Low-Maintenance Landscaping for Your Log or Timber Home

Low-Maintenance Landscaping for Your Log or Timber Home

Drop the shears and step away from the lawnmower. Spend more time enjoying your yard and less time primping it with these tips.

If you’re considering building a Ward Cedar log cabin or timber hybrid, chances are, you’ll have the beauty of nature surrounding you — whether it’s stunning lake scenery, mountain vistas or serene wooded views.  Of course, your home is also guaranteed to be gorgeous thanks to our 50-plus house plans that look as good on the outside as they do on the inside.  But there’s one area that is likely to need your attention to put its best foot forward once move-in day arrives: your landscape.

After your home site has been cleared and your new cabin situated in the center, it can feel stark and bare, even if your crew did their best to leave native plants undisturbed.  Adding shrubs, trees, ground cover and other landscape features back into your yard will create an instant sense of place, allowing your home to look as if it had sprung up naturally from the ground, as though it has always belonged.

But plunking a few plants around your exterior won’t cut it.  Just like your home’s design required careful thought and attention to detail, so, too, will your landscape plan need to be approached with intention.  And, if you want to make the most of your time at the cabin, it’s important the plan you come up with is as “set-in and forget-it” as a yard can be.

While no landscape plan is 100-percent maintenance free, we’ll get you as close as you can get with these tried-and-tested tips for creating an easy-upkeep yard you’ll love.

Pass on grass

Unless you have your heart set on a lush sea of grassy green, consider nixing the turf and opting for a lower-maintenance ground cover that won’t require mowing or fertilizing.  From billowy Pennsylvania sedge to classic English ivy to dwarf monkey grass, there are options to fit every climate.

Go with Stone

Beyond ground cover, the ultimate no-mow landscaping choice is stone, and lucky for log and timber hybrid homeowners, rock pairs perfectly with wood.  For big impact, cover large swaths with decorative inorganic material, like pea gravel, slate chips or river rock. Instant stone garden!  Or, use it as an accent along your home’s foundation (it won’t attract pesky bugs, like mulch can) or to line walkways or a driveway.

Stay Local

If you want to spend your days stretched out in a hammock rather than hunched over your bushes with a pruner in hand, then indigenous plants will be key in your landscape plan.  By incorporating the types of perennials, shrubs and trees you see growing naturally around your home, you’ll minimize hands-on upkeep, not to mention water and chemical usage.

Proper Placement

When it comes to creating a smart landscaping plan, it’s not just what you plant but where you plant it that matters.  Keep your shrubs and ground cover between three and five feet away from the sides of the house to optimize air flow around the log foundation, which will inhibit mildew growth and simplify maintenance.  For trees, a good rule of thumb is to keep them between 15 and 20 feet away from the home to avoid potential issues from fallen debris, which can clog gutters and result in costly roof damage.

Create Charm

Once you’ve got your landscape basics down, it’s time to bring in the decorative elements. Just as you accessorize your interiors, your yard can benefit from a personal touch, too.  Depending on the style of your log home or timber hybrid, you can go formal or whimsical with anything from a simple birdbath to a free-standing fountain or arbor to a wildlife-themed sculpture.  The key to eye-pleasing design here is restraint.  Less is always more when it comes to lawn ornamentation.  Lastly, be sure to include a garden bench, a wooden swing or set of rockers so you can sit back and enjoy the views.

Contact us today to begin your log home journey.

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