An eye-catching, low maintenance landscape is great for rental properties in Ankeny. Tenants are willing to keep up maintenance on a yard that doesn?t require too much work, and low maintenance plants, shrubs, and trees will ensure that they thrive for years. The best low maintenance landscape designs usually minimize the use of water, utilizing a variety of strategies and techniques to achieve a look that is equally beautiful and easy to maintain.
Zeroscaping and Xeriscaping
If you?ve ever visited the American southwest, the chances are that you?ve seen both zeroscaping and xeriscape. Although it may sound similar, there is quite a difference between them. Zeroscaping refers to landscaping that uses basically no water. The most common options are decorative rocks and gravel, with some cactus or succulents thrown in. While some people find this look appealing, most prefer to see more green in their yard.
That’s where xeriscape comes in. Xeriscaping is a landscape design technique that uses drought-resistant plants to create a vibrant, green yard with minimal water use. While xeriscape may incorporate elements like decorative paths, stone terraces, walls, or rock features, the emphasis is on the green plants. Most xeriscape designs include small areas of lawn, drought-tolerant flowers, and flowering shrubs. In warmer climates, these flowering plants can even produce colorful blooms the entire year! The greenery is supported by drip systems that supply water directly to the roots, which eliminates wasted water. While it’s more common to see in tropical parts of the world, xeriscaping can be used just about anywhere as long as you incorporate native varieties of drought-resistant plants and trees.
Evergreens and Perennials
Several things can minimize the effort required to keep a beautiful yard like evergreens and perennials. Evergreen trees and shrubs are easy to grow, making them an excellent option for rentals. For a more dramatic look, you can try several different kinds of evergreens in a yard or planter bed. Perennials are also a great look for a xeriscaped yard. Perennials are flowers that return on their own every year, such as peony, hydrangea, and lavender. Really, the only effort required to enjoy these appealing plants is deciding which ones to plant.
Elements to Avoid
Creating a low-effort landscape is really about knowing what to do as it is about knowing what not to do. Some people want fruit trees in their yard, but they require far more maintenance than you might initially think. They often have very specific water requirements, need annual pruning, and typically need to be fertilized carefully to give good quality fruit. When the fruit does grow, it often attracts birds, insects, and rodents, none of which your tenants will enjoy. Unless treated with pesticides, the fruit is often inedible, and except if picked from the tree, it will create a big mess in the fall. Besides, no one enjoys the smell of rotting fruit, and your tenant won’t enjoy picking it up and disposing of it every year.
By learning about different easy-care landscaping techniques ? and what not to do ? you can create a beautiful, low maintenance landscape for your Ankeny rental property that your tenants will surely enjoy. To learn more about what upgrades would best fit your property, contact our team at Real Property Management Iowa today at 515-251-8200.