Landscaping as a new homeowner can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a big challenge for those without very much experience in the garden. For many first time buyers, the first few months in a new home can be a busy one, with home maintenance and unpacking dominating the schedule for the first several months.
Under these circumstances, maintaining the landscaping may become a low-priority item. With that in mind, choosing the right kind plants and making the right changes is important for creating a pleasant-looking, simple yard.
Work With What You Have
Keep landscaping simple in the first year if you need to. Remember that any new plants in your yard will need extra care in the first weeks or months as they become established in the ground. Keep the plants you can live with, and plant only what you feel is necessary. If the plants that are already in your yard are scraggly or unattractive, creative pruning is a good way to encourage leafy, attractive growth.
Avoid High-Maintenance Plants
Some plants are more high maintenance than others and, as a new homeowner, you may be spending your time working on projects inside the home first. Roses, for example, need a lot of pruning, fertilizing and care in order to thrive. Low maintenance plants like lavender, bougainvillea and morning glory will grow without fertilization and extra attention.
If you’re not sure which plants are high maintenance, go to a reputable nursery and ask the staff for help. In many cases, the most low-maintenance plants will be native flowers and shrubs. Native plants have the advantage of being adapted to the climate, soil and water for your area. Once established, many native plants need little or no care from homeowners.
Set Up An Automatic Watering System
If your home doesn’t have a watering system in place, get an automatic watering system set up at the beginning of the spring. Your new responsibilities at home will keep you busy enough. Having a watering system will ensure that your plants will get a drink of water even when you’re too busy to remember to turn on the sprinklers.
If you’re not ready to commit to an in-ground watering system, most home and garden centers will carry drip watering systems and timers that will suffice.
Consider Paying for a Service for a Short Period of Time
Some new homeowners simply don’t have time to care for their lawn in the first few months of homeownership. Getting a lawn care service will ensure that the basic needs of your lawn are met. This is especially helpful for homeowners who don’t yet own a lawn mower and other basic landscaping tools, because it gives them time to settle in before buying yard equipment.
Strive to make your landscaping easy to work with in your first year at your new home. Remember that you’ll likely have a lot on your plate. The easier your yard is to maintain, the better it will look and the happier you’ll be.
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