How to Plant a Low Maintenance Garden to Increase Your Seattle Property’s Value

A well-kept yard, trimmed shrubbery, and flowers add curb appeal, but few people want to spend their weekends on the upkeep. You can increase your Seattle property’s value and reduce your weekend yard work by planting a low-maintenance garden in the back, side, or even in the front yard.

Here are some things to consider before planting your low-maintenance garden:

Choose a Sunny Spot

Vegetable and flower gardens need at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. Place your garden away from the house and any nearby shade trees, so late-day shadows won’t interfere with the plants’ sun exposure. 

Low Maintenance Isn’t No Maintenance

Flower Gardens

An abundance of rain in the Emerald City makes it easy to maintain a healthy lawn and garden, but only if you plant cool-season grasses and native plants. Rosaceae, black-eyed Susans, and red columbine are among the flowers that have adapted to our climate and soil, so they need little or no additional water or fertilizer. Perennials like white sage, aster, painted daisies, and rock roses practically grow themselves and pop up every year on their own. 

By choosing the right plants, you’ll spend a lot less time maintaining your garden and more time enjoying it.

Vegetable Gardens

A vegetable garden can also add to your curb appeal and increase your property value, but only if a prospective buyer sees it as attractive and easy to maintain. Seattle’s cool and wet climate is perfect for the “set-it-and-forget-it” veggie garden. 

Colorful cool-season crops like carrots, broccoli, kale, and winter squash make an attractive edible garden and require little work. Check the frost calendar for Seattle before planting seeds or starter plants.

Container Gardens

Elegant container gardens are easy to create and maintain. They don’t need weeding, and you can move them around to match your mood. With so many types of pots, urns, and canisters that match all types of outdoor decor, you can plant a Seattle garden to match your style. Brighten up the front porch or back patio with forsythia, cordyline, purple fountain grass, and lemon cypress. 

Some container garden tips: Large urns or pots should have a drainage hole in the bottom for excess water. Plant roots spread quickly, so have some larger containers on hand to transplant your greenery every year or two. 

Xeriscaping and Rock Gardens

One of the easiest ways to create a low-maintenance garden is to fill a section of your garden with rocks, hardscape, ground covers, mulch, and ornamental grasses. Xeriscaping reduces the amount of grass you’ll have to cut or water. 

Perfect for Seattle xeriscaping? Purple fountain grass, blue fescue, zebra, and porcupine are cool ornamental grasses. Add some coneflowers and coreopsis to the mix. Big rocks, flat tile pavers, a couple of bird feeders, and a park bench bring peace and tranquility to your backyard oasis. 

Go Green to Make More Green at Sale

When it comes to sprucing up your house for the sales market, it IS easy being green! Greenery enhances your Seattle neighborhood and often provides a nice sound barrier. Flowers, shrubbery, small trees, and fruit and vegetable gardens give buyers what they want … a path to simple suburban living.

Sahana Parker writes about landscaping and creative gardening techniques for several nurseries. She loves her garden but doesn’t like to garden. She is careful to plant only native wildflowers, which she can set and forget.