Low maintenance as possible flowerbeds/gardening help

[hhihe730]

I bought my first house last year and have struggled to maintain my front flowerbeds. The previous owners planted some pretty high maintenance plants and flowers that require a lot of attention. I tried to keep up with it at first but then honestly just ignored it so long that it looks pretty pitiful. The beds are also getting overrun with weeds and I seem to be out there every day pulling them up. I also have a border running along the edge of the beds separating it from the grass and I’d like to do something different with that also. At this point I want to dig everything up and start over. I do NOT have a green thumb, I also work full time. I don’t mind doing maintenance on it like weeds and watering but just want something very low maintenance. Does anyone have any tips? I also wondered because of the condition of it if I should just call on a landscaping company to get me going in the right direction.

[frugalfoothills]

What zone are you in? Figure that out first. Then pick some hearty shrubs that will thrive in your zone (loropetalum, boxwood, etc.) Since you're talking about a front bed, I would select a shrub that stays green year-round... otherwise the front of your house will end up looking a little sad in the winter months.

Also look into dwarf species of the shrub you choose. Some shrubs can grow to be large, so if you're not looking to do maintenance like regular pruning, a dwarf species is your friend.

No way to get around weeds unless you pave your front yard.

Good luck!

[RetiredAt63]

There is a gardening thread on Throw Down the Gauntlet.  Lots of gardeners there to help.  But you need to do it like a case study, zone, soil, amount of sun and rain.

[Sibley]

I'm similar, except my mom likes to garden. I turned a lot of it over to her to play with.

See if you can find a good local nursery. Big box stores are not it. But a good nursery can help you come up with a plan and give you directions.

You fundamentally can't completely ignore it. Even low maintenance needs maintenance. But you can decrease it. Picking plants that will thrive in that location under benevolent neglect is key.

[hhihe730]

Thank you for your help! I’m a dunce when it comes to gardening but I’m interested in learning more. There’s a great local nursery by me, I’ll take the advice to see if they can guide me.

[herbgeek]

Mulch will reduce your weed load.  I've planted a bunch of low maintenance ground cover (mostly periwinkle) that is slowly filling in the areas so I no longer need to buy much if any mulch. 

[Fishindude]

Several years ago we spent about $5,000 to have a landscaper tear all the stuff around our house out and plant new low maintenance stuff.   That was money well spent.   We still do pots and a couple small planters of annual flowers but all of the other stuff is permanent, so all we have to do is keep it cleaned up, kill any weeds, and periodically add some fresh mulch.