Your guide to low maintenance, high impact landscaping

When you drive through a new neighbourhood, what is the first thing you notice about the different properties you see? It’s probably not the custom fixtures in the master ensuite, is it? It’s also probably not the Italian marble the owners spent a fortune on in the family area. (Disclaimer- If either of these are things that you do notice, well done. You have an excellent eye, but you also may exhibit prowler-like tendencies!).

All joking aside, it’s most common to notice the landscaping of a home, lining the perimeter of the structure. Some gardens are awe-inspiring, others tend to draw your eye for the wrong reasons because of their lack of care. Either way, your landscaping is the first calling card that you share about your home with passers-by and potential buyers.

For sale: 52 Lincoln Avenue, Coburg North, VIC

One of the biggest misconceptions about landscaping is that intricate and awesome work takes a lot of time and money. Today, we’d like to break down that myth and instead, share some industry secrets and best practices you could look at doing yourself. After all, your time and money are two currencies that we’d like to see you retain as much of as possible!

Today, we’re partnering with the team at Australian Heritage Homes, the ultimate professionals in this endeavour. The decades of experience that the AHH team offer, frequently focuses on stretching your hard earned dollar as far as it will go.

Here are some ways to ensure that your landscaping is low maintenance, but high impact:

Explore plants that require minimal watering

Succulents and cactuses are on trend right now. Even if they don’t align directly with your aesthetic, there are alternatives to your favourite flowers and plants, which don’t require nearly as much water or TLC.

For sale: 26 Seaview Street, Blairgowrie, VIC

Choose plants with wide berths

In line with the advice above, we recommend choosing trees or plants with wide areas of shade cover, versus detail-oriented flower beds. Even though the flower beds may look beautiful when in bloom, think about the different types of nutrients and care they’ll need. They may even require different levels of watering. The result just isn’t worth the stress or the time.

Opt for gravel pathways, instead of grassy ones

Grass requires both trimming and watering on a regular basis, depending on what kind of weather the current season has thrown at you. When you choose deep gravel beds and paths instead, you’re knocking several items out of the budget and time commitment to maintenance, right off the bat.

For sale: 17 Selwyn Avenue, Elwood, VIC

Pick out native plants

If you’re set on intricate flower bed designs, keep an eye out for plants and flowers that are native to your area. This means that you’ll already know that they grow well in your specific environment, so both pruning and watering involvement will go down.

Check out material recycling depots

Many cities offer buildings or lots where you can drop off items that you just don’t seem to use anymore or from demolitions. These can be a mecca for raw materials like stone and timber sleepers for making garden beds, pots for plants or decorative touches which can take your garden to the next level with low investment.

For sale: 2 Windeyer Avenue, Gladesville, NSW

Consider going artificial

Many master gardeners might gasp in surprise, but artificial grass is a big trend right now. You won’t have kids stomping through, and flattening it. You also won’t have to worry about seasons with low-rain levels and you can kiss weekends spent mowing the lawn goodbye.

Leverage retaining walls to create dynamic layers throughout your yard

What’s a retaining wall, you may ask? Feel free to explore the different properties on the AHH site, many of which feature retaining walls. These are a great hidden secret—a wall placed within the grade of a hill, to make your property look like it’s been carved into different layers. You can hide all the nuts and bolts of a retaining wall, with a few well-placed flowers and shrubs.

For sale: 12 Valley View Close, Roseville, NSW

Find inspiration online

Thanks to the World Wide Web, landscapers and amateur gardeners are sharing all their secret tips for artistic garden projects that won’t break the bank. These include painting reused plant pots and fences, to add frequently-needed splashes of colour and style. If you’re not into the painting idea, Pinterest has a host of other projects, which may appeal to your style. Check out some Pinterest DIY projects.

We hope that these ideas kick start a creative brainstorm to help you take your landscaping to the next low maintenance level.

For more ways to up your home’s kerb appeal check out these five exterior projects and how to boost your street appeal.