Warning, you aren’t going to like what I’m about to tell you about landscape maintenance… There’s a popular myth floating around out there, a fantasy that suggests if you set up your landscape a certain way, that you can simply walk away, expecting it to remain perpetually perfect and beautiful—a veritable fairy tale ending. Unfortunately, much like anything valuable in life—be it your home, car, health, spiritual well-being, or relationships—your landscape also demands ongoing care and attention.
Thriving planter at the Clark and Shultz Residence.
You’ve likely heard the adage, “if you want a clean house, you have to constantly be cleaning.” I’ve found it much more manageable to integrate simple routine maintenance into my daily schedule than to let chores accumulate and steal away my weekend fun. For example, when it comes to the never-ending task of laundry – I like to process one load of laundry every day, starting the washing machine after my morning shower, switching it out after work, and folding it while winding down/watching TV in the evening. But this blog post isn’t about house-keeping hacks, it’s about Landscape Maintenance.
Many people find landscape maintenance daunting, perhaps due to deep-seated cultural beliefs about controlling nature, a legacy from our agricultural and puritan roots, amplified by the 1950s emphasis on pristine, green lawns. This historical backdrop sets us up for failure by establishing unrealistic expectations for the “perfect” landscape. Moreover, when landscape maintenance is deferred, it can quickly become overwhelming. For instance, skipping a few hours of mulching in the spring can lead to numerous grueling days of work later. Just like keeping up with laundry, regular attention to landscaping makes the task more manageable.
The Lippencott Residence landscape uses a mulching strategy early in the season to save future time and energy.
The allure of “maintenance-free” solutions in landscaping is a myth often propagated by manufacturers through clever marketing. They tap into our frustration with yard work, promising ease with products like weed barrier fabric, which has become remarkably popular. Many of our clients, influenced by these promises, expect us to use this product, and it’s even mandated in certain commercial and institutional projects. Yet, these solutions rarely live up to their promises, leading to continued maintenance and often disappointment.
Weeds evading the landscape fabric.
Weeds growing in the soil atop landscape fabric.
While weed barrier fabric might seem like a maintenance-free solution, its effectiveness is short-lived. Initially, it blocks weeds effectively, but over time, the pores clog, hindering water and air from reaching the soil. Whether covered with rocks, where dust accumulates, or bark mulch, which decomposes, both scenarios lead to a thin layer of soil forming atop the fabric. This new soil layer becomes a fertile ground for weed seeds to take root and thrive. At this point, the combination of weed barrier (and landscape rocks if used) makes the chore of weeding more laborious than ever.
Weeds growing among the rocks atop landscape fabric.
The only reason weed barrier fabric works at all, is because it smothers the initial bumper crop of weeds that appear immediately after a new landscape construction project, because the seed bank in the soil has been triggered by soil disturbance. You can achieve a similar smothering effect with biodegradable cardboard or simply use mulch. Another option is to use a pre-emergent such as preen or corn gluten for the first couple of years. Ultimately what’s going to do the most weed suppression for you are other plants planted at a sufficient density to out-compete the weeds for light, moisture, and nutrients. If designed correctly a mature landscape is the best weed defense.
The Healy House garden has matured at a sufficient density to out-compete the weeds for light, moisture, and nutrients.
The Clark and Shultz garden is another example of dense planting helping to keep weeds down as the garden matures.
If you’d like more tips about landscape maintenance, you can download our free maintenance guidelines here!
