Need a hand with your lawn? You can always call on a Dallas Lawn Love pro<\/a> to do it for you. <\/p> Reduce the amount of time and effort you put into your lawn by planting native plants. Native plants tend to be more drought tolerant, pest- and disease-resistant, and generally require less maintenance than nonnative plants because they are accustomed to the area\u2019s climate and soil conditions. There are many advantages of Texas native plants:<\/strong><\/p> Here are three popular native plants for the Dallas region to get you started:<\/p> If you\u2019re looking for more native plant options, check out the Native Plant Society of Texas<\/a> or this list of native trees, flowers, and shrubs for the Dallas-Plano-Irving area. Estimated cost: <\/strong>If you do it yourself, you\u2019ll only be paying the cost for the plant. The cost of professional landscaping falls between $3.50-$15.50 per square foot<\/strong>. Native plants are cost-effective, low-maintenance landscaping options, so you\u2019ll end up saving money in the long run. <\/p> There are plenty of nonnative, drought-tolerant perennials that thrive in Texas landscapes. Planting large shrubs and trees will help you in the long run because once they\u2019re established, they don\u2019t require as much maintenance as smaller perennial plants. Overall, perennials will save you time and money that would otherwise be spent on replanting every year. Below you\u2019ll find a list of three popular low-maintenance plants in the North Texas region:<\/p> When looking for more low-maintenance plants, keep an eye out for ones that require less water, are disease- and pest-resistant, and thrive in Dallas\u2019 U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone<\/a> 8a. Choose perennials instead of annuals, and you\u2019ll be saving yourself money buying flowers every year and time replanting year after year. Estimated cost: <\/strong>Planting these yourself will save you money, as you\u2019ll only be paying for the plants themselves. The cost of landscaping falls between $3.50-$15.50 per square foot<\/strong>. Overall, you\u2019ll be saving money on your water bill with these drought-tolerant plants. <\/p> Hardscaping<\/strong> is a great option to make your yard look great while reducing the amount of lawn to maintain. Hardscaping is any non-living element installed in your yard, such as outdoor kitchens, firepits, and walkways. Hardscaping will improve the functionality of your backyard, help increase your home\u2019s value and curb appeal, and create an outdoor living space for you and your family to enjoy. Here are some common examples of hardscapes:<\/strong><\/p> Edging <\/strong>is a form of hardscaping that helps your yard look more organized. Installing edging around your garden helps keep mulch in place, prevents plants in your garden from invading the rest of your lawn, and keeps your lawn from invading your garden. It\u2019s an elegant barrier that also adds a touch of personality to your backyard and will increase your home\u2019s curb appeal. Advantages of hardscapes and edging:<\/strong><\/p> Estimated cost: <\/strong>The cost of hardscaping can vary greatly depending on what project you have in mind and the material you use. The average cost to build and install a fire pit is $700<\/strong>, while the average cost to install a patio is $3,595<\/strong>. <\/p> Grass is one of the most water-intensive, high-maintenance features in your landscape. Well, it does cover a lot of ground! You need to mow it, water it, fertilize it, and take care of it year-round to keep it alive and looking good. Thankfully, you have several options to help cut down on maintenance. Estimated cost: <\/strong>The cost of landscaping falls between $3.50-$15.50 per square foot<\/strong>. Native ground covers are inexpensive, so all you will need to pay for is the plant itself. If you\u2019re going with the grassless option, you can rent a sod cutter for around $67 for four hours<\/strong>, not including a $150 deposit<\/strong>. You also can hire a professional to remove your grass for around $1.50 per square foot<\/strong>. <\/p> With Texas\u2019 rapid growth, a growing problem is an increasing demand for the state\u2019s water supply. Unfortunately, your lawn may be contributing to this issue — about one-quarter of water usage in the state is attributed to watering lawns and gardens in urban areas. One solution to this problem is xeriscaping<\/a>. Xeriscaping, which is pronounced \u201czeriscaping\u201d is a form of landscaping that is focused on water conservation. In addition to planting drought-resistant grass and native plants (which we covered above), xeriscaping also includes:<\/p> There is a lot to keep in mind when planning to reduce your landscape\u2019s water usage. You should consider your budget, how your backyard is used, how you\u2019d like it to look, and how much effort you\u2019re willing to put into it. Don\u2019t be afraid to reach out to landscaping professionals<\/strong> to discuss ideas. <\/p> Soil testing helps you identify which elements are lacking in your soil and allows you to pick the best fertilizer. By making sure your soil has the proper nutrients, you will be ensuring the health of your plants, preventing diseases and other costly issues. It also helps you choose the best plants to survive in your soil. There are two main options when it comes to soil testing: a DIY soil test kit<\/strong> for home use, or you can send a sample of your soil to a soil testing lab<\/strong>. Soil test kits are inexpensive and easy to use, but they do not provide much information besides the pH level of your soil and any nutritional deficiencies it may have. To get a full soil analysis, you should send a sample to a soil testing lab. Contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension<\/a> office to learn more about affordable soil testing options. <\/p> Make sure your irrigation system is not wasting water. The most efficient way to irrigate your lawn is to make sure grassy areas are being watered separately from your other plants. Grass tends to require more watering than other plants, so you will be saving water and your plants from being overwatered. Also, make sure your sprinklers are not spraying water on hard surfaces, like your driveway or the roadway, instead of on your lawn. Automatic irrigation systems are a convenient way to evenly distribute water across your lawn at the best time of day, generally between 2-8 a.m. <\/p> To conserve water, use mulch wherever you can. Mulch helps to conserve moisture<\/strong>, reduce weeds, and prevents plant roots from experiencing intense heat and drought. It\u2019s best to use mulch that is made out of organic materials, such as compost, tree bark, and wood chips, because they will add nutrients to the soil as they decompose. Inorganic mulches such as rocks, gravel, and rubber are a more low-maintenance option because once you spread inorganic mulch, you don\u2019t have to worry about replacing it. While they don\u2019t provide nutritional benefits, they have all the other benefits of adding organic mulch to your flower beds. Advantages of using mulch:<\/strong><\/p> Other ways to conserve water include:<\/p> If you follow these xeriscaping guidelines, you will feel good about saving time, money and the environment. Estimated cost: <\/strong>If you have a large backyard to xeriscape, it\u2019s a good idea to hire a professional landscape designer or architect to help. The average cost to hire a professional for xeriscape design is $3,298<\/strong>. For design implementation, the cost will range from $3.50-$15.50 per square foot<\/strong>. <\/p> Implementing a low-maintenance landscape is a great way for Dallas homeowners to reduce the time, money, and energy spent taking care of their landscape. Low-maintenance landscaping is great for the environment, native wildlife, and you. Don\u2019t waste the weekend worrying about your lawn. Contact one of our Dallas lawn care professionals<\/a> to help implement and maintain your low-maintenance landscape year-round.<\/em><\/p> Main Photo Credit: time anchor | Flickr<\/a> | CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Would you rather be eating Tex Mex and exploring the Dallas World Aquarium or spending hours sweating in the hot […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":4003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.lawnlove.com\/images\/low+maintenance+landscaping-Dallas+hero.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Vibrant clusters of Texas purple sage","footnotes":""},"categories":[183],"tags":[426],"class_list":["post-3997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-texas","tag-lawn-care-dallas-tx"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/cdn.lawnlove.com\/images\/low+maintenance+landscaping-Dallas+hero.jpg?w=1200&fit=1200,900&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"Sav Maive","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/sav-maive\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}1. Go natural with Texas native plants<\/span><\/h2>
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<\/p> 2. Landscape with perennials<\/span><\/h2>
![\"groups](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_nandina_domestica_heavenly_bamboo_at_rhs_garden_hyde_hall_essex_england.jpg\")
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<\/p> 3. Add some diversity with hardscaping and edging<\/span><\/h2>
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<\/p> 4. Choose low-maintenance grass types<\/span><\/h2>
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<\/p> 5. Be water-wise with xeriscaping<\/span><\/h2>
![\"xeriscape](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_14929011953_aa0bc6b8f7_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> Don\u2019t know where to start? Get some help for your Dallas yard.<\/h2>
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