Name: 15 Best Tactics for Low Maintenance Flower Beds in the Midwest
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15 Best Tactics for Low Maintenance Flower Beds in the Midwest

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Skip to content Love it? Share it! Low maintenance flower beds are a dream: all the beauty without all the work. Beautiful flower beds are something I enjoy and add so much curb appeal to our 38 acre home. However, I want low maintenance front yard plants that I can enjoy without slaving over. So today, I’m sharing 15 best tactics for low maintenance front yard ideas in the Midwest (and beyond)!This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.When we purchased our home, much of the landscaping was done already. Some of it I loved, some, not so much. We’ve tweaked it over the last four years by ripping out some of the unruly shrubs and replacing it with my favorite low maintenance plants.If you’d like a full tour of our 38 acre property, make sure to check out this video!However, what I knew from the start was that I needed low maintenance front yard landscaping. With 38 acres to maintain, I could not keep up with landscaping that was labor intensive and high maintenance.Instead, I wanted the front yard landscaping plants to take care of themselves and be stunners at the same time. Sounds realistic, right?Turns out, it is!While no landscaping is 100% maintenance free, there are many ways to create low maintenance flower beds and landscaping that offer beautiful curb appeal without spending hours of daily maintenance.First, here are the overarching strategies to a low maintenance front yard. Then, we will get into the details.Now, let’s get into some more details for low maintenance front yard ideas and simple flower beds that will thrive in the Midwest!Whether you need landscaping ideas for the front of your house, backyard, side yard, or dedicated garden, these 15 tactics will help you enjoy your landscaping!Here’s a quick summary of the items we will cover next.Stone/rock v. mulchProfessional grade landscape fabricPreen applied seasonallyDrought resistant perennialsPlay with patternRepetition of plantsMixture of trees, shrubs and flowersVary heights of plantsLeave a spot for annuals for full season colorCreate landscaping where there is a water source (or add one) to avoid lugging heavy water containersNix straight lines and design with curves for landscape boardersMetal or brick edgingEvergreens for year round colorVary plant color for interestAvoid invasive vines or ground coversFirst, let’s talk about materials. Using high quality materials will go a long way in keeping your garden and landscaping maintenance free (or close to it).Once you’ve designed the layout of your flower beds, invest in professional grade landscape fabric to cut down on weeds. My favorite weed barrier can be found on Amazon or Walmart. It is what I’ve used in our huge garden and has held up so much better than any other brand.Additionally, you can use cardboard and newspaper for more organic options.However, weed barrier is not 100% impenetrable. Think about it, even cracks in concrete grow weeds! So you will have to make sure to remove any sprouting weeds as soon as you see them to stay on top of it.I also love Preen applied seasonally as it dramatically reduces weeds before they start.Next, you will need to decide whether you want to include stone/rocks or mulch/bark in your flower beds. This will create a beautiful cohesive garden, and can also aid in weed prevention.We have rock in our front yard and mulch in our garden. Both have pros and cons.Rock/StoneMulch/BarkSo, depending on your needs, choose rock or mulch that fits your desired look and practical needs.The next material to consider is your flower bed boarders or edging.If you are looking to add raised flower beds, make sure to check out this article where I shared my favorite no-tool needed raised bed option. I built this myself in an afternoon and it is such an affordable and easy raised flower bed.If you are installing ground level landscaping or flower beds, then consider a low maintenance edging.I like this metal edging for its simplicity and long lasting durability in our flower garden.Additionally, you can use no dig edging or affordable pavers laid vertically and then butted up horizontally for easier mowing around flower beds. Turn on your JavaScript to view contentThe benefit to using flower bed edging is that it creates a tidy appearance for your front yard landscaping. It is an easy dividing point between flower beds and grass, and gives you more control over the shape of your landscaping. It also prevents rock or mulch from overflowing into your lawn.When designing the shape of your landscaping, consider adding curves. They elevate the look of a garden drastically and provide interest and flow. Plus, curved boarders add dimension to your front elevation for a high end look.Next, let’s talk plants! Plants in the North or Midwest need to be hardier than southern climates. Your most important factor in choosing plants will be determining which gardening zone you live in. Then, purchase plants that are going to survive there!You can find your gardening zone here.If you are looking for low maintenance flower beds then focus on these types of plants:In my front yard flower bed, I have a repetition of various hostas, hydrangeas, boxwood, evergreens, and spirea. Additionally, we have flowering and non-flowering trees, and a Japanese maple for color. With that in mind, let’s talk about designing your flower bed for interest!For some additional simple landscape ideas for the front of your house, keep these landscape design rules in mind:Now that we’ve come this far, it’s important to note that even if you do all of the above, you still have to maintain your gardens.Regular maintenance make it possible to have low maintenance landscaping. Without regular maintenance, things will quickly get out of control, overgrown, and weed infested.However, with weekly care, you will find that you can keep up with your landscaping using these helpful tools.Let’s break it down by the necessities versus tools that are extremely helpful time saving tools, but you can still get away without them.Shop The ListGarden Tool Must-HavesGarden Tool Would-Be-Nice-To HaveI’ve rounded up my full list of favorites for you to shop all in one spot here.Next in our landscaping adventures is the barn!See all that dirt on the right side? That’s where we cannot grow grass due to very sandy soil and shade. I’m determined to landscape this shaded area this summer with plants that can handle anything. Stay tuned!In the meantime, check out these other posts which I think you’ll find helpful related to this topic!I hope that this has been helpful as you seek to create low maintenance flower beds and front yard landscaping! Make sure to subscribe to the blog for all my insider perks.You can also follow along with my daily on Instagram and weekly on YouTube for live projects, tutorials, styling and gardening tips!Thanks for stopping by!~SarahI have a battery powered w/ charger mini hedger; it is idea for touch up, mini jobs , trim bushes when large hedging is not needed… And a hand weed tool it looks like a sewing foot for a sewing machine w/ a handle. it makes for easy weeding beds.. Thanks for post…ReplyThis site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Follower of Jesus | Wife | Mom | Author | Michigander, Living and Designing in Grace. Welcome to Grace In My Space!Learn More… Posts may contain affiliate links. Full disclosure&nbsp;here.

Skip to content Love it? Share it! Low maintenance flower beds are a dream: all the beauty without all the work. Beautiful flower beds are something I enjoy and add so much curb appeal to our 38 acre home. However, I want low maintenance front yard plants that I can enjoy without slaving over. So today, I’m sharing 15 best tactics for low maintenance front yard ideas in the Midwest (and beyond)!This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.When we purchased our home, much of the landscaping was done already. Some of it I loved, some, not so much. We’ve tweaked it over the last...

15 Best Tactics for Low Maintenance Flower Beds in the Midwest

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