Tips For Easy Outdoor Living Style Gardens 1. Mulch builds healthy living soil, which is the key to improving soil moisture retention and boosting the immune system of plants so they can make it through a long, dry period without additional attention. 2. Plants With Natural Forms do not require staking or clipping to maintain their shape. Maintenance is reduced because you don’t have to spend time shaping them. 3. Native Drought Adapted Plants are acclimated to various Mediterranean climates and do not require special attention or maintenance. 4. Big Beds and Drifts of the same kind of plant are easier to maintain than a jumble of many different kinds of plants in small spaces. Remember to plant in odd numbered multiples for a more natural effect. 5. Natural Meadow and Lawn is significantly easier to maintain than a conventional turf lawn because it requires less water and no additional inputs if maintained organically. Natural Lawn is cut less frequently, and the grass clippings are best left on the lawn itself as organic matter to build the soil 6. Low Growing Groundcovers fill gaps and keep weeds in check, thus reducing maintenance. Groundcovers also shade the surface of the soil, helping keep the moisture in. 7. Wide Permeable Paths rather than narrow winding walkways are easier for bringing wheelbarrows and trash bins for those infrequent maintenance days. 8. Avoid Rambling Climbers that grow fast and large and require constant attention to keep in bounds. 9. Weather-Based Irrigation Control is essential for managing irrigation efficiently even when you’re only using the garden a few days a week