Great Uses Of Low-Maintenance Plants In Tulsa Landscape Design

In Tulsa, and really all of Oklahoma we know first-hand how tough it can be for plants, wildlife, and even us to survive the heat of summer. To combat the effects of a long drought and overall help with the global conservation of water and resources, many Tulsa landscape designers are using low-maintenance landscaping techniques.

This type of Tulsa landscape design makes use of plants native to the area that are already better suited for the Oklahoma weather and also drought-resistant plants. Native plants are also typically more resistant to local disease and insects. Using these types of plants can often lessen your landscape’s need for irrigation and maintenance. Succulents like cacti, aloe, and sedum are very tolerant of dry weather, although they do need more water during their growing season and do best in soil that drains well.

Ornamental grasses such as blue oat grass, feather reedgrass, and purple fountain grass are another kind of decorative foliage that can, withstand conditions with less water. Some groundcover plants and shrubs can also do well in these conditions. Groundcover can also be used on slopes to replace lawn areas that are difficult to mow.

Using low-maintenance or xeriscaping techniques can also include grouping plants together with similar watering and sunlight needs so that less water is wasted when caring for these plants. This form of landscape design also groups together plants that tend to require a similar amount of maintenance, which in turn will make landscaping and lawn work overall simpler.

Hardscapes are also used in low-maintenance landscaping to cut back on the resources and energy used for landscape maintenance. A stone walkway or paver pathway can lessen the amount of regular maintenance while also creating an added dimension to your landscape.

Another part of low-maintenance landscape design in Tulsa is preparing the soil well for native plants and shrubs. Making sure the soil is healthy with regular lawn fertilization will help reduce its need for water. Using mulch or compost can also help your soil retain water better in addition to preventing erosion and weeds.

The Tulsa landscape design architects at Oklahoma Landscape would more than glad to help you create a low-maintenance landscape design plan that’s geared to your particular landscape with the perfect plants, shrubs, and hardscapes to complement your home and lifestyle.

2013 Tulsa Landscape Design Trends - Low-Maintenance Landscapes, Outdoor Fireplaces

When the year comes to an end, we start to think of how the year went. What were some of the highlights? What did we accomplished? What were some of the trends? As for outdoor environments in Tulsa, let’s look at some of the biggest landscape design trends of 2013. Many of these trends will remain important in the 2014 landscaping scene, so Tulsa homeowners can also get ideas for how to renovate their landscapes in the coming year.

Low-Maintenance Landscapes
With green, sustainable living becoming more popular, low-maintenance landscape design is a huge landscaping trend now. Requiring less maintenance and often less water to remain healthy, these landscapes are great for homeowners with a busy schedule. But less maintenance doesn’t have to mean less color. Using native plants can create a more hardy landscape. Native and drought-resistant plants can often reduce your landscape’s need for water and maintenance. Ornamental grasses and succulents are popular, low-maintenance plants that are perfect for adding texture and style to a landscape. Part of low-maintenance landscaping is knowing how to group these plants together in way that will require less maintenance and maximize water conservation. With these landscapes, you can have a beautiful, vibrant Tulsa landscape with minimal upkeep.

Outdoor Environments
Outdoor living areas that become an really extension of your home are continuing to be a popular landscape design element. With stylish and comfortable dining areas and outdoor seating areas like outdoor sofas and tables, Tulsa outdoor environments are becoming more functional, more chic, and more of a complete outdoor living area where homeowners can relax or entertain much like they would in their indoor living room. Durable and trendy outdoor fabrics are making outdoor living much simpler. State-of-the-art outdoor kitchens are making entertaining outside a lot easier and a lot more fun. These outdoor kitchens look much like indoor kitchens with built-in sinks, grills, refrigerators, counter-tops, and more.

Fireplaces and Fire Pits
A popular aspect of many outdoor living areas are fireplaces and fire pits. These stylish outdoor elements are becoming very popular for homeowners, creating a fun and relaxing outdoor space. They can be designed in a variety of shapes and styles to complement almost any landscape. Installed seating adjacent to an outdoor fireplace creates a perfect spot for talking with friends. Lately, adding fire to a water feature has also become more popular, creating a stunning backdrop at night.

Water Features
Speaking of water, adding fire to a water feature is one element of this popular landscaping group. The relaxing sound of trickling water amid a garden can help soothe away the stresses of the day. That’s why decorative water features, whether portable or complete fountains, grottos, or waterfalls have risen in popularity in the landscape design world. These features add to the “green living” movement that has spread around the world, encouraging us to stay healthy in body and mind.

Edible Gardens
With an increased focused on healthy, organic living, many are now choosing to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Whether in complete organic gardens or in container gardens sporadically placed in their outdoor environment, homeowners are growing a feast in their own backyards. Many of these edibles are being used as decorative plants alongside other gardening features, mixing them in with the rest of their garden foliage to produce a beautiful and healthful landscape.

Other landscaping and outdoor trends include adding splashes of vibrant color to outdoor environment elements, moving technology outside with complete entertainment centers, WiFi, and surround sound, as well as living walls of foliage and green roofs.

Tulsa homeowners want to get the most from their outdoor environments and these trendy landscape design elements furnish the practical and aesthetic value needed for the perfect "staycation," while also increasing your property value.

Tulsa Low Maintenance Landscape Design - Xeriscaping and Water Conservation

We all would love more time. While gardening can be therapeutic, taking care of your landscape can take up much of your time, energy, as well as money. That’s why many homeowners are opting for low maintenance landscape design in Tulsa. Low maintenance landscaping is just that; it requires less maintenance as well as requiring less water. But this doesn’t mean that these landscapes have to be filled with cacti or have a desert-like feel. No, these landscapes can be very colorful all year round.

One important aspect of creating a more low maintenance landscape is using plants that are native to your local region. These plants are naturally more resistant to diseases and insects in the area and can survive better in the local climate. Native and drought-tolerant plants are less prone to be overtaken by weeds and often require less water. All of this translates to less maintenance. And it just makes sense that if these plant species can survive in the wild on their own, they will take far less maintenance than exotic plants that are used to a totally different climate. Oklahoma Landscape’s horticulturists can help you find colorful and lively native plants that will perfectly complement your landscape and home.

Choosing drought-tolerant plants is part of a landscape design known as xeriscaping or dry gardens. This doesn’t mean that no water is used, but that water conservation techniques are employed in the landscape design to reduce the need for water while still creating a sustainable and beautiful landscape. As with low maintenance landscape design, xeriscaping involves not only choosing plants that will thrive in the local climate and are resistant to drought, but also planting and grouping them in ways that will require less maintenance.

Effective planning is vital for your Tulsa landscape to become a low maintenance garden or xeriscape. Grouping plants together that have similar watering and sunlight needs will make it easier to care for them. Noting the terrain of your landscape and the way rain drains can help you prevent erosion by using terraces and other landscape features to reduce soil loss. In shaded areas where grass is hard to grow, ground covers and flowers that thrive in shade can be used to replace turf. Grass on slopes can be replaced by low-maintenance ground cover to reduce difficult lawn mowing. Analyzing and planning areas with more traffic can help you decide whether to introduce a ground cover or even a hardscape like a walkway or patio that will greatly reduce maintenance by replacing turf. This does not mean replacing your entire lawn, but simply designing turf areas in a more thoughtful way to maximize their effectiveness by balancing practicality. For instance, large, open spaces may be more practical with turf, but narrower, shaded areas where grass doesn’t grow well may need more native plants, rocks, and shrubs.

Planning also involves ensuring your soil is well-nourished so as to reduce the need for water. Aerating the soil and using a good fertilizer or compost can help improve your soil, helping it to retain the water it needs for plants and grass to flourish. Using mulch around plants can help prevent weeds and erosion while also helping the soil retain its moisture.

Drip irrigation systems can be used to maximize the effectiveness of irrigating while conserving water. With this type of irrigation, water loss due to evaporation, surface runoff, and wind is virtually eliminated. A slow, steady application of water directly to the plant’s root system is the best way to ensure plant health and vitality. In general, drip irrigation applications use 30 to 70 percent less water than an overhead irrigation system, and plants grow to maturity about twice as fast.

A low maintenance landscape doesn’t have to dull, but can be vibrant, full of colorful plants and using a variety of themes and designs. These landscapes can reduce watering costs, time in maintaining, reduce pollution, and increase the value of your home with sustainable landscape design practices. Oklahoma Landscape can design the best low maintenance landscape for your home so that you’ll have more time to “find yourself outside.”