Flowers are a beautiful addition to any property – there’s little disputing that. But maintaining a flower gardens requires significant work. If you’re having a hard time deciding whether all that effort is worthwhile, ask yourself these questions.
- How much free time do I have?
Planting is the easy part; maintenance is what takes times. You have to water your flowers and weed the flower beds on a regular basis. Before you decide to plant flowers, do an honest assessment of your free time. If you’re the kind of person who can barely find time to shower, a flower garden might be too big of a task.
However, there are ways for busy people to cut down on the time involved. For example, you can have sprinklers installed to eliminate watering time.
- Do I consider this a chore or will it be fun?
Some people love gardening and find it relaxing. Other people would rather pull out their hair than spend the day pulling weeds. Do another honest assessment here by asking yourself if the work is going to be more of a pain than it’s worth.
Even if you love the look of flowers, you might end up hating them if you dread the work that’s required to keep them healthy. Equally as bad, you might start to neglect the work, leading to overgrown flower beds that look worse than if you had done nothing.
- Can I afford to hire a landscaper?
Hiring a landscaper is the perfect solution for people who love the look of flowers but can’t stand the thought of gardening. You’ll be spared the hard work and you’ll get a professional’s touch.
Of course, hiring a landscaper is only a good idea if you can afford one. Rates vary based on the experience of the landscaper. Light planting starts at about $15 per hour, while professional gardeners who handle everything from design to maintenance usually charge $30-$50 per hour.
- Can my lawn be attractive without flowers?
Lastly, consider how important flowers are to creating your ideal yard. Maybe you’re looking for a polished lawn, but you’re not necessarily stuck on planting flowers to achieve that. There are plenty of bushes, plants and trees that give your yard a landscaped look but require far less maintenance. Or, you can tackle one-time projects such as adding a walkway or steps.
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