never Needs Mowing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not all grass is created equal. Tall grasses, like switchgrass, bluestem, muhly, and fountaingrass, all grow fast and require very little TLC. Nor do they ever get mowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNative grasses are a great solution to a lot of landscaping problems,\u201d Landis says. They soak up lots of water and provide an organic privacy screen while trimming your mowing time.<\/p>\n

How to use tall grasses:<\/p>\n