I have had the pleasure of designing hundreds of gardens for many clients during the past twenty-some years and if there was one common denominator it would have to be..."Make mine low-maintenance, please." We may love our gardens and even enjoy working in them for fun and relaxation, but no one wants to be a slave to one. So how can a garden be designed and installed to minimize future maintenance requirements?

Low-maintenance must be planned for in the design process. Attention to proper plant selection, drainage, grading, bed shapes and sizes all play a crucial part in the care requirements your garden demands. Construction material choices and installation techniques can also affect future maintenance. Attention to these design elements at the beginning can bring benefits for years to come. Inattention or poor selections can just as likely cause hours of pruning, spraying, trimming or repair. In many cases, future replacement or renovation is required.

Following a careful analysis of your property and noting the particular site conditions, the selection of the appropriate plants and materials becomes much clearer. For example, shady areas call for plants that are tolerant of that condition. Selecting sun-loving plants for that shady corner will result in poor performance and weakened or unsightly plants. The reverse is just as true. The incorrect plant can require much more care to survive than the correctly chosen one.

Probably one of the biggest causes of poor performance in plants is poor drainage. Take the time to raise beds with topsoil and extend downspouts beneath and away from plantings to improve drainage. Compost and other amendments should be rototilled deeply into the beds prior to planting to insure drainage and good root development. Someone once said, "spent a dollar for the tree and nine dollars for the hole." Take the time to prepare the site. Properly selected plants in well prepared beds and placed with respect to their mature size will reward you with years of beauty and minimal maintenance.
Choices made in construction materials and methods can also have an impact on future maintenance requirements. Flagstone or brick set over a concrete base requires almost no care for years to come. Even though this construction method costs somewhat more than paving over stone-dust, the future maintenance requirements will be much less. The same may be said for superior grades of lumber. Redwood and cedar are naturally decay resistant and are less likely to split, warp or rot than less costly alternatives.

Where lawn mowing is required, design bed lines for ease of mowing. You should be able to mow in a single pass along side beds. Eliminate nooks and crannies where mowing and edging require additional maneuvering. Smooth bed lines whether straight or gently curving are often more attractive than tight scalloped edges. Ground covers are a low-maintenance alternative in areas where lawns do poorly or mowing is difficult such as on slopes or beneath trees.

A professional landscape designer can assist you in planning your garden for minimal maintenance. You may not be able to do a "no-maintenance garden" but, a "low-maintenance garden" will be your pleasure now and for years to come.

TIPS FOR DECEMBER
Prune Evergreens carefully for holiday decorations
Make sure your Christmas tree gets plenty of water.
Don’t bring live trees into the house too early. Leave outdoors until a few days before Christmas. Be sure and dig the hole NOW. Cover it with plywood or sheeting until ready to plant.
Inventory your leftover garden supplies. Store remaining insecticides or herbicides safely—protect from freezing.
Mulch bulb beds to protect from freezing and thawing, and to conserve moisture if soil is dry.
Avoid walking on frozen grass. This can cause barespots.

The Master Gardener wishes you the very best for the holiday season and a Happy and healthy New Year!

Robin Milliken is a Landscape Specialist and Master Gardener
The Master Gardener appears monthly in The Olathe Daily News.
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