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Like many homeowners today, Jeff and Melissa Anthony of Prairie Village, Kan., a suburb of Kansas City, wanted to spend more time enjoying their yard than maintaining it. They hired Jason Cupp, owner of a landscape design-build firm, to add stone walkways, ground covers, and new trees, shrubs and perennials. They are also upgrading their sprinkler system. When the project is finished this summer, the only regular maintenance the yard will need is lawn-mowing -- a chore Jeff considers therapeutic. He estimates that the total cost of the redesign will come to about $25,000.
If you're the do-it-yourself type, you don't need to hire a professional to achieve an attractive yard that takes less work. Among the biggest high-maintenance landscaping offenders are plants that quickly outgrow their location and need frequent pruning.
A better choice: trees and shrubs that naturally reach the height and width you want. Landscape architect Richard Clayton Barrett, who works in Overland Park, Kan., urges clients to choose slower-growing, strong-wooded trees, such as oaks, sugar maples and black gums. If you choose turf and flowers suited to your climate and your site, you'll save on water, fertilizer and work, plus reduce plant loss.
Other tips: Plant ground covers to replace annual mulching. Install a sprinkler system that waters only where it's needed (with multiple zones for turf, shrubs and flowers). And instead of wielding a spade to stop the grass from creeping into your flower beds, install edging (aluminum, steel or plastic) to do the job.
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