On Gardening/Low Maintenance Landscaping - Part 1 Of 2

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University Park, Pa. -- All landscapes will require some care, so consider a maintenance program during your design phase. The extent to which a landscape is developed depends on the owner's financial situation, attitude towards gardening and desire for functional surroundings. A landscape plan should start with a study of the problems, opportunities and conditions of the site. The needs of the owner should also be considered in the initial study.

The first design step is to define the public, private and service areas on the property. The public area is essentially the entrance to the home and property, the private area is an extension of a similar indoor space, and your service area contains the wood pile, vegetable garden and other storage material. Decisions about specific plants and construction materials should be made on the basis of their ability to meet the requirements in these areas. By considering plant maintenance in advance, the decisions can be made on that basis as well.

During the design phase a close examination of the existing conditions on the property is essential. A site inventory and analysis will indicate what you have to work with in the landscape. Various aspects of the site should be considered for their design potential as well as their maintenance needs. During site analysis, consider the following conditions for their impact on a maintenance schedule.

Topography, the rise and fall of the land is important. Steep slopes present high-maintenance conditions. They can be planted with ground covers to reduce the need for mowing while reducing soil erosion. Another solution is to replace the slope with terraces and retaining walls for a stepped planting area. While terraces may be an expensive operation initially, they provide low maintenance areas in the future.

Determine if the soil is sand, silt or clay. A soil test of the area will also indicate pH (acid or alkaline) and nutrient content. This information will suggest what plants will grow best on the site. The less you have to modify the soil to meet plant needs, the lower your maintenance.

Plants not adapted to an area's hardiness zone will require special attention and maintenance year after year. You also might find special conditions on the site which create micro-climates. Such spots may be overly wet, dry, shady or hotter than their surroundings. Once these microclimates are identified you will be able to match plants to the limited conditions.

The maintenance requirements of the individual plant is an important consideration. Select plants with low maintenance requirements while at the same time meeting the design requirements for such points as color, texture, density, shape and size. The following types of plants are listed in descending order according to the amount of care they require:
-- Espalier and topiary
-- Annual and perennial flowers
-- Lawns
-- Ground covers
-- Deciduous and evergreen shrubs
-- Deciduous trees
-- Evergreen trees

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**Dr. Nuss is a horticulturist at Penn State. He coordinates all extension horticulture programs. He has bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in ornamental horticulture and has been on the Penn State faculty since 1966.