BACK TO MAP	How to Design a Truly Low Maintenance Landscape
Let's start with the planting foundation first. All plants need two things to survive and thrive. #1 A good irrigation system and #2 an excellent bed preparation. Let's examine the first of these two items. What is a good irrigation system? This means 100% coverage. What is 100% coverage? My plants get water. 100% coverage in irrigation terms means that the radial pattern of water from one head touches the center of the next head. Such that a piece of ground that is between two irrigation heads gets sprayed with water two times. (I.e.: When an irrigation zone designed with spray heads that have a 10' radius pattern, the heads should be placed 10' on center.) In other words, the spray from each head should overlap to the next head. Also important for a good irrigation system is a moisture sensor. This is a sensor that is placed in the ground to detect the amount of moisture in the area. The moisture sensor is best utilized when the area has just received rainfall, prior to the automatic system turning on. Of additional importance to a good irrigation system is the installation of a rain "freeze" sensor commonly called a mini-click. This device turns the automatic irrigation system off if it starts to rain while the system is functioning. However, this device should be placed on a roof eave or at the top of the fence - such that an irrigation zone does not spray the sensor and accidentally shut the system off. If you have an irrigation system and it turns on while it is raining - the City of Houston may issue you a $500.00 fine. It is now a law to have a mini-click on all irrigation sytems. Both of these items are minimal in cost to the amount of water used over the life of an improperly functioning irrigation system. However, no irrigation system is a good system if a person does not know how it works. Make sure that you know how to adjust watering times, scheduling, and programs for your particular system. In case your system was installed prior to your purchase of the residence, on the inside left cover of each irrigation system; there are instructions on how to work the system. If the instructions are illegible, check on the web for the manufacturer, and have them send you a new instruction booklet for the model you have. Another crucial element to a good irrigation system is one that has a PVB. A PVB is a pressure vacuum breaker. This keeps the irrigation water from back siphoning into your potable water system. By law this device must be certified annually by a Certified Backflow Inspector and the results sent to the proper authority. The City can turn off your meter if this is not done. (Rare, but it is becomming more common.) If you go outside after the irrigation system runs, and there is water in the gutter or running down your driveway, there is a good possibility that the irrigation system is running longer than the requirements of your turf of planting bed needs. Also, irrigation systems should ideally operate between the hours of 4am and 8am. The system should complete all of its functions approximately thirty minutes before your household gets active. If the grass or planting area is still wet at midday, chances are that the system is operating for a longer run time than necessary. A good rule of thumb to consider when deciding how much to water is as follows:   Winter 2-5 minutes per zone every 3rd day   Spring 5-7 minutes per zone every other day   Summer 6-15 minutes per zone every other day Your specific watering schedule will be mandated by the quality of your irrigation system, the quality of the soils, and the watering requirements of your plant materials. Adjust your run times to suit the needs of your particular sun and shade pattern, as well as the watering requirements that your plants need. It may take a few tries to get things correct. There are some systems that are satellite fed, which will automatically adjust every aspect of the system's watering needs; however, it is rare to see them in a residential setting. How can you tell if your plants are getting the correct amount of water? Look at the leaves. If the leaves are dark green and the plant is growing well - you are probably on target with the watering requirements. If the leaves have dark veins and the leaf is turning yellow - there is too much water. If the water is not reduced, the leaf will continue to turn yellow and then finally brown. Usually the plant is stunted and does not grow properly. Most people misdiagnose this problem and add more water. Some people call this problem iron chlorosis. That is true. The cause is too much water washing the nutrients out of the soil. If the leaves curl and look dry - you can probably assume that there is not enough water. The second element to a good foundation is to start with an excellent bed preparation. I have seen contractors at new homes add a couple yards of sand to a debris filled area, dig holes that are barely the size of the plant container, smush the plant into the hole, mulch the top, and walk away. They call this landscaping. We all know that it isn't. Three months later, the new homeowner is really upset that everything is dying, even though they "water all the time". At my house and for my clients, I usually specify a 60% Bush's Best Compost and 40 % sand mixture for bed preparation. The compost/sand mixture, tilled into the existing soil, creates the necessary nutrients in the soil and gives the planting bed the ability to percolate water easily. The compost will degrade over time, so each year it is necessary to top-dress the area with additional compost. With the additional compost, the plant bed is less dense and less prone to become compacted clay if the beds are built and maintained in this way. Most contractors do not use this mix because it costs more than conventional soil prep bed mixtures. As a rule, never dig a hole in the existing ground and plant a plant in Houston's clay soil without a soil analysis first. Why? Most plants grow best in soil that has a pH of 6.4-6.7. That soil pH is rarely found in existing clay soil. Furthermore, the clay soils in Houston are usually lacking in the necessary nutrients that a plant will need to sustain vigorous growth. To take a soil analysis, dig a hole about twelve inches deep and one to two inches in diameter with a hand trowel. Place the lower nine inches in a Ziploc bag and send the sample to a soil analysis lab. A soil analysis can be done for about $20.00 at Texas A&M. It takes about three weeks to get the results back. Additionally, a great bed preparation reduces watering time and weeds. To know if you have great bed preparation, use a hand trowel or your hand to see if it is easy to dig a 4"x 6" color planting hole. If the soil is too hard and it is necessary to get a bigger shovel, then it is likely that the tender roots of the plants are having the same difficulty navigating the compacted soil. When the root system can not easily branch out, then the plant grows at a slower rate, and produces fewer blooms. Amending the soil is really easy. I prefer to use organic soil conditioners. This type of system is not for everybody. In a typical year, I will granular feed the soil in the planting beds and turf areas twice. I feed once in the spring and once in the fall. The great thing about organic feeding is that it is virtually impossible to get the soil nutrients out of balance. Unlike organic soil, nutrient poor soils that are fed with inorganic chemical fertilizers may need monthly feedings to keep the lawn areas green and the trace nutrients not present in the chemical cocktail can get very "out of balance". Trace nutrients are the elements in the soil that are not N-P-K. They are calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, and others. Organic fertilizers add the necessary elements and the excess nutrients that are not "tied up" or "bonded" get washed away without being concentrated into the soil. As for foliar feeding the plants, this too, becomes easier. The plants receive most of their nutrients from their prolific root system in the balanced soil, thus requiring less additional feeding at bloom time. This translates to less time and expense for the homeowner. Feeding plant materials is not necessary when the plants are dormant or in non-production modes. When the plants are preparing for their color season, it is best to feed every other week. This may seem a bit excessive; however, the constant watering removes valuable nutrients from the soil. Bi-weekly is usually the feeding schedule for a 'show garden'. (i.e.: The Home Tour, or the Azalea Trail.) When we talk about plant materials there are certain aspects that many people do not know. One important factor is that plants are graded like meat. There is A+ or Grade 1 (Prime Black Angus) all the way down the scale to "Grade D but edible" (McDonald's). The best A+ plants will be at the top rated wholesale nurseries and pricey retail garden centers. Then the next best (B-C) quality will appear at the home improvement stores and better garden centers. The worst stuff available for the market can be found at discount retail nurseries, mediocre wholesale outlets, and "best price guarantee" retail improvement stores, not to mention other curbside shops. Do not purchase 'fire sale' plants - they are usually defective or are about out of season. No nursery will sell a prime plant (usually about 300% markup) for 50% off without a reason. A common error that most people make when choosing a plant is to look at the flowers. Yes, they are the prettiest part - but the flowers fade. Look, instead at the leaves, branch shape, number of buds, and for pest damage. The best shrubs, perennials, and annuals are the ones that are well formed, disease free, and will bloom when you get them home. Conversely, a pretty flowering shrub with aphid nymphs, bought at a good price, and brought home to your landscape can do hundreds of dollars worth of damage to an existing landscape. Although the aforementioned information is very important, building beds and installing good irrigation systems are not what make people stop in front of someone's house and ooooh and aaah. Pretty planting are what most people want to see. Remember, there is no such thing as a 'NO maintenance landscape' - that would be concrete. So, below is a select list of ideal plants for a LOW maintenance landscape in Houston.  Common Name  Botanical Name  Notes  Pests/problems Giant Liriope Liriope gigantens Evergreen None Aztec Grass Ophiopogon jaburan variegatus 'Silver Shower' Variegated None Butterfly Iris Dietes vegeta Blue, white, yellow iris in spring None Lily of the Nile Agapanthus sp. White, lt. blue, dk. blue flower in spring None Liriope 'Big Blue' Liriope sp. Blue spikes prolific Cut down in spring Monkey Grass Ophiopogon sp. Green easily spreads Burns in hot sun Mini Mondo Grass Ophiopogon sp. nana 2" tall does not spread Short root system Holly Fern Certomium falcatum Reproduces by spores on back of leaf Burns in hot sun Lace Fern   Multiplier, good for wet areas Burns in full sun Impatiens Impatiens sp. Multi color, good shade perennial Slugs, pinch back Begonias Begonia sp. Sun and shade var. Slugs, pinch back Camellia Camellia sp. Sun and shade var. winter bloomer Aphids Juniper Juniperous sp. Make gin Many people are allergic Spirea Spirea sp. Many varieties Too much water Azalea indica Rhododendron sp. Formosa, george tabor, judge solomon Largest of all azaleas, lace bug Azalea pink ruffle Rhododendron sp. Spring bloomer Medium sized azalea, lace bug Azalea red ruffle Rhododendron sp. Fall bloomer Very small azalea, lace bug Gardenia Gardenia jasminoides August Beauty, Vecheii, First Love Aphids, white fly Dusty Miller Senecio cineraria Silver foliage Cut in spring Lantana 'yellow' Lantana sp. 'New gold' evergreen Cut in spring Verbena Verbena sp. Carpet of many colors Cut back in winter Confederate star Jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoides Jasmine smell, white flowers Trellising Asian Jasmine Trachelospermum asiaticum Good groundcover red and green Extremely hard to contain Carolina Jessamine Gelsium sempervirens Yellow flowers on vine Good prostrate on a fence - not good as a fence cover Wisteria Wisteria sp. Evergreen Needs a strong trellis Fig Ivy Ficus pumilla Evergreen Needs trimming Loropetalum Loropetalum 'Hines purpleleaf' plum delight Purple green leaves, pink blooms Pinch back in spring Roses Rosa sp. Don Juan red climber Grandiflora, Old English, Floribunda Aphids Mexican Heather Cuphea hyssopifolia Purple or white perennial Trim back in spring Plumbago Plumbago sp. Blue flowers Trim back in spring Variegated Ginger Alpinia sp. Yellow and green leaves Trim back in spring Red Banana Musa sp. Red and green leaves Trim back in spring Dianthus Dianthus sp. Colorful perennial Deadhead Pentas Pents lanceolata Colorful perennial Cut back in fall Hibiscus Hibiscus sp. Colorful flowers Trim in spring Coppertone Loquat Erybotra x coppertone White flowers in spring Constant trimming Ligustrum Ligustrum sinensis White flowers in spring Constant trimming, black spot Wax Myrtle Myrica cerifera Resists pests Constant trimming East Palatka Holly Ilex opaca americana Red berries in fall None Burford Holly Ilex crenata Red berries in fall Constant trimming, oyster scale Chinese Holly Ilex cornuta Painful Painful Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria Red berries in fall Constant trimming Boxwood Buxus microphylla Easily shaped Constant trimming Variegated Pittosporum Pittosporum tobira Inexpensive Constant trimming Dwarf Variegated Pittosporum Pittosporum tobira nana Tiny, variegated None Eleagnus Eleagnus sp. Good dense hedge to ~19' tall Constant trimming Philodendron Philodendron sp. Tropical Trim back in spring Indian Hawthorn 'Clara' Raphiolepsis indica Compact, white flowers in spring Over watering Vinca Major Vinca sp. Colorful perennial Pother in fall Daylily Hemerocallis sp. Colorful flower in spring Deciduous Society Garlic Tulbaghia sp. Pink/purple flower in spring Repels insects In a formal landscape setting, the landscape is meant to accent the architecture. An example of this would be in a French style residence. Tree form ligustrums may accent the quoines, while masses of azaleas would be the background planting. Directly in front of the azaleas, a linear row of boxwood or yaupon holly would be placed. In front of that shaped or hedged row, a linear row of color planting and a formal border of Liriope or Asian jasmine would finish the look. The plantings are meant to provide a view that maximizes the architecture and provides a foundation planting that connects the residence to the lawn area. Although the lineal pattern is most common, in true French style landscape architecture, the beds are relatively intricate and very maintenance intensive. In a country style landscape setting, such as the less formal English cottage garden, plants are selected to masque the residence. True English gardens utilize plant material to define the structure instead of the structure defining the landscape. In most cases, many different types of plant materials create the pattern of the landscape. Singular plants, or groups of two's and three's are placed in a 'random' pattern. The plant material may be repeated, however, the pattern should be irregular. This type of landscape is characterized by bending the French rules. In most cases, a single tall shrub can be found in the middle of the landscape, while shorter flowering plants and vines may be closer to the foundation. English gardens use spatial relationships as a way of defining the garden. In a tropical landscape setting, the landscape should evoke memories of Maui. Copious amounts of color from lush blooms, tall palms, weeping philodendrons, and wafting fragrance define a tropical paradise. Structuring a tropical landscape is the most difficult design. True tropical gardens are very maintenance intensive because of the quantity of plant material needed to create a lush, full look. The natural garden is also one that evokes a sense of place. It too, can be relatively maintenance intensive. Creating a landscape that mimics a true natural setting is one that will usually have a lot of overgrowth, undergrowth, and not a lot of light. These are best utilized when the landscape area is very large and the 'natural' part of the landscape can be separated from the residence. Feng Shui in the garden. The best Japanese garden in Houston is in the Museum district. It is a public garden. Whichever type of landscape a person chooses, the residence should be designed to go with that style of landscape. Hints for low maintenance color in your garden. Always have the brightest or hottest color up near the door. The eye is attracted to color. Massing the hottest color near the entryway will unconsciously assist a person to the entrance. Create the majority of your color with perennial color instead of annual color. Perennials are usually dormant in the winter and return in the spring (i.e. Agapanthus, Daylily, Lantana, Impatiens, and Vinca). The use of annuals should be limited to small spaces. They do not reseed and are costly to replace, (i.e.: pansy, cyclamen, tulips, geraniums, and lobelia). In closing, we have touched on some of the important aspects of a well functioning garden. Irrigation, bed preparation, perennials color, planting styles, and a list of relatively low maintenance plant materials are not all that create a beautiful garden, but it is a start.
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