Low-Maintenance Landscape Design for the Pacific Northwest Homeowner

Want a yard that looks great without constant effort? The key is designing with simplicity, sustainability, and the Pacific Northwest climate in mind.

Here are some principles to guide your landscape planning:

  • Go Evergreen: Shrubs like hebe, pieris, and dwarf pines offer year-round structure and color with minimal pruning.

  • Use Groundcovers: Replace labor-intensive lawns with creeping natives that fill space, block weeds, and need less water.

  • Minimize Irrigation: Choose plants suited to our natural rainfall and group them by water needs to simplify watering.

  • Embrace Mulch and Rock: These not only look polished, but they also help retain soil moisture and suppress weeds.

  • Keep It Simple: Fewer plant types, defined spaces, and clear borders make upkeep easier and your landscape more cohesive.

In a climate like Maple Valley’s, a low-maintenance yard isn’t just possible — it can be strikingly beautiful with the right design choices.

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