Maintaining a beautiful, green lawn can be one of the most satisfying things to do as a home owner. It can also be one of the more frustrating endeavors for home owners in Missouri and Kansas. From our wide range of temperatures, drought-like conditions and heat during the summer, to the wide range of insects, fungi, and invasive weeds, keeping the ‘perfect’ lawn has its obstacles. Not only can this process be frustrating, it can be quite costly as well. On average, home owners who maintain 10,000 SF of lawn, or ¼ acre, will spend anywhere from $4,025-6,545 per year to maintain their lawn. This estimate takes into consideration one season of commercial mowing service, weed and feed, aeration/overseeding, and watering 1-1.5” for 16 weeks out of the year. These estimates will vary considering lawn size, services used throughout the year, and rain frequency.
If you are a DIY kind of home owner, you may be cutting some expenses, but in doing so you are also spending hours of your free time working on the lawn. For some, personally maintaining a lawn can be very rewarding. For others, the process of buying a mower, cutting the grass, trimming the edges, and blowing off the sidewalks takes hours out of the weekend. On average, home owners will spend 60-100 hours a year mowing and maintain their lawn. That’s where Country Brook Landscapes comes in.
Let’s remove your yard. Yes, we know it sounds crazy…at first. But let’s think about it for a second. Is your lawn really that important to you? Could you imagine a world in which you no longer have to cut your grass on a weekly basis? What about that side yard that always gives you trouble because of the slope, or the area around back under the trees that never grows grass? Maybe you’re just sick of pumping all of your money into watering and fertilizing only to come home in July to a browning yard because of the heat, or a fungus started and now you have to kill the fungus, cross your fingers, and hope you don’t have to reseed your entire front yard.
There is a solution. Landscaping. More specifically, xeriscaping. Environmentally and economically, xeriscaping, when done right, can save you thousands of dollars in maintenance and hundreds of hours spent in the yard over the years. Studies conducted on Colorado and California have shown xeriscaping to save home owners anywhere from 50-70% on their water bills alone. That does not include the cost for gas, lawn mower, fertilization, etc. that you will no longer need to pay for. Environmentally, one of our growing concerns locally and nationally is the destruction of native habitat. Insects like bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are struggling due to the use, and often times over-use, of herbicides and insecticides on our lawns. Native plantings do not need fertilizers in order to grow in our climate. By eliminating the use of granular fertilizers on just one ¼ acre lawn, you are eliminating hundreds of pounds of fertilizer a year.
There are several misconceptions regarding native landscaping in general. First, "A drought tolerant, native landscape is boring and dry with mostly rock". This is completely false. A good combination of native shrubs and trees, as well as river rock and mulch, will be extremely colorful throughout the year while also conserving water. Second, "Planting flowers that attract bees and pollinators will attract insects and unwanted wildlife to my home". This is also false. Your landscaping plan should take into consideration your home and the areas you want to be able to enjoy around your house. You can still plant flowering trees and shrubs throughout your landscaping while keeping insects away from the areas you want to have as ‘useable’ space. Finally, "Adding all of these plants to my yard is going to create more maintenance," or “I don’t know how to take care of all of these plants!” Missouri native plants are amazingly adapted to our extreme temperature swings from mid-July heat to mid-January cold. They are also extremely easy to group together according to care and maintenance needs. Most Missouri and Kansas native grasses and flowering perennials require the same sun and shade, watering, and pruning needs. Many of the grasses and perennial flowers require only one shearing a year, typically late fall or early spring. This makes maintaining native landscapes extremely easy.
Xeriscaping done right requires a few things. The main one being an understanding of native plantings and how to use them in a landscape. Missouri and Kansas growing zones offer a huge variety of beautiful, low maintenance plants that THRIVE in our climate. Yes, thrive. From grasses that change colors throughout the year, to flowers that bloom brilliantly in the spring and summer, to decorative and shade trees that bloom and change colors throughout the year, there are so many plants to fit your individual taste.
At Country Brook Landscapes, we are committed to helping you achieve your dream yard while also saving you money and time in the process. Our team will work with you to design a xeriscape that fits your unique taste and needs, using a variety of beautiful and low-maintenance plants. Don't let the frustration of maintaining a traditional lawn consume your free time and money. Let us help you transform your yard into a beautiful space that you can enjoy for years to come. Contact us today for a consultation and start your journey towards a low-maintenance and cost-effective yard.
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